A Historical Overview of Athletic Practices in England

Historically, athletics in England were undefined for the most part. Men used to participate in the sport, where they could measure each other's strength and speed. During this time, women were not allowed to participate. The game started taking form in the 12th and the 18th centuries, where it was revived in the British Isles.

Evolution in Athletics

The sport was further developed by the British Universities in 1864. During this period, the two rivalry academic giants: Oxford and Cambridge Universities competed against each other. The competition was historic and marked the beginning of stable athletic championships.

In 1896, the first Olympics games were held. The competition was stiff as it involved champions from all over. However, women did not participate in these games. This year formed the athletic blueprint and today; these games are among the world's most famous and anticipated.
The year 1908 made some adjustments in the Athletic distances. It was increased with 0.2 miles, making 26.2 miles an official distance.

Since officiating athletics in England, many changes have occurred. A good example is how the athletics tracks were marked. There was the use of ashes collected from people's fireplaces. The athletic venues have grown to glamorous stadiums today, with the ability to hold vast capacities of spectators.

From the 1940's going forth, athletics in England had significantly improved. Athletes could set time records for specific distances. Other upcoming athletes broke some records while others remained unbroken. Athletics clubs other than those from the universities were formed and tests to identify participants using anabolic steroids were discovered.

England has been identified as the home of athletics. From the 2000's, it started creating other high-profile games such as the Commonwealth. The games feature athletics at center stage. Today, England can pride in setting a strong basis in the sport.