2008 in the sport of athletics

International events

• 2008 Summer Olympics, held in Beijing, China
• African Championships, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
• European Cup, super league held in Annecy, France
• World Indoor Championships, held in Valencia, Spain
• Golden League, held in various venues
• World Athletics Final, held in Stuttgart, Germany
• World Cross Country Championships, held in Edinburgh, United Kingdom
• World Road Running Championships, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• World Junior Championships, held in Bydgoszcz, Poland

  World records

Men

Women

Awards

Men

Women

Men's best year performances

[100 metres]

[200 metres]

[400 metres]

[800 metres]

[1500 metres]

[3000 metres]

[5000 metres]

[10000 metres]

110 metres hurdles">110 metre hurdles">110 metres hurdles

400 metres hurdles">400 metre hurdles">400 metres hurdles

3000 metres steeplechase">Steeplechase (athletics)">3000 metres steeplechase

[Half marathon]

[Marathon]

[High jump]

[Pole vault]

[Long jump]

[Triple jump]

[Shot put]

[Javelin throw]

[Discus throw]

[Hammer throw]

[Decathlon]

Women's best year performances

[100 metres]

[200 metres]

[400 metres]

[800 metres]

[1500 metres]

[3000 metres]

[5000 metres]

[10000 metres]

100 metres hurdles">100 metre hurdles">100 metres hurdles

400 metres hurdles">400 metre hurdles">400 metres hurdles

3000 metres steeplechase">Steeplechase (athletics)">3000 metres steeplechase

[Half marathon]

[Marathon]

[High jump]

[Pole vault]

[Long jump]

[Triple jump]

[Shot put]

[Javelin throw]

[Discus throw]

[Hammer throw]

[Heptathlon]

Deaths

• June 9 — Peter Rwamuhanda, Ugandan hurdler
• December 22 — Jani Lehtonen, Finnish pole vaulter