Athletics

Nothing matches Track and Field for the scale and variety of events on display at the Commonwealth Games. Athletes will showcase feats of superhuman speed, strength, endurance and agility in the quest for personal bests and medals. 

Sprinters, wheelchair racers, endurance runners, relay teams, hurdlers, pole vaulters, jumpers and throwers will pit their skills against each other in a packed programme of events which are certain to keep viewers in the stadium - and around the world - gripped. 

On the track, you can enjoy everything from the breathless excitement of the 100m sprint to the lung-busting intensity of the distance races, while on the field, throwers of javelins, hammers, the discus and shot put will look to go the distance in their own battles for supremacy. Meanwhile, athletes will make a leap for a podium place in the long jump, triple jump, high jump and pole vault. 

If that wasn’t enough, the multi-event decathlon and heptathlon disciplines will see athletes look to emerge victorious after tackling a range of high-intensity events, which will test their capabilities to the very limit. 

Here’s how it works:  

Track events include sprints, hurdles, middle, long distance and relays. Field events include jumps and throws. Combined events like Decathlon (men) and Heptathlon (women) test versatility across multiple Track and Field events. 

Para Athletics 

With Para Athletics fully integrated into the Glasgow 2026 athletics event, there will be even more chance for spectators to get inspired as athletes overcome barriers to compete at the highest level.  

Para athletes undergo an assessment by certified classifiers to determine their classification based on how their impairment affects performance in their event(s). Athletes are grouped together based on their classification to ensure fair competition.  

The Para Athletics classification system for uses as T for track events and F for field events, identified by numbers indicating the type and severity of impairment. 

Typical Groups include: 

  • T/F11-13 (Vision impairment)
  • T/F20 (Intellectual impairment)
  • T/F35-38 (Co-ordination impairments (hypertonia, ataxia and athetosis))
  • T/F40-41 (Short stature)
  • T/F42-44 (Lower limb competing without prosthesis affected by limb deficiency, leg length difference, impaired muscle power or impaired passive range of movement)

A full list of Para Athletics classifications can be found here.  

Did you know? 

  • Regarded as the cornerstone of any Games, Athletics has featured at every event since the Commonwealth Games began back in 1930. Para Athletics has been included since Manchester 2002. 
  • Glasgow 2026 will see the return of the ‘Commonwealth Mile’ to a major championship athletics programme. It is a distance that captures the imagination like few others in the sporting world.  Its unique history, spectacular performances, and iconic races have made it one of the most revered events in athletics; a symbol of athletic excellence. Read more here. 
  • With the integration of Para Athletics into the Glasgow 2026 athletics programme, your chances of seeing a World Record (or two) are high!