2001 in the sport of athletics

This article contains an overview of the sport of athletics, including track and field, cross country and road running, in the year 2001.

The foremost competition of the season was the 2001 World Championships in Athletics in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The 2001 IAAF World Indoor Championships was the second major track and field event that year.

World

 * World Championships
 * World Cross Country Championships
 * World Half Marathon Championships
 * Grand Prix Final
 * World Indoor Championships
 * World Youth Championships
 * World Student Games
 * Goodwill Games

Regional

 * African Junior Championships
 * Asian Cross Country Championships
 * East Asian Games
 * Maccabiah Games
 * Southeast Asian Games
 * Balkan Games
 * European Cup
 * European Junior Championships
 * European U23 Championships
 * European Cross Country Championships
 * European Race Walking Cup
 * Island Games
 * Mediterranean Games
 * Bolivarian Games
 * CAC Championships
 * Central American Games
 * Jeux de la Francophonie
 * Pan American Junior Championships
 * South American Championships

National

 * China National Games
 * Lithuanian Athletics Championships

Deaths

 * March 31 — Diego García (39), Spanish long-distance runner (b. 1961)
 * August 15 — Richard Chelimo (29), Kenyan athlete (b. 1972)
 * October 17 — Micheline Ostermeyer (78), French athlete (b. 1922)