World Athletics Day is celebrated on May 7 every year. The main objective of World Athletics Day is to promote the sport among the youth and to promote athletics as a primary sport in schools and colleges and institutions. It also encourages and supports the talented in the field of athletics. There is a saying, “A healthy body has a healthy mind.” Improving athletic activity around the world was also a major factor in producing healthy individuals.

The first World Athletics Day was celebrated in 1996. The event was organized by the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF). It is an international governing body for athletics and was founded on July 17, 1912. In 2006, participants in this day were between the ages of 7 and 15, but later the age range was 13 to 17 years. More than 100 sports federations around the world participated in the 2016 IAAF World Athletics Day. All events and expenses incurred during this day are sponsored by the IAAF. The most common types of athletics competitions covered on this day are; track and field, road running, race walking, and cross country running. The sport of athletics is an exclusive collection of sporting events that involve competitive events like walking, running, throwing and jumping, etc.

World Athletics Day Objectives

• The objective of World Athletics Day is to educate the public about sports and to educate young people about the importance of sports.
• Promoting the sport among the youth and creating a link between the sport and the environment for the youth.
• Promote athletics as a primary sport in schools and institutions.
• Health and Physical fitness
• Popularise sports