List of Olympic records in athletics
The modern Summer Olympic Games have been held every four years since the first Games in 1896 and Olympic records are recognised by the International Olympic Committee in each event. The athletics events, which take place at each Games, are divided into four groups: track events, field events, road events and combined events. Women compete in 23 athletics events during the Games, and men compete in 24; while 21 of the events are the same for both men and women, men exclusively compete in the 50 km walk, the women's combined event is the heptathlon while the men compete in the decathlon, and the short distance hurdles for women is contested over 100 m, ten metres shorter than the men's event.
Some Olympic records have been broken but later rescinded by the IOC. In 1988, Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson broke the Olympic and World record in the 100 metres sprint, but was subsequently disqualified after it was discovered that he had used anabolic steroids to enhance his performance. His record was expunged and the gold medal was instead awarded to American Carl Lewis. Hungarian athlete Róbert Fazekas broke the Olympic record in the men's discus in 2004 but was later stripped of both his gold medal and the record after it was deemed that he had "committed an anti-doping rule violation".
The longest standing modern Olympic athletics record is Bob Beamon's achievement in the men's long jump at the 1968 Summer Olympics. The jump, at, also broke the existing world record by, and stood as the world record for 23 years until Beamon's compatriot, Mike Powell, jumped farther in the 1991 World Championships in Athletics in Tokyo. During the 2012 Games, six men's and five women's records were broken.
Note, only those events currently competed for and recognised by the IOC as Summer Olympic events are listed.
Men's records
♦ denotes a performance that is also a current world record. Statistics are correct as of 19 August 2016.| Event | Record | Athlete | Nation | Games | Date | Ref |
| 9.63 | ||||||
| 19.30 | ||||||
| ♦43.03 | Wayde van Niekerk | 2016 Rio de Janeiro | ||||
| ♦1:40.91 | ||||||
| 3:32.07 | ||||||
| 12:57.82 | ||||||
| 27:01.17 | ||||||
| Marathon | 2:06:32 | |||||
| 12.91 | ||||||
| ♦46.78 | ||||||
| 8:03.28 | ||||||
| ♦36.84 | Nesta Carter Michael Frater Yohan Blake Usain Bolt | |||||
| 2:55.39 | Angelo Taylor David Neville Jeremy Wariner | |||||
| 1:18:46 | ||||||
| 3:36:53 | ||||||
| High jump | 2.39 m | |||||
| Long jump | 8.90 m | |||||
| Pole vault | 6.03 m | |||||
| Triple jump | 18.09 m | |||||
| Shot put | 22.52 m | |||||
| Discus throw | 69.89 m | |||||
| Hammer throw | 84.80 m | |||||
| Javelin throw | 90.57 m | |||||
| Decathlon | 8893 pts | |||||
| Decathlon | 8893 pts |
Women's records
♦ denotes a performance that is also a current world record. Statistics are correct as of 19 August 2016.| Event | Record | Athlete | Nation | Games | Date | Ref |
| 100 metres | 10.62 | 1988 Seoul | ||||
| 200 metres | ♦21.34 | 1988 Seoul | ||||
| 400 metres | 48.25 | 1996 Atlanta | ||||
| 800 metres | 1:53.43 | 1980 Moscow | ||||
| 1500 metres | 3:53.96 | 1988 Seoul | ||||
| 5,000 metres | 14:26.17 | 2016 Rio de Janeiro | ||||
| 10,000 metres | ♦29:17.45 | Almaz Ayana | 2016 Rio de Janeiro | |||
| Marathon | 2:23:07 | 2012 London | ||||
| 100 metres hurdles | 12.35 | 2012 London | ||||
| 400 metres hurdles | 52.64 | 2008 Beijing | ||||
| 3,000 m steeplechase | 8:58.81 | 2008 Beijing | ||||
| 4×100 m relay | ♦40.82 | Tianna Madison Allyson Felix Bianca Knight Carmelita Jeter | 2012 London | |||
| 4×400 m relay | ♦3:15.17 | Olga Nazarova Mariya Pinigina Olga Bryzgina | 1988 Seoul | |||
| 20 km walk | 1:25:02 | 2012 London | ||||
| High jump | 2.06 m | 2004 Athens | ||||
| Long jump | 7.40 m | 1988 Seoul | ||||
| Pole vault | 5.05 m | 2008 Beijing | ||||
| Triple jump | 15.39 m | 2008 Beijing | ||||
| Shot put | 22.41 m | 1980 Moscow | ||||
| Discus throw | 72.30 m | 1988 Seoul | ||||
| Hammer throw | 82.29 m | 2016 Rio de Janeiro | ||||
| Javelin throw | 71.53 m | 2004 Athens | ||||
| Heptathlon | ♦7291 pts | 1988 Seoul |