From the first edition at the 1896 Summer Games, athletics has been considered the "queen" of the Olympics. Today, there are several other athletics championships organized at global and continental levels. Athletics also serves as the main focus of many multi-sport events such as the World University Games, Mediterranean Games, and Pan American Games. The following is a list of prominent athletics competitions.
| Event | 1st edition | Kind of competition | Can participate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olympic Games | 1896 | World games |  Worldwide
|
| World Championships | 1983 | World championships | |
| World Indoor Championships | 1985 | ||
| European Championships | 1934 | Continental championships | .svg){kind=small} Europe
|
| European Indoor Championships | 1966 | ||
| South American Championships | 1919 | .svg){kind=small} South America
| |
| Asian Championships | 1973 | .svg){kind=small} Asia
| |
| African Championships | 1979 | .svg){kind=small} Africa
| |
| Ocenian Championships | 1990 | .svg){kind=small} Oceania
|
