Media by Seth Isringhausen.
Track and Field is one of the oldest sports, having been around since 776 B.C. In ancient Greece, the Olympics was started to coordinate with religious events and celebrations for their Greek gods. The event consisted of only men where they could show off their athletic abilities. The religious festival idea spread to the Romans. The Romans continued the games until the Christian Emperor, Theodosius I, banned the Olympic idea because of their ties to pagan beliefs.
Coach Patton. Media by GU.
Track and field has a long history. However, track and field did not gain popularity until the 1860s. In 1866, England held the first track and field championships. The competition consisted of male amateurs only. The winners received no financial compensation. The same concept as today as the International Olympic Committee does not give prize money to Olympic winners. In 1896, Athens hosted the first-ever athletic festival of the Olympic games. The games in Athens were the first occurrence of the modern Olympic Games, which consisted of all male athletes from different countries. Sadly, track and field events were not open to women until 1922 by the Amateur Athletic Union. In 1928, track and field was finally opened to women at the Summer Olympic Games.