 The running events , which include sprints , middle and long @-@ distance events , race walking and hurdling , are won by the athlete with the fastest time . The jumping and throwing events are won by the athlete who achieves the greatest distance or height . Regular jumping events include long jump , triple jump , high jump and pole vault , while the most common throwing events are shot put , weight , javelin , discus and hammer . There are also " combined events " or " multi events " , such as pentathlon consisting of five events , heptathlon consisting of seven events , and decathlon consisting of ten <unk> every multi event , athletes participate in a combination of sprinting , jumping , throwing , middle distance , and long distance events . Most track and field events are individual sports with a single victor , but a number are relay races consisting of four members . Events are almost exclusively divided by gender , although both the men 's and women 's competitions are usually held at the same venue . 
