| 2012 in athletics | |
|---|---|
,_1_September_2012.jpg) The Olympic Stadium, which hosted the 2012 Olympic athletics | |
| Major world events | 2012 Olympic Games |
| World records set | 12 |
| IAAF Athletes of the Year | Usain Bolt Allyson Felix |
| World Marathon Majors winners | Geoffrey Mutai Mary Jepkosgei Keitany |
← 2011 2013 → | |
In 2012 the foremost competition in athletics was the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. The International Association of Athletics Federations held four other global level competitions in 2012: the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships, 2012 IAAF World Race Walking Cup, 2012 World Junior Championships in Athletics and the 2012 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships.[1]
For the first time since 1945, there was no global level championship for cross country running, as the IAAF World Cross Country Championships moved to a biennial format.[2] Three of the major continental championships were held a month prior to the London Olympics: the 2012 African Championships in Athletics, 2012 European Athletics Championships and 2012 Oceania Athletics Championships.
The Diamond League entered its third year as the foremost seasonal track and field series.
- ^ 2012 World Athletics Series Archived 2012-02-11 at the Wayback Machine. IAAF. Retrieved on 2012-02-19.
- ^ 47th IAAF Congress – Day 1 Archived 2012-02-25 at the Wayback Machine. IAAF (2009-08-12). Retrieved on 2012-02-19.