Athletics as practiced today was born and grew to maturity in England. The first mention of the sport in England was recorded in 1154, when practice fields were first established in London. The sport was banned by King Edward III in the 1300s but revived a century later by Henry VIII, reputed to be an accomplished hammer thrower.

The country that started athletics was Greece, and specifically the Ancient Greeks. Historians estimate that the origins of athletics (track and field events) can be traced back to the 9th and 10th centuries B.C. in Greece.

Athletics have ancient origins, with the first recorded Olympic Games held in Olympia, Greece, in 776 BCE. These games were a tribute to the Greek gods and featured events like foot races, long jumps, discus throws, and wrestling.

Organized athletics are traced back to the Ancient Olympic Games from 776 BC. The rules and format of the modern events in athletics were defined in Western Europe and North America in the 19th and early 20th century, and were then spread to other parts of the world.

According to tradition, the most important athletic competitions were inaugurated in 776 B.C. at Olympia in the Peloponnesos. By the sixth century B.C., other Panhellenic (pan =all, hellenikos =Greek) games involving Greek-speaking city-states were being held at Delphi, Nemea, and Isthmia.