Spectators' Guide - Special Olympics

3 Sports | Spectators’ Guide
3.2 Athletics
48
Competition Days:
June 26 th – July 3 rd
Venue:
Olympic Stadium, Athens Olympic
Sport Complex
Venue for the Half-Marathon:
Panathenaikon Stadium
Number of Participants:
1.095 athletes
Did you know that:
The first recorded examples of
organized track and field events at a
sports festival are the Ancient Olympic
Games. At the first Games in 776 BC
in Olympia, Greece, only one event
was contested: the stadium footrace.
Athletics involve sports such as half-marathon, run, jumps, troughs, relays etc in
which athletes aim to achieve the best possible performance.
Special Olympics track and field events include a wide range of the Olympics
and Paralympics athletics events, from 100m and Half-Marathon run to relays and
wheelchair. In addition, Special Olympics include events where athletes with lower
abilities can be trained and compete in basic forms of athletic events. Track and Fields
has twenty six (26) events for men and twenty six (26) for women. The athletes may
compete in two events and one relay or two relays and one event. During the first
four (4) days there will be divisioning whereas during the last four (4) days finals and
awards will take place. The Field of Play contains three double sand pits for jumping
disciplines, two circles for Shot Put, two Soft Ball Throw facilities, two runways for
Javelin, and two landing cushions for High Jump. Half-Marathon will be held on the
last 5K of the Olympic Marathon Course, and will finish in front of the Panathenaikon
Stadium which is located in the center of Athens.