Competitions, warm-ups, and training can take place outdoors or indoors. In this regard, two seasons of athletics are distinguished, in the regions where this sport discipline is most popular, in Europe and the United States.
Competitions:
- summer season, usually April-October (including the Olympic Games and World and European Championships) are held in outdoor stadiums;
- winter season, usually January-March (including the World and European Winter Championships) are held indoors.
- Race walking and road running (cross-country) competitions have their own calendar. The most prestigious marathon races are held in spring and fall.
Outdoor stadium
In most cases, an athletics stadium is combined with a football (in the United States, American football or lacrosse) stadium and field. It usually includes an oval 400-meter track, which usually consists of 8 or 9 separate lanes, as well as sectors for jumping and throwing events. The 3000-meter steeplechase track has special markings and a water obstacle on a special bend.
It is customary to measure distances in stadiums in meters (10,000-meter run) and on highways or open areas in kilometers (10-kilometer cross-country). The stadium tracks have special markings that mark the start of all running events and corridors for the transfer of relays.
Sometimes throwing events (usually hammer and javelin) are separated into a separate program or moved outside the stadium altogether, as a projectile that accidentally flies out of the sector could potentially injure other competitors or spectators.
Indoor stadium (arena)
Typically includes an oval 200-meter track consisting of four to six separate lanes, a 60-meter running track and sectors for jumping events. The only throwing event included in the program of the winter indoor season is the shot put and it usually does not have a dedicated sector and is organized separately from the other sectors. Official IAAF competitions are held only on the 200-meter track, but there are stadiums with non-standard tracks (140 meters, 300 meters, etc.).
In the arena, a certain angle of inclination (usually up to 18°) is laid on the bends, which makes it easier for runners to run the distance on turns with a small radius of curvature.
Since 2006, the 200-meter race has been excluded from the program of the World and European Championships for reasons that put the participants in unequal conditions, i.e., the one who runs on the outside track is in the most favorable conditions. However, some competitions still hold 200-meter races.