The decathlon is a

combined event Combined track and field events are competitions in which athletes participate in a number of track and field events, earning points for their performance in each event, which adds to a total points score. Outdoors, the most common combined events ...

athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competitio ...

consisting of 10

track and field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...

events. The word "decathlon" was formed, in analogy to the word "

pentathlon A pentathlon is a contest featuring five events. The name is derived from Greek language, Greek: combining the words ''pente'' (five) and -''athlon'' (competition) (). The first pentathlon was documented in Ancient Greece and was part of the Anci ...

", from

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

δέκα (''déka'', meaning "ten") and ἄθλος (''áthlos'', or ἄθλον, ''áthlon'', meaning "contest" or "prize"). Events are held over two consecutive days and the winners are determined by the combined performance in all. Performance is judged on a points system in each event, not by the position achieved. The decathlon is contested mainly by male athletes, while female athletes typically compete in the

heptathlon A heptathlon is a track and field combined events contest made up of seven events. The name derives from the Greek ἑπτά (hepta, meaning "seven") and ἄθλος (áthlos, or ἄθλον, áthlon, meaning "competition"). A competitor in a hep ...

. Traditionally, the title of "

World's Greatest Athlete Combined events at the Summer Olympics have been contested in several formats at the multi-sport event. There are two combined track and field events in the current Olympic athletics programme: a men's decathlon (100 metres, long jump, shot put ...

" has been given to the person who wins the decathlon. This began when

Gustav V of Sweden Gustaf V (Oscar Gustaf Adolf; 16 June 1858 – 29 October 1950) was King of Sweden from 8 December 1907 until his death in 1950. He was the eldest son of King Oscar II of Sweden and Sophia of Nassau, a half-sister of Adolphe, Grand Duke of Lux ...

told

Jim Thorpe James Francis Thorpe (; May 22 or 28, 1887March 28, 1953) was an American athlete who won Olympic gold medals and played professional American football, football, baseball, and basketball. A citizen of the Sac and Fox Nation, Thorpe was ...

, "Sir, you are the world's greatest athlete" after Thorpe won the decathlon at the

Stockholm Olympics The 1912 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad () and commonly known as Stockholm 1912, were an international multi-sport event held in Stockholm, Sweden, between 6 July and 22 July 1912. The opening ceremony was he ...

in 1912. The event is similar to the

held at the ancient Greek Olympics,Waldo E. Sweet, Erich Segal (1987).
Sport and recreation in ancient Greece
'.

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...

. (p37). Retrieved on 7 May 2011. and also similar to a competition called an "all-around", which was contested at the United States amateur championships in 1884. Another all-around was held at the

1904 Summer Olympics The 1904 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the III Olympiad and also known as St. Louis 1904) were an international multi-sport event held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, from 1 July to 23 November 1904. Many events were conducted ...

. The modern decathlon first appeared at the 1912 Games. In modern athletics, the 10 events are:

100 metres The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at ...

400 metres The 400 metres, or 400-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 for men and since 1964 for women. On a standard outdoor running track, it is ...

1500 metres The 1500 metres or 1500-metre run is the foremost middle distance track event in athletics. The distance has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896 and the World Championships in Athletics since 1983. It is equivalent to 1.5 kilomet ...

110 metre hurdles The 110 metres hurdles, or 110-metre hurdles, is a hurdling track and field event for men. It is included in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympic Games. The female counterpart is the 100 metres hurdles. As part of a racing event, ten ...

long jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along with the triple jump, the two events that measure jumping for distance as a gr ...

high jump The high jump is a track and field event in which competitors must jump unaided over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without dislodging it. In its modern, most-practiced format, a bar is placed between two standards with a crash mat f ...

pole vault Pole vaulting, also known as pole jumping, is a track and field event in which an athlete uses a long and flexible pole, usually made from fiberglass or carbon fiber, as an aid to jump over a #bar, bar. Pole jumping was already practiced by the ...

discus throw The discus throw (), also known as disc throw, is a track and field sport in which the participant athlete throws an oblate spheroid weight (object), weight called a discus in an attempt to mark a further distance than other competitors. It is a ...

javelin throw The javelin throw is a track and field event where the javelin, a spear about in length, is thrown as far as possible. The javelin thrower gains momentum by running within a predetermined area. Javelin throwing is an event of both the men's de ...

