Origins
At the first athletics event all of the contestants were naked as it was 776BC, or ‘before clothes’.

Athlete
Carrier of a fungal disease.

Track event
Held on a railway line. Extremely dangerous though it can improve an athlete’s best time.

Field events
A much safer group of events. Popular disciplines include picnicking, climbing trees and making daisy chains.

Running events
Organising the games.

Throwing events
People deliberately losing.

Jumping events
Channel hopping while watching athletics on TV.

Lane
Small road leading to the area where the field events are being held.

Starter
First course in the picnic in the field.

Hurdle
Being crap at your event.

“Marks!”
Shop where the athlete bought their shorts.

“Set!”
The shorts came with a matching top.

Starting pistol
Beginner’s gun in a shooting event.

High jump
Being surprised by the starting pistol.

Long jump
Taking a while to calm down.

Triple jump
Not getting used to the starting pistol very quickly.

False start
Your teeth fall out because you’re so startled.

Personal best
Making sure one’s appearance is tip-top.

Shot put
Vey difficult golf exercise.

Marathon
Inspired by an Ancient Greek who ran all the way home after a battle to make sure he could sit through every single event on the television.

Relay race
What television commentators do.

Discus
What television pundits do.

Triathlon
Athlon for beginners.

Pentathlon
Athlon for satanists.

Heptathlon
Tathlon for cool people.

Decathlon
Athlon on board ship.

Javelin
Darts for extroverts.

Pole vault
Really big safe where they keep all the poles.

Sprint
It is dangerous standing next to a fellow competitor in the public urinals if you are wearing shorts.

Middle distance
Much safer here.

Long distance
Stop showing off.

Water jump
What you might have to do.

Spikes
What people who fail drugs tests claim have been put in their drinks.

Shorts
Sometimes these are spiked.

Singlets
Better than doubles if you’re racing the next day.

Drugs test
Advisable. You don’t want to take ones that don’t work.

Long-jump pits
Terrible long-jumpers.

Dropping the baton
The conductor in the opening ceremony has to use a biro instead.

Medals table
Horizontal structure traditionally made of wood, though in modern times this can be metal or plastic, raised from the ground by four vertical poles, or ‘legs’, that the medals are put on.

Hammer
Used to construct the medals table.

Finish line
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