Road running rules rules, for watching
Start with the rules you see all the time, then the ones that change results.
Checked 14 October 2026
Settling an argument? Search all 14 rules
- What are the road races, and how are they won?
- What sort of route may a road race use?
- How is a marathon course measured?
- Why do some fast marathon times not count as records?
- How does a road relay work?
- How does a road race start?
- What drinks are provided during the race, and where?
- Can an athlete carry a drink, or take one from someone else?
- What happens if an athlete goes off the course?
- How is a road race timed, and who is placed first?
- What help may an athlete have during the race?
- What can get an athlete warned or disqualified?
- How does an athlete challenge a result or a disqualification?
- 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: TR 55 (road races), with TR 54 (race walking) for the points the two share. Also used, from the reading done for the track sets: TR 5 to 8, 16.2, 17.1, 17.6, 18, 19 and 21 |
| CR plus rule number | The Competition Rules in the same book. Read for this set: CR 25 (results codes) and the paragraphs of CR 31 and CR 32 on road running 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: cross country, mountain and trail races (TR 56 and 57); the road course measurement manual and the AIMS and World Athletics measurer grades; label road race regulations; the Athletic Shoe Regulations ("Book C"); anti-doping; para athletics; the regulations of any one championship or race.
Not covered: cross country, mountain and trail races (TR 56 and 57); the road course measurement manual and the AIMS and World Athletics measurer grades; label road race regulations; the Athletic Shoe Regulations ("Book C"); anti-doping; para athletics; the regulations of any one championship or race.