, and

shotput The shot put is a track-and-field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. For men, the sport has been a part of the modern Olympics since their revival (1896), and women's competition bega ...

. The current official decathlon world record holder is French athlete

Kevin Mayer Kevin Mayer (, or , born 10 February 1992) is a French Sport of athletics, athlete specialising in decathlon and indoor heptathlon. He is two-time world champion (in 2017 and 2022), two-time Olympic silver medalist (2016 Summer Olympics, 2016 ...

, who scored a total of 9,126 points at the 2018

Décastar Décastar (stylised ''DECASTAR'') is an annual Sport of athletics, athletics competition that takes place in Talence, in the Departments of France, department of the Gironde in France. Organised by ADEL'ADEM it is one of the athletics meetings tha ...

in France.

Historical background

The decathlon developed from the ancient

competitions held at the

ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...

Olympics The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; ) are the world's preeminent international sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a variety of competit ...

. Pentathlons involved five disciplines –

sprint Sprint may refer to: Aerospace * Spring WS202 Sprint, a Canadian aircraft design *Sprint (missile), an anti-ballistic missile Automobiles *Alfa Romeo Sprint, automobile produced by Alfa Romeo between 1976 and 1989 *Chevrolet Sprint, a rebadged v ...

and a

wrestling Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves di ...

match. Introduced in Olympia during 708 BC, this competition was extremely popular for many centuries. A ten-event competition known as the "all-around" or "all-round" championship, similar to the modern decathlon, was first contested at the United States amateur championships in 1884 and reached a consistent form by 1890. While an all-around event was held at the

, whether it was an official Olympic event has been disputed. The modern decathlon first appeared in the Olympic athletics program at the 1912 Games in Stockholm.

Format

Men's decathlon

The vast majority of international and top-level men's decathlons are divided into a two-day competition, with the

events held in the order below. Traditionally, all decathletes who finish the event, rather than just the winner or medal-winning athletes, do a round of honour together after the competition. The current world record holder is

from France with 9126 points which he set on September 16, 2018, in

Talence Talence (, ; , ; ) is a commune in the department of Gironde, administrative region of New Aquitaine, France. It is the third-largest suburb of the city of Bordeaux, and is adjacent to it on the south side. It is a member of the Bordeaux Mét ...

, France. ; Day 1 *

Long jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along with the triple jump, the two events that measure jumping for distance as a gr ...

Shot put The shot put is a track-and-field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical Ball (sports), ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. For men, the sport has been a part of the Olympic Games, modern Olympics since their 1896 Summer Olym ...

High jump The high jump is a track and field event in which competitors must jump unaided over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without dislodging it. In its modern, most-practiced format, a bar is placed between two standards with a crash mat f ...

;Day 2 *

110 metres hurdles The 110 metres hurdles, or 110-metre hurdles, is a hurdling track and field event for men. It is included in the athletics (sport), athletics programme at the Summer Olympic Games. The female counterpart is the 100 metres hurdles. As part of a rac ...

Discus throw The discus throw (), also known as disc throw, is a track and field sport in which the participant athlete throws an oblate spheroid weight (object), weight called a discus in an attempt to mark a further distance than other competitors. It is a ...

Pole vault Pole vaulting, also known as pole jumping, is a track and field event in which an athlete uses a long and flexible pole, usually made from fiberglass or carbon fiber, as an aid to jump over a #bar, bar. Pole jumping was already practiced by the ...

Javelin throw The javelin throw is a track and field event where the javelin, a spear about in length, is thrown as far as possible. The javelin thrower gains momentum by running within a predetermined area. Javelin throwing is an event of both the men's de ...

Women's decathlon

At major championships, the women's equivalent of the decathlon is the seven-event

; before 1981 it was the five-event

. However, in 2001, the IAAF (now

World Athletics World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation and International Association of Athletics Federations and formerly abbreviated as the IAAF, is the international sports governing body, governing body for the sport ...

) approved scoring tables for a women's decathlon; the current world record holder is

Austra Skujytė Austra Skujytė (born 12 August 1979 in Biržai) is a retired Lithuanian athlete, competing in both the heptathlon and the decathlon. On 15 April 2005 in Columbia, Missouri, she broke the women's decathlon world record, with a score of 8358. ...

Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

, with 8,358. Women's disciplines differ from men's in the same way as for standalone events: the shot, discus, and javelin weigh less, and the sprint hurdles use lower hurdles over 100 m rather than 110 m. The points tables used are the same as for the heptathlon in the shared events. In some women's decathlon competitions, the schedule differs from the men's decathlon, with the field events switched between day one and day two. This rule was initially instituted to avoid scheduling conflicts when men's and women's decathlon competitions take place simultaneously, however by 2024 the rule was revised to allow conducting the women's decathlon using the men's event order. The inaugural Women's Decathlon World Championships used the men's ordering of events. ; Women's decathlon reversed field event order (optional) ; Day 1 *

;Day 2 *

100 metres hurdles The 100 metres hurdles, or 100-meter hurdles, is a track and field event run mainly by women (the male counterpart is the 110 metres hurdles). For the race, ten hurdles of a height of are placed along a straight course of . The first hurdle is ...

One hour

The one-hour decathlon is a special type of decathlon in which the athletes have to start the last of ten events (1500 m) within sixty minutes of the start of the first event. The world record holder is

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus *Czech (surnam ...

decathlete Robert Změlík, who achieved 7,897 points at a meeting in

Ostrava Ostrava (; ; ) is a city in the north-east of the Czech Republic and the capital of the Moravian-Silesian Region. It has about 283,000 inhabitants. It lies from the border with Poland, at the confluences of four rivers: Oder, Opava (river), Opa ...

Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...

, in 1992.

Masters athletics

Masters athletics Masters Athletics managed by World Masters Athletics is a class of the sport of athletics (sport), athletics for athletes of 35 years of age and over organized by World Masters Athletics. The events include track and field, road running and cross ...

, performance scores are age graded before being applied to the standard scoring table. This way, marks that would be competitive within an age division can get rated, even if those marks would not appear on the scale designed for younger age groups. Additionally, like women, the age divisions use different implement weights and lower hurdles. Based on this system, German Rolf Geese in the M60 division and American Robert Hewitt in the M80 divisions have set their respective

world records A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organizatio ...

over 8,000 points. Using the same scale,

Nadine O'Connor Nadine O'Connor (born March 5, 1942) is a retired mathematics teacher and a world record setting, hall of fame Masters Track and Field athlete. While she specializes in the pole vault, due to her athletic training, she also holds the World Master ...

scored 10,234 points in the W65 division, the highest decathlon score ever recorded.

Points system

The 2001 IAAF points tables use the following formulae:IAAF Scoring Tables for Combined Events, p. 24. * Points = for track events (faster time produces a higher score) * Points = for field events (greater distance or height produces a higher score) , , and are parameters that vary by discipline, as shown in the adjacent table, while is the performance by the athlete, measured in seconds (running), metres (throwing), or centimetres (jumping). The decathlon tables should not be confused with the scoring tables compiled by Bojidar Spiriev, to allow comparison of the relative quality of performances by athletes in different events. On those tables, for example, a decathlon score of 9,006 points equates to 1,265 "comparison points", the same number as a triple jump of 18 m.

Benchmarks

Split evenly between the events, the following table shows the benchmark levels needed to earn 1,000, 900, 800, and 700 points in each sport.

Calculator

Records

The official decathlon world record holder is

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, with a score of 9,126 points set during the 2018

, France, which was ratified by

. The previous record from

Ashton Eaton Ashton James Eaton (born January 21, 1988) is a retired American decathlete and two-time Olympic champion, who holds the world record in the indoor heptathlon event. Eaton was the second decathlete (after Roman Šebrle) to break the 9,000-poi ...

(9,045 points):

Decathlon bests

The total decathlon score for all

in the respective events would be 12,670. The total decathlon score for all the best performances achieved during decathlons is 10,669. The ''Difference'' column shows the difference in points between the decathlon points that the individual current world record would be awarded and the points awarded to the current decathlon record for that event. The relative differences in points are much higher in throwing events than in running and jumping events. Decathlon bests are only recognized when an athlete completes the ten-event competition with a score of over 7,000 points.

All-time top 25 men

*Correct as of June 2025.Decathlon – men – senior – outdoor
IAAF. Retrieved on 25 January 2014.

