For the American League baseball team based in Oakland, California see Oakland Athletics.

Athletics, also known, especially in American English, as track and field or track and field athletics, is a collection of sport events, which can roughly be divided into running, throwing, and jumping. The word is derived from the Greek word "athlon" meaning "contest".

History

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Athletics was the original event at the first Olympics back in 776 BC where the only event held was the stadium-length foot race or "stade". There were several other "Games" held throughout Europe in the classical era:

• The Pythian Games (founded 527 BC) held in Delphi every four years
• The Nemean Games (founded 516 BC) held in Argolid every two years
• The Isthmian (founded 523 BC) held on the Isthmus of Corinth every two years (one year being that which followed the Olympics)
• The Roman Games – Arising from Etruscan rather than purely Greek roots, the Roman Games deemphasized footraces and throwing. Instead, the Greek sports of chariot racing and wrestling, as well as the Etruscan sport of gladiatorial combat, took center stage.

Other peoples enjoyed athletic contests, such as the Celts, Teutons and Goths who succeeded the Romans. However, these were often related to combat training, and were not very well organized. In the Middle Ages the sons of noblemen would be trained in running, leaping and wrestling, in addition to riding, jousting and arms-training. Contests between rivals and friends may have been common on both official and unofficial grounds. Many athletic sports have found favour in Europe throughout the ages. However, in Britain they fell out of favour between the 13th and 16th centuries due to government restrictions on sports aiming to reduce the practice of archery. After this ban was lifted in the 17th century sports began to flourish once more, but it was not until the 19th century that organization began to appear. This included the incorporation of regular sports and exercise into school regimes. The Royal Military College, Sandhurst has claimed to be the first to adopt this in 1812 and 1825 but without any supporting evidence. The earliest recorded meeting was organised at Shrewsbury, Shropshire in 1840 by the Royal Shrewsbury School Hunt. There are details of the meeting in a series of letters written 60 years later by CT Robinson who was a pupil there from 1838 to 1841.

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RT @MLB: Welcome to former (2003-08) Major Leaguer @TheRobBowen #Twins #Padres #Cubs #Athletics
ravi_shakya (Ravindra Shakya) Tue, 22 Dec 2009 12:43:12 -0000
RT @MLB: Welcome to former (2003-08) Major Leaguer @TheRobBowen #Twins #Padres #Cubs #Athletics
MAC annual Boxing Day Fun Run: Mariners Athletics Club is hosting its second Annual Fun Run Boxing Day. The fun.. http://bit.ly/5DHDfs
southerngazette (The Southern Gazette) Tue, 22 Dec 2009 12:38:54 -0000
MAC annual Boxing Day Fun Run: Mariners Athletics Club is hosting its second Annual Fun Run Boxing Day. The fun.. http://bit.ly/5DHDfs
Discount Mississippi Rebels - Ole Miss Glass Capitol Decanter (Spirit Holder) 24 oz - NCAA College Athletics http://bit.ly/6KdBvm
beerglasses (beerglasses) Tue, 22 Dec 2009 12:33:05 -0000
Discount Mississippi Rebels - Ole Miss Glass Capitol Decanter (Spirit Holder) 24 oz - NCAA College Athletics http://bit.ly/6KdBvm
Athletics News from Athletics New Zealand, Japan, note by Larry Eder: News from New Zealand courtesy of Murray .. http://bit.ly/5FiHvg
coachathletics ( Coaching Athletics) Tue, 22 Dec 2009 12:15:18 -0000
Athletics News from Athletics New Zealand, Japan, note by Larry Eder: News from New Zealand courtesy of Murray .. http://bit.ly/5FiHvg
Sports: NSU athletics graduates 51 current, former competitors: Nine Northwestern State student-athletes graduated ... http://bit.ly/5qWWGB
natchitoches (Natchitoches, La) Tue, 22 Dec 2009 12:14:57 -0000
Sports: NSU athletics graduates 51 current, former competitors: Nine Northwestern State student-athletes graduated ... http://bit.ly/5qWWGB
Finnish businessman steps up to be godfather of 2012 European Athletics Championships http://goo.gl/fb/W125
NewsFromFinland (NewsFromFinland) Tue, 22 Dec 2009 12:11:17 -0000
Finnish businessman steps up to be godfather of 2012 European Athletics Championships http://goo.gl/fb/W125

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