Mark your space
Mark it once. Every card in athletics starts from this space and adds what it needs.
The space
A straight strip 15 m by 3 m with a start line and a turning cone; a landing patch of soft grass or sand for jumps; an empty throwing area with nobody in front. At home a yard of about 6 m by 10 m works for most Basic cards.
Where it fits: lane, terrace (running games only), park, school ground, village ground.
Mark in this order
- The start line
- A turning cone at 10 m and at 15 m
- A throwing line well behind the landing area
- Chalk or tape rows for scoring jumps and throws (1, 2, 3 points)
Chalk or tape is enough. Tick each mark as you make it.
Practice kit first
Bean bags, a foam javelin or rolled sock, bottle skittles, a skipping rope, a washing line as a high-jump or fruit-picking line, chalk.
Real kit (spikes, blocks, hurdles, shot, discus) only with a coach.
Safety
Nobody walks into the landing area; throw in one direction only, only when the field is empty and on command; no run-up starts before the landing area is empty; carry and fetch kit at a walk and put it down for the next person, never throw it back.
Practice kit, soft first
A foam javelin, a foam discus (under 350 g) or a rubber ring, a soft ball or a light medicine ball as a first shot; hurdles that tip forward if hit, or sticks on cones; a pole only at a club with a proper pit.
awiseathlete.com/sports/athletics/setup