Indoor track and field 101: All you need to know about events, scoring and Duke's season

Overview

There are 17 total events in the indoor track and field circuit for NCAA, including 10 on the track and seven on the field. Running events include sprints, distance runs, hurdles and relays, while field events are jumps, throws and combinations of the two. Many athletes compete in multiple events across the same discipline; cross country runners typically run distance events during the track and field season. A typical track and field meet, such as the NCAA Indoor National Championships, takes place over the course of two or more days. Men and women compete at the same meets but are scored independently. -Vishwa Veeraswamy

Terminology

High jump apron: The curved takeoff area for a high jumper as they approach the bar. 

Relay leg: A specific portion — or the athlete assigned to that portion — in a relay race (e.g. first leg of a 4x400m race = the athlete who runs the first 400m before passing the baton).

Anchor: The athlete that runs the last leg of a relay. 

Multis: colloquial term for athletes that compete in an event that tests multiple disciplines (pentathlon, heptathlon, decathlon).

Blind pass: A baton exchange in a relay where neither athlete looks at the baton while passing. 

Track events:

• Sprints + Mid-distance
  • 60m: Over before you know it, this event is an all-out 60 meter sprint, the shortest-distance indoor track event.
  • 200m: An all-out 200 meter sprint, just one lap around an indoor track. 
  • 400m: An all-out 400 meter sprint, or two laps around an indoor track. 
  • 800m: An all-out 800 meter sprint, or four laps around an indoor track. 
  • Mile: You’ve probably heard of this one before. A not-quite all-out race that corresponds to eight laps around an indoor track.
• Distance
  • 3000m: A longer-distance race over 3000 meters, corresponding to 15 laps around an indoor track.
  • 5000m: 30 laps around an indoor track, the longest-distance indoor track event.
• Hurdles
  • 60m hurdles: A 60-meter sprint with the added obstacle of five evenly-spaced hurdles at a height of 42 inches for men and and 33 inches for the women.
• Relays
  • DMR: In the Distance Medley Relay, the first leg runs 1200m (six laps), the second leg runs 400m (two laps), the third leg runs 800m (four laps) and the anchor runs 1600m (eight laps), a total of 4000 meters. 
  • 4x400m: The 4x400 meter relay is always the last event of every track meet for a reason. In this electric event, each athlete sprints two laps around the indoor track in a race that can often determine the final team rankings in a championship.

Field events:

• Jumps: 
  • Pole vault: In the pole vault, an athlete uses a long, flexible, fiberglass pole to jump over a bar. Each athlete gets three attempts to clear each height before the bar is raised. If an athlete fails all three attempts, their final score will be their highest recorded clearance. The bar typically gets raised until there is only one athlete left, although ties can occur under special circumstances.
  • Long jump: In the long jump, athletes are given at least 3 attempts to jump over a sandpit after a running start. 
  • Triple jump: In the triple jump, an athlete takes off in a running start and takes three giant one-legged bounds with alternating feet, the last one over a sandpit.  
  • High jump: In the high jump, an athlete sprints along the outer curve of a high jump apron before arcing their back as they jump backwards over a horizontal bar. Similar to pole vault, a higher bar-clearance corresponds to a higher ranking, and each athlete gets three attempts to pass each height.
• Throws
  • Weight throw: In this event, the thrower spins in a circle while swinging a weighted ball (35 lbs for men, 20 lbs for women) with a strap and handle using a two-handed grip. The thrower then releases the weight over their shoulder to send it flying into a sector-shaped landing area. After three attempts, the thrower’s farthest throw will be recorded as their score. 
  • Shot put: In the shot put, an athlete spins in a circle on one foot as they attempt to “put” or toss a weighted ball (16 lbs for men, 8.82 lbs for women) as far as they can. While similar to weight throw, this event is unique in its throwing techniques as well as the rule that the shotput must not drop below the thrower’s shoulder.  

*In championship meets and some invitationals, the top 8-9 performers in each field event are given an extra three attempts after every competitor has jumped thrice. 

• Multis 
  • Pentathlon: During the indoor track season, women compete in the pentathlon, which includes five different events: 60m hurdles, high jump, long jump, shot put, and 800m sprint. During the outdoor track season, women compete in the heptathlon instead.
  • Heptathlon: For the multi men, indoor season means the heptathlon. The indoor heptathlon involves seven events that take place over two days. On day one, athletes compete in the 60m dash, long jump, shot put, and high jump. On day two, they end with the 60m hurdles, pole vault, and a 1000m dash. For the men, the outdoor season equivalent is the decathlon. -Kotapati

Scoring

For each event, the first-place team receives the highest point total, with a decreasing amount given to each finisher. In order, first receives ten points, then eight, then six, and then five, four, three, two and one. As such, the top eight finishers get points toward their school’s team score. 

For some events, scoring is weighted more heavily towards first place finishers, most notably relay races. In field events, tiebreakers are included for when two athletes are tied after they have finished their attempts. For example, if two throwers have the same distance for longest throw, their second-longest throw is used to decide the higher finisher. 

After all events are done, team scores are calculated by adding up all of the event scores, and teams are ranked accordingly. 

In championship meets, individuals also receive awards outside of the top-ranked teams. At the NCAA Championships, the top eight finishers in each event receive First Team All-American honors while places nine through 16 receive Second Team honors. -Veeraswamy

Season format

The Blue Devils will compete in eight meets during the regular season as they prepare for both the ACC Indoor Championships and the NCAA Indoor Championships. To qualify for the NCAA Indoor National Championships, athletes must meet performance standards throughout the season, culminating based on national rankings. For individual events, the top 48 declared student athletes will qualify based on their ranking on the national descending-order list, which is determined by their best performances of the season. In relay events, the top 24 declared teams will also qualify based on their national rankings. Combined events, such as the heptathlon and pentathlon, do not require a First Round competition; instead, the top 24 ranked athletes in each event will be directly accepted into the Championships.

The ACC Indoor Championships take place in Louisville, Ky., March 1 through 3. Subsequently, the NCAA Indoor Championships will occur in Virginia Beach, Va., March 14 and 15. -Callan Perchinsky

Coaching staff and recent trends

Under the leadership of Shawn Wilbourn, now in his third season as the Director of Track & Field and Cross Country, the Duke indoor track and field program has experienced significant success. Wilbourn, who took the reins in 2021 after a successful tenure as associate head coach, has guided the Blue Devils to new heights — specifically with the women’s track team.

In just his second season as head coach, Wilbourn led Duke to an impressive 13 school records and 85 top-five program marks across both the indoor and outdoor seasons. The team’s performance at the NCAA Championships was equally remarkable, with 17 individuals qualifying for the indoor and outdoor championships. The Duke women’s team has made history under Wilbourn’s watch, sharing the 2021 ACC Indoor Championship and winning the outdoor championship in 2023 and 2024.

Wilbourn works within the support of 12 assistant and associate coaches, specializing in individual events. Kevin Jermyn will serve alongside Wilbourn as one of his assistants, continuing to lead the Blue Devil distance program after his first cross country season with the team. -Perchinsky