| 2010 in athletics | |
|---|---|
 David Rudisha twice broke the 800 m world record | |
| Major world events | 2010 World Indoor Championships |
| World records set | 10 |
| New competitions | IAAF Diamond League |
← 2009 2011 → | |
In 2010 there was no obvious, primary athletics championship, as neither the Summer Olympics nor the World Championships in Athletics occurred in the year. The foremost championships to be held in 2010 included: the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships, 2010 European Athletics Championships, 2010 African Championships in Athletics, and Athletics at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.[1]
Two major competitions debuted in new formats. The IAAF Diamond League – a worldwide expansion on the European-centred IAAF Golden League concept – saw a schedule of fourteen one-day meetings with some of the sport's most prominent athletes centrally contracted to a track and field series for the first time.[2] The second competition was the renamed IAAF Continental Cup (formerly World Cup) which had its format simplified: previously a contest between several countries and continents, it comprised only four teams (Africa, the Americas, Europe and Asia/Oceania).[3]
- ^ One month to go - IAAF World Indoor Championships. IAAF (2010-02-12). Retrieved on 2010-02-13.
- ^ Track and Field’s elite endorse IAAF Diamond League at sparkling launch. IAAF (2009-11-21). Retrieved on 2010-01-02.
- ^ IAAF Council Meeting notes, Monaco - 21 November. IAAF (2008-11-21). Retrieved on 2009-09-11.