2002 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 2002.

There was no primary championships that season, although continental championships were held in Africa, Asia and Europe. The foremost athletics competitions at games events occurred at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, the 2002 Asian Games and the 2002 CAC Games. The 2002 IAAF World Cup was the major global outdoor track and field event.

Paula Radcliffe was among the season's top performers, having set world records at the London and Chicago Marathons, as well becoming European and Commonwealth champion on the track.

World

 * World Cross Country Championships
 * IAAF World Cup
 * World Half Marathon Championships
 * World Race Walking Cup
 * World Junior Championships in Athletics
 * Grand Prix Final
 * IAAF Golden League
 * World Marathon Majors
 * Commonwealth Games

Regional

 * African Championships
 * Asian Championships
 * Asian Junior Championships
 * Asian Games
 * Balkan Games
 * Central American and Caribbean Games
 * European Athletics Championships
 * European Cross Country Championships
 * European Mountain Running Championships
 * European Cup
 * Ibero-American Championships
 * Micronesian Games
 * Oceania Athletics Championships
 * Oceania Cross Country Championships
 * South American Games
 * South American U23 Championships
 * South American Cross Country Championships
 * West Asian Games

National

 * 2002 Lithuanian Athletics Championships

Men
None in 2002

Deaths

 * March 7 &mdash; Franziska Rochat-Moser (35), Swiss long-distance runner
 * March 22 &mdash; Marcel Hansenne (85), French middle-distance runner
 * March 27 &mdash; Tadeusz Rut (70), Polish hammer thrower
 * May 26 &mdash; Mamo Wolde (69), Ethiopian runner
 * June 17 &mdash; Willie Davenport (59), American hurdler
 * June 20 &mdash; Tinus Osendarp (86), Dutch athlete
 * August 1 &mdash; Theo Bruce (79), Australian long jumper
 * August 12 &mdash; Knud Lundberg (82), Danish multi-talented sportsman
 * August 31 &mdash; Joe McCluskey (91), American athlete
 * September 18 &mdash; Bob Hayes (59), American sprinter and American football player
 * November 15 &mdash; Sohn Kee-Chung (90), Korean marathoner
 * November 18 &mdash; Kim Gallagher (38), American athlete