Middle and long distance rules rules, for watching
Start with the rules you see all the time, then the ones that change results.
Settling an argument? Search all 18 rules
- What are the middle and long distance races, and how is one won?
- How does a distance race start?
- What counts as a false start, and what is the penalty?
- Why does the starter sometimes say "Stand up", and what do the cards mean?
- When may runners leave their lanes and move to the inside?
- Who counts the laps, and may a runner be paced or handed a drink?
- What happens if a runner steps on or inside the kerb?
- What happens when one athlete impedes another?
- Can an athlete step off the track and carry on?
- What decides who crosses the line first?
- How are races timed, and how exact are the times?
- What happens when two athletes cannot be separated?
- How do athletes get from the first round to the final?
- Who decides which heat and which start position an athlete gets?
- What do the yellow and red cards mean in athletics?
- How does an athlete challenge a result or a disqualification?
- What help may an athlete have during a race, and what is banned?
- What must an athlete wear to race?
Where these rules come from
| Tag | Document |
|---|---|
| TR plus rule number | World Athletics, Competition and Technical Rules, 2026 Edition, the Technical Rules. Read in full for this set: Part I (TR 1 to 13) and Part II, Track Events (TR 14 to 24) |
| CR plus rule number | The Competition Rules in the same book. Read for this set: CR 20 to 25 (umpires, timekeepers, starters, lap scorers, results) and CR 31.14 to 31.21 (conditions for records) |
| "commentary" | The explanatory notes printed in green under a rule. The book says they "provide interpretation to the Rules and practical guidance for their implementation" |
| R | "Why the rule exists", or a point reasoned from the rule, not stated in it |
| C | Common usage or general knowledge, not a rule |
Not covered: Part V of the Technical Rules (200 m short track, which is indoor athletics); the Athletic Shoe Regulations and the Mechanical Aids Regulations ("Book C"); the Track and Field Facilities Manual; the tables for rounds and heats that World Athletics publishes on its website; Competition Rules 1 to 19 and 26 to 30; the Eligibility Rules; anti-doping; para athletics; the regulations of any one championship.
Not covered: Part V of the Technical Rules (200 m short track, which is indoor athletics); the Athletic Shoe Regulations and the Mechanical Aids Regulations ("Book C"); the Track and Field Facilities Manual; the tables for rounds and heats that World Athletics publishes on its website; Competition Rules 1 to 19 and 26 to 30; the Eligibility Rules; anti-doping; para athletics; the regulations of any one championship.