Notes

Below is a list of other scores equal or superior to 8750 pts: *

also scored 9039 (2012), 8893 (2016), 8809 (2013) and 8750 (2016). *

Damian Warner Damian David George Warner (born November 4, 1989) is a Canadian track and field athlete specializing in decathlon. He is the 2020 Olympic champion and a four-time world medallist (silver in 2015 and 2023, bronze in 2013 and 2019). Warner also ...

also scored 8995 (2021), 8804 (2023), 8797 (2022) and 8795 (2018). *

Tomáš Dvořák Tomáš Dvořák (), born 11 May 1972 in Gottwaldov (now Zlín), Czechoslovakia, is an athlete from the Czech Republic. He competed in the decathlon and heptathlon for the team ''Dukla Prague''. He is a three-time decathlon wo ...

also scored 8902 (2001), 8900 (2000) and 8837 (1997). *

Roman Šebrle Roman Šebrle (; born 26 November 1974) is a retired decathlete from the Czech Republic. He is considered to be one of the best decathlon athletes of all time. Originally a high jumper, he later switched to the combined events and is a former wo ...

also scored 8893 (2004), 8807 (2003), 8800 (2002) and 8757 (2000). *

Leo Neugebauer Leo Neugebauer (born 19 June 2000) is a German multi-event track and field athlete. He is the German record holder in the decathlon and indoor heptathlon and Olympic silver medalist in the decathlon, having placed second at the 2024 Summer Olymp ...

also scored 8836 (2023) and 8748 (2024). *

also scored 8834 (2016), 8816 (2022) and 8768 (2017). *

Dan O'Brien Daniel Dion O'Brien (born July 18, 1966) is an American former decathlete and Olympic gold medalist. He won the Olympic title in 1996, three consecutive world championships (1991, 1993, 1995), and set the world record in 1992. Early life ...

also scored 8824 (1996), 8812 (1991) and 8755 (1998). *

Bryan Clay Bryan Ezra Tsumoru Clay (, ''Ishii Tsumoru'', born January 3, 1980) is an American decathlete who was the 2008 Summer Olympic champion for the decathlon and was also World champion in 2005. Biography Clay was born in Austin, Texas and raised ...

also scored 8791 (2008). *

Tom Pappas Tom Pappas (born September 6, 1976) is an American decathlete. Early life Pappas was born in Azalea, Oregon. He graduated from Glendale High School in 1994, and from the University of Tennessee in 1999. Career Pappas is a four-time ...

also scored 8750 (2003).

All-time top performances women ≥ 8,000 pts

*Correct as of September 2023.

Notes

Below is a list of other scores equal or superior to 8000 pts: *

also scored 8091 pts (2006).

Competitions

Olympic medalists

World Championships medalists

Men

Women

Continental competitions

* African Combined Events Championships *

European Cup Combined Events The European Combined Events Team Championships is a track and field competition for European combined track and field events specialists, with contests in men's decathlon event and women's heptathlon. It is organised by European Athletics. It was ...

* Oceania Combined Events Championships * Pan American Combined Events Cup

Other

IAAF Combined Events Challenge The World Athletics Combined Events Tour (formerly IAAF Combined Events Challenge and World Athletics Challenge – Combined Events) is an annual series of combined track and field events meetings, organised since 1998 by World Athletics, with hep ...

Multistars Multistars is an annual international Combined track and field events competition held in Desenzano del Garda, Italy in late April or early May as part of the IAAF World Combined Events Challenge. International athletes compete in the decathlon ...

Hypo-Meeting The Hypo-Meeting is an annual athletics (sport), athletics competition that takes place in the Mösle stadium in Götzis in Vorarlberg (Austria) held in the spring (late May, early June). In its history, a total of three world records have been se ...

TNT - Fortuna Meeting Troponin T (shortened TnT or TropT) is a part of the troponin complex, which are proteins integral to the contraction of skeletal and heart muscles. They are expressed in skeletal and cardiac myocytes. Troponin T binds to tropomyosin and helps ...

** Erdgas Mehrkampf-Meeting **

Season's bests

National records

*Updated 4 June 2025. Equal or superior to 8,000 pts:

Under-20 records

The world decathlon under-20 record is held by

Niklas Kaul Niklas Kaul (; born 11 February 1998) is a German Sport of athletics, athlete competing in the combined events. He won the 2019 World Championships in Athletics – Men's decathlon, gold medal in the decathlon at the 2019 World Championship ...

, of

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

, who scored 8,435 points at the European U20 Championships in

Grosseto Grosseto () is a city and a ''comune'' in the central Italian region of Tuscany, the capital of the province of Grosseto and the main city of the Maremma region. The city lies from the Tyrrhenian Sea, at the centre of an alluvial plain on the ...

