Long Jump

Officially Long Jump (Horizontal Jump)

Track-and-field horizontal jump: sprint down a runway and jump for maximum distance from a fixed take-off board into a sand pit.

📐runway + take-off board + pit⏱~60 min🌤both

What is Long Jump?

The long jump is a horizontal-jump athletics event in which competitors sprint down a runway and jump as far as possible from a take-off board into a sand pit. Distance is measured from the front edge of the take-off board to the nearest mark in the sand. The event has been contested at every modern Olympic Games since 1896 for men and 1948 for women. It combines pure speed on the runway with vertical impulse at the take-off board and a controlled landing. World records — Mike Powell's 8.95 m (1991) for men, and Galina Chistyakova's 7.52 m (1988) for women — have stood among the longest-lasting in athletics.

Quick facts

How it works

Objective

Jump the greatest legal distance from the take-off board into the pit.

Match structure

Each competitor takes their attempts in a rotating order. A judge decides a legal or foul jump (based on the plasticine indicator) and marks the closest sand imprint to the board. Distance is measured to the nearest 0.01 m. After 3 attempts, top 8 advance to 3 more attempts. Best legal jump is the result. Ties broken by second-best jump.

Rules

Basic rules

Take off from behind the board
The jumper's foot must not cross the front edge of the take-off board; any mark in the plasticine is a foul.
Legal landing
The jumper must land in the pit; sitting back into the sand at the point of landing determines the measurement mark.
Measurement
From the front edge of the take-off board (at 90°) to the closest point where any part of the body touches the sand.
Time limit
Each attempt must begin within 1 minute of the jumper being called (30 seconds in a jump-off).
Wind assistance
Tailwind exceeding +2.0 m/s makes a mark ineligible for records (but still counts for placing).
Three preliminaries, three finals
Everyone gets 3 attempts; top 8 advance to 3 more attempts for a total of 6.

Advanced rules

Alternative take-off zone (Wilkins rule)
World Athletics 2024 trial (not yet standard): if the foot lands within a 40-cm take-off zone, the jump is measured from the actual take-off point rather than a foul.
Progression check
In event of a tie, count of second-best legal jumps decides the winner; then third-best etc.
Jump-off
If tied for first place, jumpers take one additional attempt to break the tie.
Order
In finals, the last three attempts go in reverse order of first-three ranking — trailing jumpers jump last.

Scoring

Longest legal jump wins.

Action	Points
Legal jump	distance in metres
Fouled jump	no measurement
Wind-legal PB / area record	recognised only if wind ≤ +2.0 m/s

Win condition · Jumper with the longest legal jump across all six attempts wins.

Playing area

Called

runway + take-off board + pit

Dimensions

Runway ≥ 40 m long × 1.22 m wide; take-off board 1.22 m wide × 20 cm deep, level with the runway; sand pit ≥ 2.75 m wide × 9 m long.

Straight synthetic-surface runway leading to a white take-off board, then a level sand pit. A plasticine indicator strip beyond the board catches over-runs.

Equipment

Track spikes
Sprint spikes with 4-6 spike pins in the forefoot for grip.
Take-off board
1.22 m × 20 cm wooden board flush with the runway.
Plasticine indicator
Soft strip beyond the take-off board that shows any foot fault.
Sand pit
Level pit of moist, level-raked sand.
Marker cones
Small markers for the check marks on the runway.
Wind gauge
Anemometer measuring tailwind; records above +2.0 m/s are wind-assisted and not eligible for records.

Officiating

Take-off judge signals foul or fair using a flag; measurement crew reads the tape or laser-measurement device to record distance.

Chief Field Judge
Take-off judge
Measurement crew
Wind gauge operator

Strategies

Runway progression
Set check marks (usually 6 strides and take-off) so approach is repeatable at speed.
Penultimate step
Longer second-to-last stride lowers the centre of mass to generate vertical lift at take-off.
In-flight technique
Hitch-kick (running motion in the air), hang, or sail — used to maintain body position for optimal landing.
Landing extension
Legs extend forward and body pikes at landing to push the mark past the heel-strike.

