Olympics track and field schedule: Day-by-day TV coverage to watch every event at 2021 Tokyo Games

Zac Al-Khateeb

Olympics track and field schedule: Day-by-day TV coverage to watch every event at 2021 Tokyo Games image

No single sport offers more volume or variety at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics than track and field (officially labeled "athletics" for the Games).

Decathlons, heptathlons, 100-meter dash, high jump, pole vault, you name it: There is no shortage of events to keep track of for the 2021 Games. Sporting News is here to make sure you know how to watch every single event, from preliminaries to qualifying, opening rounds, semifinals and finals.

As in many of the events at the Olympics, several athletes from the United States are among those favored to medal, including JuVaughn Harrison in both the high jump and long jump, Rudy Winkler (men's hammer throw), Ryan Crouser and Joe Kovacs (men's shot put), Katie Nageotte (women's pole vault) and more.

Here's everything you need to know, pardon the pun, to keep track of the field at Tokyo:

MORE: Watch the 2021 Olympics live with fuboTV (7-day free trial)

How to watch Olympic track and field

  • TV channels: NBC (U.S.) | USA Network (U.S.) | NBC Sports Network | CNBC | CBC (Canada)
  • Live streams: NBCSports.com | NBCOlympics.com | Peacock | fuboTV (7-day free trial)

NBC Universal and CBC have the exclusive rights to all Olympic content in the U.S. and Canada, respectively. Each will carry all track and field events during the 2021 Tokyo Games. Streaming options include NBC platforms NBCOlympics.com and Peacock, as well as fuboTV, which offers a 7-day free trial.

Olympics track and field schedule 2021

Generally speaking, each day of TV coverage will feature early-morning and evening sessions. Coverage of each session will range from events and stages. NBC and USA will be the primary networks providing coverage in the United States, while CBC provides coverage in Canada.

Below is the full schedule of events, based on NBC's general and track-specific broadcast schedules:

Thursday, July 29

Events Time (ET) Channel (U.S.) Channel (Canada)
Qualifying, Round 1 (live) 8 p.m. NBC, USA CBC

Friday, July 30

Events Time (ET) Channel (U.S.) Channel (Canada)
Qualifying, Round 1 12:05 a.m. NBC CBC
Qualifying, Round 1, finals* 6 a.m. Peacock/NBC Olympics CBC
Round 1 semifinals, preliminaries (live) 8 p.m. NBC, USA CBC

*Mixed 4×400 relay Round 1 will re-air in primetime on NBC

Saturday, July 31

Events Time (ET) Channel (U.S.) Channel (Canada)
Qualifying, Round 1, semifinals, finals* 2 a.m. NBC CBC
Qualifying, Round 1, semifinals, finals* 6:10 a.m. Peacock/NBC Olympics CBC
Qualifying, Round 1, finals (live) 8 p.m. USA CBC

*Mixed 4×400 relay and women’s 100 finals will re-air in primetime on NBC

Sunday, Aug. 1

Events Time (ET) Channel (U.S.) Channel (Canada)
Semifinals*, finals* 6:10 a.m. Peacock CBC
Round 1, finals (live) 7 p.m. NBC CBC
Round 1, finals (live) 8 p.m. USA CBC

*Men’s 100 semifinals and final will re-air in primetime on NBC

Monday, Aug. 2

Events Time (ET) Channel (U.S.) Channel (Canada)
Finals 2 a.m. NBC CBC
Qualifying, semifinals*, finals* 6:20 a.m. Peacock CBC
Round 1, finals 8 p.m. NBC, CNBC CBC

*Women’s 200 semifinals, women’s 400 hurdles semifinals, men’s 3000 steeplechase final, women’s 5000 final will re-air in primetime on NBC

Tuesday, Aug. 3

Events Time (ET) Channel (U.S.) Channel (Canada)
Finals 2 a.m. NBC CBC
Qualifying, Round 1, semifinals, finals, men's decathlon 6:10 a.m. Peacock CBC
Finals, semifinals (live) 8 p.m. NBC CBC
Qualifying, semifinals, finals, decathlon, heptathlon (live) 8 p.m. USA CBC

Wednesday, Aug. 4

Events Time (ET) Channel (U.S.) Channel (Canada)
Semifinals, finals 2 a.m. NBC CBC
Semifinals*, finals*, men's decathlon, women's heptathlon 5:30 a.m. Peacock CBC
Round 1, finals, (live) 8 p.m. USA CBC

*Women’s 1500 semifinals, women’s 400m semifinals, women’s 3000 steeplechase final, men’s 800 final and men’s 200 final will re-air in primetime on NBC

Thursday, Aug. 5

Events Time (ET) Channel (U.S.) Channel (Canada)
Men’s 20km race walk (live) 3:30 a.m. NBCSN CBC
Round 1, semifinals*, finals*, men's decathlon*, women's heptathlon* 6:15 a.m. Peacock CBC
Men’s 50k race walk (live) 4:30 p.m. NBCSN CBC

Men’s decathlon (javelin throw), men’s 1500 semifinal, men’s 400 final, women’s heptathlon (800) and men’s decathlon (1500) will re-air in primetime on NBC

Friday, Aug. 6

Events Time (ET) Channel (U.S.) Channel (Canada)
Women’s 20km race walk (live) 3:30 a.m. NBCSN CBC
Round 1, finals* 7:25 a.m. Peacock CBC
Women’s marathon (live) 6 p.m. USA CBC

*Men’s 5000m final, women’s 400m final, women’s 1500m final, women’s 4x100 relay final and men's 4x100 relay final will re-air in primetime on NBC

Saturday, Aug. 7

Events Time (ET) Channel (U.S.) Channel (Canada)
Women's marathon (replay) 3:30 p.m. Peacock CBC
Finals 6:35 p.m. Peacock CBC
Men's marathon (live) 6 p.m. USA CBC

Sunday, Aug. 8

Events Time (ET) Channel (U.S.) Channel (Canada)
Men's marathon (replay) 6:15 p.m. Peacock CBC

MORE: Full day-by-day schedule of events for the 2021 Olympics

Olympic track and field events schedule

Track and field fans are going to have days filled with their favorite sport.

