This article contains an overview of the year 1986 in the sport of athletics.
International Events
- Asian Games
- Balkan Games
- European Championships
- European Indoor Championships
- Commonwealth Games
- Goodwill Games
- World Junior Championships
World records
Men
Women
- Heike Drechsler (GDR) twice equals the world record in the women's 200 metres held by countrywoman Marita Koch since 1979-06-10, clocking 21.71 seconds on 1986-06-29 and 1986-08-29.
Men's Best Year Performers
100 metres
200 metres
400 metres
800 metres
1,500 metres
Mile
3,000 metres
5,000 metres
10,000 metres
Half Marathon
110m Hurdles
400m Hurdles
3,000m Steeplechase
High jump
Long jump
Triple jump
Discus
Hammer
Shot put
Javelin (old design)
Pole vault
Decathlon
Women's Best Year Performers
100 metres
200 metres
400 metres
800 metres
1,500 metres
Mile
3.000 metres
5.000 metres
10,000 metres
Half Marathon
100m Hurdles
400m Hurdles
High Jump
Long Jump
Shot Put
Javelin (old design)
Heptathlon
Marathon
Year Rankings
Men
Women
National Champions
International Races
Births
- January 5 — Roman Novotný, Czech long jumper
- January 11 — Claudio Licciardello, Italian sprinter
- January 15 — Mariya Abakumova, Russian javelin thrower
- January 17 — Sherry Fletcher, Grenadian sprinter
- January 23 — Gelete Burka, Ethiopian middle-distance runner
- January 24 — Montell Douglas, British sprinter
- January 31 — Walter Dix, American sprinter
- February 11 — Bob Altena, Dutch decathlete
- April 1 — Yurika Nakamura, Japanese long-distance runner
- April 2 — Moses Aliwa, Ugandan long-distance runner
- April 4 — Evelyne Nganga, Kenyan long-distance runner
- April 29 — Ingus Janevics, Latvian race walker
- May 2 — Samuel Muturi Mugo, Kenyan long-distance runner
- May 16 — Eleni Artymata, Cypriot sprinter
- June 3 — Micah Kogo, Kenyan long-distance runner
- June 8 — Yadira Guamán, Ecuadorian race walker
- June 10 — Amr Ibrahim Mostafa Seoud, Egyptian sprinter
- June 27 — LaShawn Merritt, American sprinter
- July 3 — Robina Muqimyar, Afghan sprinter
- July 17 — Viktor Kuznyetsov, Ukrainian long jumper and triple jumper
- July 19 — Philes Ongori, Kenyan long-distance runner
- July 26 — Mattias Claesson, Swedish middle-distance runner
- July 26 — Angela Moroșanu, Romanian sprinter
- July 28 — Nancy Wambui, Kenyan long-distance runner
- July 28 — Nickiesha Wilson, Jamaican hurdler
- August 3 — Fartun Abukar Omar, Somali athlete
- August 21 — Usain Bolt, Jamaican sprinter
- August 29 — Yerefu Birhanu, Ethiopian long-distance runner
- September 9 — Daniel Bailey, Antigua and Barbuda sprinter
- November 1 — Ksenija Balta, Estonian long jumper, sprinter and heptathlete
- November 10 — Samuel Wanjiru, Kenyan long-distance runner
- November 13 — Sergey Bakulin, Russian race walker
- November 21 — Aleksandra Zelenina, Moldovan long and triple jumper
- December 7 — Olga Mikhaylova, Russian race walker
Deaths
- April 13 — Sulo Bärlund (75), Finnish shot putter (b. 1910)
References
- 1986 Year Rankings
- Association of Road Racing Statisticians
