The Polish Athletics Championships is an annual outdoor track and field competition organised by the Polish Athletic Association, which serves as the Polish national championship for the sport. It is typically held as a three-day event in the Polish summer, ranging from late June to early August. The venue of the championships changes annually. Following the establishment of the PZLA in 1919, the national championships was first held in 1920 as a men-only event. The first two championships were held in Lviv as this city was the headquarters of the national sports body and home to the only modern athletics stadium in the country. Women's events were included shortly after in 1922. The women's' championships were contested separately from the men's from 1925 to 1949. The championships has been contested every year since its inception, bar a brief period from 1940–44 when World War II led to abandonment of the competition.
The competition has featured more unusual events, such as the grenade throw for men in 1951 and both men and women in 1952. Men competed in the standing long jump at the 1920 and 1921 editions. This event had a longer history in the women's programme, lasting from 1927 to 1947. A men's 200 metres hurdles was first contested in1 1953 but stopped after 1963. Women contested that event in 1970 and 1971. A few events were unique to women, including the 60 metres, a 250 m, a 1000 m in 1926 and 1927, and a 500 m from 1949 to 1951. The women's programme expanded inline with international acceptance of women's athletics. The women's 1500 metres was added in 1969 and the 400 m hurdles followed the year after. The women's 3000 metres was introduced in 1973 and contested up to 1994. The women's equivalents of the men's standard 5000 m and 10,000 m were added in 1984. The 80 metres hurdles was combined with the 100 metres hurdles at the 1968 championships, before the longer distance replaced it the following year. Later additions to the women's programme were triple jump, pole vault and hammer throw and the steeplechase. Championship events are held at different locations for combined track and field events, road running and walks, and cross country running.
