Track and Field is a sport that is one of the most basic tests of physical human ability. Some events are a little more elaborate than others, but it all comes down to the same point: Who can do this the best?
One of the great things about track and field is that there is no judge, only officials. There is little to no interaction between competitors. If you defeat someone in an event, barring a mistime or a mismeasurement, there is no way they can refute it. This is the purest test of physical ability that we have in modern sports.
The main division of events consists of running events on the track itself, those that are run on the road, jumping/vaulting events, and throwing events.
Track and field events vary from organization to organization. Here is a listing events that the IAAF (the international governing body of track and field) has world records for on their website (www.iaaf.org). Unless otherwise noted, events are held for both men and women.