ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Athletics (sport)

Athletics is a type of sport where people run, jump, throw and do other physical exercises to compete against each other. It’s like a big race with different events for people to compete in.

Imagine you’re playing with your friends outside and you decide to see who can run the fastest from one end of the yard to the other. That’s a bit like athletics – people are competing to see who is the fastest, strongest or jump the farthest.

There are different types of events in athletics like running races, where people run different distances like 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters and so on. There are also jumping events like high jump and long jump where people jump over a bar or as far as they can. There are even throwing events like shot put where people throw a heavy ball as far as they can.

Athletics is not just about being really fast or strong, it’s also about being able to perform these exercises in a safe and healthy way. People who want to be good at athletics need to practice and train hard to make their bodies strong and healthy.

And at the end of the day, it’s not just about winning. It's also about having fun and learning to do your best, whether you come in first place or last. It's important to remember that everyone has different strengths and abilities, and in athletics, everyone can be a winner just by participating and doing their best.