Terminology

Take-off board: The 1.22 m × 20 cm wooden strip from which the jumper leaves the ground.
Plasticine indicator: Soft strip beyond the board that catches any over-run as a foul mark.
Check marks: Personal markers on the runway used to confirm stride pattern.
Hitch-kick: Running-motion in the air to maintain rotational balance before landing.
Hang technique: Alternative aerial form with arms overhead and legs extended behind before rotating forward.
Foul: Any jump where the foot crosses the front edge of the board.
Wind-legal: Jump measured with tailwind ≤ +2.0 m/s; required for record ratification.
Approach: The measured sprint down the runway (usually 16-24 strides).
Board: Short for take-off board — 'hitting the board' means executing a clean take-off without fouling.
PB / SB: Personal best / season's best.

Major competitions

Summer Olympic Games
quadrennial · worldwide · since 1896
Women added in London 1948.
World Athletics Championships
biennial · worldwide · since 1983
World Athletics Indoor Championships
biennial · worldwide · since 1985
Diamond League
annual · worldwide (invitational circuit) · since 2010

Where it is played

Governing bodies

World Athletics
Founded 1912 · Monaco
Official site ↗
USA Track & FieldUSATF
Founded 1979 · Indianapolis, USA

Famous names & records

Famous athletes

Mike Powell
Bob Beamon
Carl Lewis
Jesse Owens
Ivan Pedroso
Miltiadis Tentoglou
Galina Chistyakova
Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Heike Drechsler
Malaika Mihambo
Tara Davis-Woodhall

Records

Men's world record
Mike Powell (USA) — 8.95 m (Tokyo) (1991)
Women's world record
Galina Chistyakova (USSR) — 7.52 m (Leningrad) (1988)
Longest Olympic jump
Bob Beamon (USA) — 8.90 m (Mexico City) (1968)
Most Olympic long-jump golds
Carl Lewis (USA) — 4 consecutive (1984-1996) (1996)

Learn this sport

beginner

1
Sprint mechanics
Learn upright, drive-phase sprint form; jumpers are sprinters first.
2
Measure your approach
Start from a mark 16-18 strides out; sprint through the board and mark where your take-off foot lands.
3
Simple take-off
Sail through the air with legs together; land with knees flexed.
4
Landing pit safety
Sit-back landing; extend both legs and heels first.

intermediate

1
Penultimate step
Deliberately lengthen the second-to-last stride to load the take-off leg.
2
Refine the approach
6 pre-approach + 12-14 acceleration + 4 rhythm strides.
3
Choose an in-flight technique
Try hitch-kick vs hang; pick the one where your body stays balanced longest.
4
Wind and check marks
Adjust check marks in a tailwind or headwind day-to-day.

advanced

1
Speed at take-off
Sprint work aimed at maximising velocity in the last two strides.
2
Landing extension
Piking legs forward and reaching to add centimetres.
3
Competition management
Bank a big jump early; adjust based on wind readings and other jumpers.

Frequently asked

Why has the men's world record lasted since 1991?+

Mike Powell's 8.95 m required a rare combination of speed (sub-10 100 m runway speed) and vertical impulse in perfect conditions; the sport has produced many 8.7-8.9 m jumps but none over 8.95 m in ratified conditions.

What does 'wind-assisted' mean?+

A tailwind exceeding +2.0 m/s (measured at the take-off during the jump) makes the mark ineligible for records, though it still counts for placing.

How is the jump measured?+

From the front edge of the take-off board (at 90°) to the closest mark left in the sand by any part of the jumper's body.

Is a run-up mandatory?+

Yes for the standard long jump; there was a 'standing long jump' event at the early Olympics but it's no longer contested.

Do jumpers foul often?+

Yes — even elite athletes foul 1-2 of every 6 attempts because the take-off board is only 20 cm deep and full-speed sprint accuracy is difficult.

Sources & provenance

Wikipedia — Long jump— Wikipedia
World Athletics — Long Jump Rules— World Athletics

Last verified 2026-08-24.community