, Italy, from 22 to 23 July 2017. The world decathlon under-20 record using senior implements is held by

Torsten Voss Torsten Voss (sometimes listed as Thorsten Voss; ; born 24 March 1963 in Güstrow, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) is a former East German track and field athlete and bobsledder who competed from the late 1980s to the late 1990s. His biggest success w ...

, of

East Germany East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...

, who scored 8,397 points in

Erfurt Erfurt () is the capital (political), capital and largest city of the Central Germany (cultural area), Central German state of Thuringia, with a population of around 216,000. It lies in the wide valley of the Gera (river), River Gera, in the so ...

, East Germany, from 6–7 July 1982. This was the last record to be ratified because it is no longer a World Athletics under-20 record event. Key:
NWI = No Wind Indication Key:
+ = Senior implements
* = 6-kg shot, 1.067-m hurdles, 1.75-kg discus
A = Altitude (over 1,000 m)

Decathlon under-20 bests

(Within a completed decathlon scoring more than 7,000 points)

Other multiple event contests

Aquathlon An aquathlon is a multisport race consisting of continuous run and swim elements. Competitors complete a swim immediately followed by a run over various distances. Athletes compete for fastest overall course completion, including the time tr ...

Biathlon The biathlon is a winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. It is treated as a race, with contestants skiing through a cross-country trail whose distance is divided into shooting rounds. The shooting rounds are not ti ...

* Chess-boxing *

CrossFit Games The CrossFit Games is an annual athletic competition owned and operated by CrossFit, LLC. Athletes compete in a series of events at the Games, which may be various standard CrossFit workouts consisting of metabolic conditioning exercises, weight ...

Duathlon Duathlon is an sports, athletic event that consists of a running leg, followed by a cycling leg and then another running leg in a format similar to triathlons. The World Triathlon governs the sport internationally. Distance and format Duathlon ...

Heptathlon A heptathlon is a track and field combined events contest made up of seven events. The name derives from the Greek ἑπτά (hepta, meaning "seven") and ἄθλος (áthlos, or ἄθλον, áthlon, meaning "competition"). A competitor in a hep ...

Icosathlon The icosathlon, also called double decathlon, is an ultra combined events of track and field competition consisting of 20 events. The word "icosathlon" was formed, in analogy to the word "decathlon", from Greek language, Greek εἴκοσι (''e ...

or double decathlon *

Modern pentathlon The modern pentathlon is an Summer Olympics, Olympic multisport that consists of five events: fencing (one-touch épée followed by direct elimination), freestyle swimming, obstacle course racing, Laser pistol (sport), laser pistol shooting, and ...

Nordic combined Nordic combined is a winter sport in which athletes compete in cross-country skiing (sport), cross-country skiing and ski jumping. The Nordic combined at the Winter Olympics has been held since the first 1924 Winter Olympics, Winter Olympics in ...

* Octathlon *

Omnium An omnium (from Latin ''omnium'': of all, belonging to all) is a multiple race event in track cycling. Historically the omnium has had a variety of formats. In recent years, road racing has also adopted the term to describe multi-day races that f ...

Quadrathlon A quadrathlon (or ''quadriathlon'', tetrathlon) is an endurance sports event composed of four individual disciplines. All four disciplines are completed in succession and the lowest overall time decides the winner. The World Quadrathlon Federati ...

Triathlon A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of Swimming (sport), swimming, Cycle sport, cycling, and running over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall completion time, racing each segment sequentially with the ...

Explanatory notes

References

External links

IAAF decathlon homepage

IAAF list of decathlon records in XML

Team Decathlon website

Decathlon splits of Olympic, World and European medalists
* A downloadable Excel spreadsheet of multi-event scoring and age grading is available fro
the creator, Stefan Waltermann
{{Authority control Combined track and field events Endurance games Events in track and field Individual sports Men's athletics Summer Olympic disciplines in athletics

Historical background

Format

Men's decathlon

Women's decathlon

One hour

Masters athletics

Points system

Benchmarks

Calculator

Records

Decathlon bests

All-time top 25 men

Notes

All-time top performances women ≥ 8,000 pts

Notes

Competitions

Olympic medalists

World Championships medalists

Men

Women

Continental competitions

Other

Season's bests

National records

Under-20 records

Decathlon under-20 bests

Other multiple event contests

See also

Explanatory notes

References

External links