The USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships is an annual

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...

competition organized by

USA Track & Field USA Track & Field (USATF) is the United States national governing body for the sports of track and field, cross country running, road running and racewalking (known as the sport of athletics outside the US). The USATF was known between 1979 and ...

, which serves as the American

national championships A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the best team, indi ...

for the sport. Since the year 1992, in the years which feature a

Summer Olympics The Summer Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'été), also known as the Games of the Olympiad, and often referred to as the Summer Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inau ...

World Athletics Championships The World Athletics Championships (until 2019 known as the World Championships in Athletics) are a biennial athletics competition organized by World Athletics (formerly IAAF, International Association of Athletics Federations). Alongside the Ol ...

or an

IAAF Continental Cup The IAAF Continental Cup was an international track and field competition organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). The event was proposed by IAAF former President Primo Nebiolo and was first held in 1977 as t ...

, the championships serve as a way of selecting the best athletes for those competitions.

History

The history of the competition starts in 1876, when the

New York Athletic Club The New York Athletic Club is a private social club and athletic club in New York state. Founded in 1868, the club has approximately 8,600 members and two facilities: the City House, located at 180 Central Park South in Manhattan, and Travers ...

(NYAC) decided to organize a national championships. Having previously held the NYAC Spring and Fall Games. The seventh, eight, and ninth edition of the Fall Games became the country's first, second and third national track and field championships. The Amateur Championship of America (prior to N.A.A.A.) 1876 to 1878 were all held in Mott Haven, New York. April 22, 1879 N.A.A.A. was formed. The

National Association of Amateur Athletes of America National Association of Amateur Athletes of America (NAAA) (1879 to 1888) was formed in 1879. This was the organized body for the Amateur Athletes before the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) took over in 1888. NAAA History NAAA formation After t ...

(N.A.A.A.), began sponsoring the meeting in 1879, and organized the championships up to 1887. Past N.A.A.A. presidents were 1879 George W Carr was elected president, 1880 & 1881 & 1882 A. H. Curtis was elected president, 1883 & 1884 & 1885 Gilbert H Badeu elected president, and 1887 Walter Storm was elected. At this point, the

Amateur Athletic Union The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is an amateur sports organization based in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs. It has ...

(AAU), a more powerful athletic organization, began to hold their own version of the national championships. Two national championships were held in 1888, but the NAAA disbanded after this. The NAAA Championships 1879 to 1888 were all held in New York. Sept 19, 1888 the First AAU Outdoor Championship was held in Detroit, MI. Sept 14, 1889 Second Annual AAU T&F Championship competition was held at Travers Island, NY. Oct 11, 1890 Third Annual AAU T&F National Championship competition was held at Washington, DC. The AAU was the sole organizer of the event for the next ninety years.The United States' National Championships In Track & Field Athletics: Introduction
''

Track and Field News ''Track & Field News'' is an American monthly sports magazine founded in 1948 by brothers Bert Nelson and Cordner Nelson, focused on the world of track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on runni ...

''. Retrieved on 2009-09-19. In 1923, the AAU also sponsored the first American Track & Field championships for women. As a result of the

Amateur Sports Act of 1978 The Amateur Sports Act of 1978, signed by President Jimmy Carter, established the United States Olympic Committee and provides for national governing bodies for each Olympic sport. The Act provides important legal protection for individual athletes ...

, the AAU had no longer power over

Olympic sports Olympic sports are contested in the Summer Olympic Games and Winter Olympic Games. The 2020 Summer Olympics included 33 sports; the 2022 Winter Olympics included seven sports. Each Olympic sport is represented by an Sports governing body, inter ...

in the United States. A spin-off group, The Athletics Congress, held its first national track and field championships in 1980. The Athletics Congress was renamed

in 1993, and they have organized the annual championships ever since.

2020 Olympic Trials Held 2021

United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), and the

TrackTown USA TrackTown USA is a Non-governmental organization, non-governmental, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization based in Eugene, Oregon, United States. The long history of the sport of track running in Eugene, particularly at University of Oregon, U ...

