Combined track and field events facts for kids
Combined track and field events are exciting competitions. Athletes take part in several different track and field sports. They earn points for how well they do in each event. All these points are added up to find the winner.
Outdoors, the most well-known combined events are the decathlon for men and the heptathlon for women. Indoors, because stadiums are smaller, there are fewer events. These are the men's heptathlon and the women's pentathlon. Athletes get points based on a special scoring system.
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What Are Combined Events?
Combined events are like a big challenge for athletes. Instead of being good at just one sport, they need to be good at many! This tests their speed, strength, jumping, and throwing skills.
The Decathlon
The decathlon is for men and has ten different events. It usually takes place over two days.
- Day 1:
* 100 metres (running) * Long jump (jumping) * Shot put (throwing) * High jump (jumping) * 400 metres (running)
- Day 2:
* 110 metres hurdles (running over barriers) * Discus throw (throwing) * Pole vault (jumping with a pole) * Javelin throw (throwing) * 1500 metres (running)
The Heptathlon
The heptathlon is for women and has seven different events. It also usually happens over two days.
- Day 1:
* 100 metres hurdles (running over barriers) * High jump (jumping) * Shot put (throwing) * 200 metres (running)
- Day 2:
* Long jump (jumping) * Javelin throw (throwing) * 800 metres (running)
Indoor Combined Events
Indoors, the events are a bit different because of space.
- Men's Heptathlon (Indoor): This has seven events, similar to the outdoor heptathlon but with some changes.
- Women's Pentathlon (Indoor): This has five events. It's a shorter version of the outdoor heptathlon.
How Points Are Scored
In combined events, athletes earn points for their performance in each event. For example, running faster or throwing further gives more points. These points are added up. The athlete with the highest total score wins the competition. This system makes sure that being good at many events is rewarded.
Other Combined Events
There are also some other combined events, though they are less common.
- The Icosathlon is like a "double decathlon" for men, with 20 events.
- The Tetradecathlon is for women and has 14 events.
- The Throws pentathlon focuses only on throwing events. It includes the shot put, discus, hammer, javelin, and weight throw.
| Event | Track | Field | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men's decathlon | 100 m | 400 m | 1500 m | 110 m hurdles | Long jump | High jump | Pole vault | Shot put | Discus throw | Javelin throw |
| Women's heptathlon | 200 m | 800 m | 100 m hurdles | Long jump | High jump | Shot put | Javelin throw | |||
| Men's heptathlon (indoor) | 60 m | 1000 m | 60 m hurdles | Long jump | High jump | Pole vault | Shot put | |||
| Women's pentathlon (indoor) | 800 m | 60 m hurdles | Long jump | High jump | Shot put | |||||
See also
- IAAF World Combined Events Challenge
- European Cup Combined Events
- Icosathlon
