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Its no news that football, basketball and volleyball are some of the big games in the sporting industry. However, athletics events are also at the top of the list for sports that attract the most fans. These games may not be as popular as their field counterparts, but a sizeable populace follows them.
Various events are tagged athletics, each involving some piece of walking, running, jumping, or throwing. These competitions are further broken down into the sub-sports of cross-country running, race walking, and track and field.
The most popular athletics competitions owe much of their current format to the Summer Olympics. When it comes to world championship competitions, the most important one is the World Athletics Championships because it features so many activities at the highest level. Such big competitions are one reason athletics is a significant draw for many individuals. There are a few other reasons why these events are well-liked; we shall explore them in this write-up.
Athletics: The epitome of individual work ethic
Sprinters, throwers, jumpers and runners go through hurdles to stay on the highest level of their game and achieve their goals. In a project by Ashley Samson, she discovered that runners employ different mental strategies and breathing techniques to cope with the pain. Besides coping mechanisms, athletes cling to their motivation from family, friends, and fans.
Since 1896, countless athletes have made their mark and won the hearts of fans all over the globe. Here are some of them:
Paavo Nurmi
Nurmi went undefeated in the 10,000 metres he ran throughout his entire running career and set 22 world records spanning distances from 1500 metres to the marathon. During his prime, Nurmi won 121 consecutive races for 800 metres and longer. The number of world records this American holds is more than double that of Ethiopian legend Haile Gebrselassie.
Edwin Moses
Only a few athletes have maintained a winning streak as long as Edwin Moses has. Moses won 122 straight races between 1977 and 1987. Moses was unbeatable in a 400m hurdles competition for 9 years, 9 months and 9 days. Moses also broke his world record four times during this time, with his best time being 47.02 seconds.
Ed Moses (Mark Shearman)
Sergey Bubka
Bubka set 35 world records in the pole vault during his career. Also, Bubka amassed eleven titles in the Olympics and the World Championships, and he was the first pole vaulter to clear 6.10 metres. Since then, Bubka has only lost that record twice.
Athletics rareness prompts people to watch
When it comes to football, there are matches slated for each day; hence, there are markets for these fixtures around the clock at online bookies. Athletic events are less commonly held. As a result, you might only sometimes find betting options for athletics events, even on the recommended bookies where you dont have to worry about self-exclusion at NonGamstopBetSites.
However, it is for this same reason that athletics events are liked by many. Since the most significant competitions are held biennially, and every four years, punters and fans tune in to watch these events. The thrill builds as these fans look out for who will set a new record, walk home with a gold medal, fall below expectations, and the like. So, athletics events not only present more betting options but also give people a break from football matches and other popular sports.
What are the most special athletics events?
There are different athletics events to look forward to, including the Summer Olympics. Since the 1896 Summer Olympics, which marked the beginning of the modern Olympic movement, athletics has competed at every Summer Olympic Games. The current schedule includes road walking, road running, and track and field competitions. Prior editions of the Olympics included cross-country running, but it was removed following the 1924 Summer Olympics.
Other big-time athletics competitions that hold include:
World Athletics Championships
The World Athletics Championships are a sporting event held every two years. Along with the Olympic Games, they are the pinnacle of senior international outdoor sports competitions for track and field athletics worldwide. It was first held in Helsinki in 1983 where winners included sprinter Carl Lewis, decathlete Daley Thompson and marathon runner Grete Waitz.
With over 1800 top athletes competing over nine days, this event expands athletics reach, exposure, and impact. There are 49 athletics competitions in the championship, 24 for men, 24 for women, and one mixed relay. Following the events debut, the tournament was held every four years until 1991, when they changed to a two-year schedule.
Daley Thompson (Mark Shearman)
World Athletics Indoor Championships
As the most prestigious indoor track and field sporting event, the World Athletics Indoor Championships attracts athletes from around the globe every year. The World Athletics governing body coordinates the event, just like the outdoor World Athletics Championships.
The first World Indoor Games were held in Paris, France, in 1985. Since its debut, the Indoor Championships have been held every two years, except in 2003 and 2004, when they were held concurrently. It provides fans with three days of action-packed events in a smaller arena where that watching can see these athletes up close. The event has produced star athletes like Armand Duplantis, who hold multiple titles.
Mondo Duplantis (Getty)
World Athletics Half Marathon Championships
First launched in 1992, the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships were held annually until 2010 when they were changed to a biennial event. Recently it has evolved into the World Athletics Road Running Championships, which features races over one mile, 5km and half-marathon, with the first edition of these new championships taking place in Riga, Latvia in September and October this year.
Final thoughts
Athletics, short and long-distance races, shot put, javelin throws and hurdles, among others, are major attractions because they are entertaining. Though these events are less common than football and basketball, they have a large fan base. Plus, the best online bookies take advantage of an opportunity to offer betting markets for these events.