Local Organizing Committee announced the release of the updated competition schedule for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track and Field, that will take place June 18-27, 2021, at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

Events

The following

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), competi ...

events are currently featured on the national championships' program: * Sprint: 100 m, 200 m, 400 m *

Middle distance track event Middle-distance running events are track races longer than sprints, up to 3000 metres. The standard middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres and mile run, although the 3000 metres may also be classified as a middle-distance event. The 1 ...

s: 800 m, 1500 m * Long distance track events: 5000 m, 10,000 m *

Hurdles Hurdling is the act of jumping over an obstacle at a high speed or in a sprint. In the early 19th century, hurdlers ran at and jumped over each hurdle (sometimes known as 'burgles'), landing on both feet and checking their forward motion. Today, ...

: 100 m hurdles, 110 m hurdles, 400 m hurdles, 3000 m steeplechase * Jumps: long jump, triple jump, high jump, pole vault * Throws: shot put, discus, hammer, javelin * Combined events: heptathlon, decathlon * Walks: 20 km walk (road) / 20000 m walk (track) In earlier editions before 1974, running distances were often measured in yards. All races were in yards until 1928. From then on, races were measured in meters for Olympic years and yards for other years, except 1933 to 1951 inclusive and 1959. In the early years, the 220 yard hurdles were included for many years in lieu of the 440 yard hurdles. The 220 yard hurdles were first included 1887 through 1962. USATF website lists Past Outdoor Champions (all events) on the statistic section of their website. The cover page of the 1888 Program states "First Annual Championship Games Amateur Athletic Union of the United States".

Editions

Split gender editions

Note that the track surface changed over these years. Synthetic tracks were used in the men's editions in 1963 (rubber), 1965, 1969, 1971, 1972 and from 1974 on. The tracks in the other years were cinders, sometimes with a mix of brick (1967, 1970 and 1973). 1923 was the First AAU Women’s National Championship.

Men only editions

NAAA National Championships (prior to AAU) 1879 to 1888

In 1888 there was both a NAAA and AAU Championships. Competitions were held at various athletic clubs grounds. 1888 Manhattan AC grounds, New York city Oct. 13, 1888 1887 Manhattan AC grounds, New York city Sept 17, 1887 1886-2 NYAC grounds, Mott Haven, NY Sept 18, 1886 1886-1 Staten Island AC grounds, West Brighton, Staten Island June 26, 1886 1885 Manhattan AC grounds, New York city June 13 or 18, 1885 1884 Williamsburg AC grounds, Brooklyn Sept 28, 1884 1883 NYAC grounds, Mott Haven, NY June 3, 1883 1882 Polo grounds, New York city June 10, 1882 1881 NYAC grounds, Mott Haven, NY Sept 24, 1881 1880 NYAC grounds, Mott Haven, NY Sept 25, 1880 1879 NYAC grounds, Mott Haven, NY Sept 27, 187

Amateur National Championships (prior to NAAA) 1876 to 1879

In 1879 the meet doubled at the 1st AAU Championship. 1878 Mott Haven, NY Oct 12, 1878 1877 Mott Haven, NY Sept 8, 1877 1876 Mott Haven, NY Sept 30, 1876

The 1876 Amateur Championship included the following winners: Frederick C Saportas (100), Edward Merritt (440), Harold Lambe (Canadian) (880 and mile), George Hitchcock (120 hurdles), H Edwards Fickens (HJ), Isaiah Frazier (LJ), Harry Buermeyer (SP),

William Buckingham Curtis William Buckingham "Father Bill" Curtis (January 17, 1837 – June 30, 1900) was one of the most important proponents of organized athletics in the late 1800s in America. Curtis had a remarkable career as a competitor, official, sports editor, ...

(HT), and D M Stern & Charles Connor (Walks).Archive

Retrieved Dec 16, 2020

Records

Most successful athletes

By event

References

;Champions
United States Championships (Women)
GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2015-06-28.

* ttp://www.gbrathletics.com/nc/usa2.htm United States Championships (Men 1943-). GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2015-06-28.

External links

Official website
from

USATF USA Track & Field (USATF) is the United States national governing body for the sports of track and field, cross country running, road running and racewalking (known as the sport of athletics outside the US). The USATF was known between 1979 and ...

A brief history of the US national championship
from ''

Track & Field News ''Track & Field News'' is an American monthly sports magazine founded in 1948 by brothers Bert Nelson and Cordner Nelson, focused on the world of track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running ...

''
Past results
from ''

''

Past Champions from

Past Locations of Championships (Back pages of

Outdoor Champions PDF). {{DEFAULTSORT:Usa Outdoor Track And Field Championships USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Track and field competitions in the United States United States athletics (track and field) championships

Track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...

National athletics competitions Recurring sporting events established in 1876