Top 10 Equipment Items That Are Used In Athletics

Athletics span a wide range of field and track events. Chances are the average reader has some experience at some organized track or field event – thanks to school extracurricular activities. However, not many people have a broad range of various equipment used in multiple events; at least, not to minute details about them.

The rest of this article shows you the top 10 equipment items used in athletics, plus some exciting (or well, educating) facts about them. You may have heard about our top 10 equipment used in athletics with pictures from online sources, but here’s a deeper dive into the equipment and its uses.

10 Equipment Used in Athletics

Thanks to the simplicity of participating in field and track events plus the relative affordability of most necessary gear, athletics has become popular globally. Here are some top 10 equipment used in various track and field  events globally, plus a briefer on the first five.

1. Hurdles
2. Vaulting pole
3. Shot 
4. Discuss
5. Hammer
6. Javelin 
7. Steeplechase water jump
8. Starting blocks
9. Relay batons 
10. Tumbling mats

Hurdles

Ever wondered what “hurdle” athletes have to scale while engaging in a competitive race like the Olympics? Here you go. It consists of two feet and two uprights supporting a rectangular frame, usually made of metal. A top bar is attached to the frame’s top, made of wood or some other suitable material.

Usually, the hurdle spans between 46.5 to 47.25 inches, and must always weigh below 22 pounds. Attached to the hurdle’s base are adjustable counterweights so that at each height, a force of at least 7.9 pounds and no more than 8.8 pounds is required to overturn it. 

Vaulting Pole

While the hurdles have strict requirements for their make-up, the vaulting pole has no official standards in competitions. It can be made from any material, of any length or diameter. The pole’s length is determined by multiple factors, including the vaulter’s height, weight, and personal preferences. Generally, most world-class women vaulters use poles that are at least 14 feet long, while the men’s poles could reach 18 feet in length.

Shot

You might be surprised about how heavy the “shot” used in Shot Put is! Well, if you’re new to the party, a shot is a spherical ball used in the field game of shot put. It’s made of solid iron, brass, or any metal not softer than brass. It can also be constructed of a metal shell field with lead.

Additionally, a shot must have a smooth outer surface with a diameter between 4.3 and 5.1 inches for women. The weight? Men must throw a shot weighing at least 16 pounds the longest distance they can (to the game), while women’s shot mustn’t weigh below 8.8 pounds.

Discus

A discus is a wooden disc with a metal rim surrounding it that athletes throw in a track and field event. The men’s discus weighs about 4.4 pounds and spans roughly 8.6 in diameter. The women’s discus is half as heavy (about 2.2 pounds) and a little bit smaller (7.1). The thrower’s goal is to reach the farthest possible point within a specified region.

Hammer

The hammer consists of three parts: the head, wire, and grip. The wire, which is 0.10 inches in diameter, holds the head, a solid metal ball with similar dimensions as a shot. 

The entire hammer must weigh at least 16 pounds, measuring roughly 3 feet, 10 inches. For women, the entire hammer must weigh at least 8.8 pounds and measure roughly 3 feet, 9.5 inches.

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Conclusion

Knowing about our top 10 equipment used in athletics and their uses could help fans better appreciate athletes. It might also provide some more cues when the next Olympics games come around or you stumble on a related track and field event showing on TV.