What wind is legal in track and field?
A tailwind up to +2.0 metres per second is legal for records and best marks in the sprints up to 200m, the hurdles up to 110m, the long jump and the triple jump. Anything over +2.0 is wind-aided. Inside a combined event the limit is +4.0.
| Events | Limit | Over the limit |
|---|---|---|
| 60m, 100m, 200m | +2.0 m/s | Wind-aided (w) |
| 100m and 110m hurdles | +2.0 m/s | Wind-aided (w) |
| Long jump, triple jump | +2.0 m/s | Wind-aided (w) |
| Any event inside a combined event | +4.0 m/s | Wind-aided (w) |
| 300m and longer, high jump, pole vault, throws | No limit |
When wind counts
Only an official reading from the meet's gauge decides. The gauge sits beside the straight or the runway and measures for a fixed time: in the 100m for 10 seconds from the gun, in the hurdles for 13 seconds, in the 200m for 10 seconds from when the first runner enters the straight, and in the jumps for 5 seconds as the athlete runs in.
A wind-aided mark still counts for the result of the meet. It just cannot stand as a record or, by most conventions, as a personal best. Results show it with a w.
No reading
A competition mark in a wind event with no official reading is listed as NWI, no wind information. Indoors there is no wind rule.
Sources: World Athletics Book of Rules: Competition and Technical Rules. Updated 2026-10-31.