Decathlon Rules
Ten events across two days, testing every discipline: sprints, hurdles, jumps, throws and running.
Day 1: 100m, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400m. Day 2: 110m hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin, 1500m.
- •Each event converts its result (time/distance/height) into points via the official IAAF scoring tables
- •Total points across all 10 events determines the winner
- •League standings rank by total points, same as the individual competition itself
- •An athlete who no-shows or fails to complete an event usually can't continue the competition at elite level (rules vary for casual leagues)
- •Standard rules for each individual event still apply within the decathlon (fouls, false starts, etc.)
- •The scoring tables reward genuinely elite performance non-linearly — small time/distance gains near the top are worth more points
Two days, ten events, one score
The decathlon runs in a fixed order across two days: 100m, long jump, shot put, high jump and 400m on day one; 110m hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1500m on day two. That order is part of the event and does not change.
Each performance converts to points using published scoring tables, and the winner is whoever accumulates most across all ten. The tables are progressive, so improvements at a high level score more points than the same improvement at a low one.
Managing two days of competition
The real skill in a decathlon is recovery and management. Athletes need food, warmth between events and a plan for what to do in the gaps, which can run to hours. A club running one should build that into the timetable explicitly.
The 1500m at the end of day two is where decathlons are famously decided, precisely because everyone is exhausted. Athletes who have paced their two days rather than emptying themselves on day one gain far more there than they lose earlier.
Common questions
What are the ten events in order?
Day one: 100m, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400m. Day two: 110m hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin, 1500m. The order is fixed by the rules and is the same at every level.
How is the score calculated?
Each performance converts to points via published scoring tables, and the ten scores are summed. The tables are designed so that comparable performances across different events score similar points.
Can a decathlon be run in one day?
Not as a standard decathlon. Some clubs run a shortened combined event, such as a pentathlon or an octathlon, as a one-day alternative, which is a much more practical league fixture.
What happens if an athlete fails an event?
A no-height or no-throw scores zero for that event but the athlete may continue. Failing to start an event, however, means withdrawal from the competition as a whole.
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