Disciplines & families
Athletes compete across 19 disciplines, spanning sprints, middle and long distance, hurdles, jumps, and throws. Each discipline rewards a different blend of attributes.
The four families
Section titled “The four families”Every discipline belongs to one of four families. Families group events that reward similar athletes, and they matter beyond flavour: an athlete’s family shapes how they develop, and the World Tour runs themed days that reward a whole family at once (see Competitions & the World Tour).
| Family | Disciplines |
|---|---|
| Sprints | 100m, 200m, 400m, 100m/110m Hurdles, 400m Hurdles |
| Distance | 800m, 1500m, 5000m, 10000m, Marathon, 3000m Steeplechase |
| Throws | Shot Put, Javelin, Discus, Hammer Throw |
| Jumps | High Jump, Pole Vault, Long Jump, Triple Jump |
All disciplines
Section titled “All disciplines”| Discipline | Family |
|---|---|
| 100m | Sprints |
| 200m | Sprints |
| 400m | Sprints |
| 100m/110m Hurdles | Sprints |
| 400m Hurdles | Sprints |
| 800m | Distance |
| 1500m | Distance |
| 5000m | Distance |
| 10000m | Distance |
| Marathon | Distance |
| 3000m Steeplechase | Distance |
| Shot Put | Throws |
| Javelin | Throws |
| Discus | Throws |
| Hammer Throw | Throws |
| High Jump | Jumps |
| Pole Vault | Jumps |
| Long Jump | Jumps |
| Triple Jump | Jumps |
Specialists vs. all-rounders
Section titled “Specialists vs. all-rounders”An athlete has a main discipline they’re best suited to, but they can enter others in the same family with reasonable results. Pushing an athlete far outside their family — a thrower in the 5000m — rarely ends well. Part of squad-building is deciding whether to sharpen a narrow specialist or spread an athlete across several events to score more often.
Next: learn how athletes grow into their potential in Potential & development.