From July 29-Aug. 7, every day will include morning and night events shown live from Tokyo for viewers in North America. Competition concludes the morning of Aug. 7 with the men's and women's 4x400 relays.

Thursday, July 29

Evening
Men’s 3000m steeplechase, Round 1
Men’s high jump qualifying
Men’s discus throw qualifying
Women’s 800m, Round 1
Men’s 400m hurdles, Round 1
Women’s 100m, Round 1

Friday, July 30

Morning Evening
Women’s 5000, Round 1 Women’s 400m hurdles, Round 1
Women’s triple jump qualifying Women’s discus throw qualifying
Mixed 4×400 relay Round 1 Men’s pole vault qualifying
Men’s 10,000m final Men’s 800m, Round 1
Women’s 100m hurdles, Round 1
Men’s 100m, prelims

Saturday, July 31

Morning Evening
Men’s long jump qualifying Women’s hammer throw qualifying
Women’s 100m, semifinals Women’s 3000m steeplechase, Round 1
Men’s 100m, Round 1 Women’s long jump qualifying
Men’s discus throw, final Women’s shot put, final
Women’s 800m, semifinals Men’s 400m, round 1
Mixed 4×400 relay, final
Women’s 100m, final

Sunday, Aug. 1

Morning Evening
Men’s high jump, final Men’s hammer throw, qualification
Men’s 100m, semifinal Women’s 1500m, Round 1
Women’s 100m hurdles, semifinal Men’s long jump, final
Women’s triple jump, final Women’s 200m, Round 1
Men’s 800m, semifinal Women’s 100m hurdles, final
Men’s 400m hurdles, semifinal
Men’s 100m, final*

Monday, Aug. 2

Morning Evening
Women’s pole vault qualifying Men’s triple jump qualifying
Women’s 200m, semifinal Men’s 1500m, Round 1
Women’s discus throw, final Women’s javelin throw qualifying
Men’s 400m, semifinal Women’s 400m, Round 1
Women’s 400m hurdles, semifinal Women’s long jump, final
Men’s 3000m steeplechase, final Men’s 200m, Round 1
Women’s 5000m, final Men’s 400m hurdles, final

Tuesday, Aug. 3

Morning Evening
Men’s 100m hurdles, Round 1 Men’s decathlon, 100m
Men’s shot put qualifying Men’s javelin throw qualifying
Men’s pole vault, final Women’s heptathlon, 100m hurdles
Men’s 5000m, Round 1 Men’s decathlon, long jump
Women’s hammer throw, final Women’s heptathlon, high jump
Men’s 200m, semifinal Men’s 110m hurdles, semifinals
Women’s 800m, final Women’s 400m hurdles, final
Women’s 200m, final Men’s decathlon, shot put

Wednesday, Aug. 4

Morning Evening
Men’s decathlon, high jump Women’s high jump qualifying
Women’s 1500m, semifinal Women’s heptathlon, long jump
Women’s heptathlon, shot put Men’s decathlon, discus throw
Women’s 400m, semifinal Women’s 4×100 relay, Round 1
Women’s 3000m steeplechase, final Men’s triple jump, final
Men’s hammer throw, final Men’s shot put, final
Women’s heptathlon, 200m Men’s 4×100 relay, Round 1
Men’s 800m, final Men’s 110m hurdles, final
Men’s decathlon, 400m Women’s heptathlon, javelin throw
Men’s 200m, final Men’s decathlon, pole vault

Thursday, Aug. 5

Morning Evening
Men’s 20km race walk Men’s 50k race walk
Men’s decathlon, javelin throw
Women’s pole vault, final
Women’s 4×400 relay, round 1
Men’s 1500m, semifinal
Men’s 400m, final
Women’s heptathlon, 800
Men’s decathlon, 1500m

Friday, Aug. 6

Morning Evening
Women’s 20km race walk Women’s marathon
Men’s 4x400m relay, Round 1
Women’s javelin throw, final
Men’s 5000m, final
Women’s 400m, final
Women’s 1500m, final
Women’s 4x100m relay, final
Men’s 4x100m relay, final

Saturday, Aug. 7

Morning Evening
Women’s high jump, final Men’s marathon
Women’s 10,000m, final
Men’s javelin throw, final
Women’s 4x400m relay, final
Men’s 4x400m relay, final

Zac Al-Khateeb

Zac Al-Khateeb Photo

Zac Al-Khateeb has been part of The Sporting News team since 2015 after earning his Bachelor's (2013) and Master's (2014) degrees in journalism at the University of Alabama. Prior to joining TSN, he covered high school sports and general news in Alabama. A college sports specialist, Zac has been a voter for the Biletnikoff Award and Heisman Trophy since 2020.