Athletics, explained.
Track, field and the road: pacing, biomechanics, records, and the technology arguments that follow every fast time.
20 articlesGuideExplainerAnalysis
- GuideThe World Marathon Majors explained, and why it is eight22 minThe Marathon Majors are no longer six. How Sydney and Cape Town got in, what candidacy takes, why Boston cannot hold a world record, and how the stars work.
- ExplainerWorld Athletics rankings explained: points, places and quotas18 minHow the World Athletics rankings turn a time or a distance into a ranking position, why placing scores were cut in 2026, and how championship quotas work.
- GuideWorld Athletics Championships format, round by round22 minThe 49-event programme, the four routes in, heats and fastest losers, twelve to a field final, the lane draw nobody reads, and the new Ultimate Championship.
- ExplainerWind assistance rules in athletics, and the +2.0 line22 minHow the +2.0 m/s wind limit works, which events it covers, how the gauge is placed and read, the decathlon average, and why altitude gets away with it.
- AnalysisVO2 max explained for runners, and what it cannot tell you21 minWhat VO2 max measures, why your watch is guessing, and why running economy and threshold decide races once everybody in the field has a big engine.
- Explainer3000m Steeplechase: 35 Obstacles, Seven of Them Water20 minThe 3000m carries 28 barrier jumps and 7 water jumps, 35 in all, five a lap with the water fourth. Barriers that do not fall over, and a pit that slopes out.
- AnalysisSprint start biomechanics explained, blocks to first step20 minWhat actually happens between the gun and the first stride, why medium block spacing wins, what the rear leg is really doing, and where the start is won.
- ExplainerRelay changeover rules: why the exchange zone decides it22 minHow relay changeovers work: the 30-metre zone, blind and visual exchanges, the go-mark, dropped batons and the lane rules that disqualify most teams.
- ExplainerRace walking rules explained, and how the penalty zone works18 minThe two-part definition, why the rule is written around the human eye, how red cards build to a sanction, and what the penalty zone changed about the sport.
- ExplainerPole Vault Rules: Three Attempts, a 4.50m Crossbar18 minThree attempts at each height, and three consecutive failures ends your day. The crossbar is 4.50m long and movable by 80cm, plus the four ways to fail.
- ExplainerOlympic qualification standards explained, and how to get in19 minHow Olympic entry standards and the world ranking route fill a capped field, why the qualification window distorts a season, and what national quotas cost.
- GuideMarathon pacing strategy explained: fuel before fitness21 minThe marathon is a fuel problem before it is a fitness problem. How pacing manages a finite store of carbohydrate, and why a fast first mile costs minutes.
- AnalysisLactate threshold explained, and why lactate is not the enemy19 minWhat the lactate threshold measures, why lactate is a fuel rather than a waste product, how the test works, and why five detection methods give five answers.
- ExplainerJavelin rules explained: what makes a throw valid or a foul19 minThe javelin rules that decide a throw: head-first landing, the 28.96 degree sector, when you may leave the runway, and the implement specification.
- AnalysisCarbon plate super shoes explained: what they actually do20 minHow carbon plate super shoes work: what the foam does, what the plate really does at the toes, why the gain varies by runner, and how the rules limit them.
- ExplainerHow does drug testing work in sport? The full process22 minHow drug testing works in sport: out-of-competition testing, whereabouts, sample collection, A and B samples, strict liability and how a ban is set.
- ExplainerHigh jump rules explained: countback, passing, jump-offs19 minThe high jump rules that decide competitions: three consecutive failures, why passing heights is a gamble, how countback ranks a tie, and jump-offs.
- GuideThe Diamond League explained: points, final, prize money18 minHow the Diamond League really works: 14 one-day meetings, 32 disciplines, points that only buy a seat at the final, and a winner-takes-all night.
- ExplainerDecathlon scoring explained, with the actual arithmetic20 minDecathlon scoring explained using the real formula: the three constants for all ten events, worked examples, and where the points actually are.
- ExplainerWhat Is a False Start in Athletics? The 0.100s Line19 minA false start is any movement that breaks the set position before the gun, or a reaction faster than 0.100s after it. One ends your race, with no warning.
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