The icosathlon is simply a Double Decathlon, formerly known as the “Double Deca”.
It can be held on one day, or two days.
When you think about it, Track and Field has 19 events without relays. So what’s the 20th event? A Race walk?
It’s the 200m low hurdles (3rd event in Day 1). I guess the founder of the double deca disliked race walkers. (I’ll bet over half the readers share the same sentiment!) Then again, race walking isn’t a “track” event… it’s usually lumped in the same criteria as non-stadia events like the 10K, Marathon and cross country.
Of course, the Double Deca ends with the 10,000 meters on the track. I don’t know about you but I can’t imagine running a 1500m (day 2 event #8), then taking 3 Triple Jumps (event #9), followed by the 10K… 25 laps around the track! 3.75 laps is enough, thank you very much.
Here is the schedule, with a 1 hour “lunch break” after 5 events:
Double Deca Day 1
- 100 meters
- Long Jump
- 200 meter low hurdles
- Shot Put
- 5000 meters
- 800 meters
- High Jump
- 400 meters
- Hammer Throw
- 3000 meter Steeplechase
Double Deca Day 2
- 110 meter hurdles
- Discus Throw
- 200 meters
- Pole Vault
- 3000 meters
- 400 meter hurdles
- Javelin Throw
- 1500 meters
- Triple Jump
- 10,000 meters
Women’s events include the pole vault, steeplechase and hammer throw, something that was impossible 10 years ago.
The world record for the standard two-day icosathlon is held by Kip Janvrin with 14,185 points and Kelly Rodmell with 11091 for men’s and women’s respectively.
Single Day Icosathlon World Record
Frederic Xhonneux last Saturday (June 27, 2015) accomplished the Icosathlon in a single day! 20 events run from 8:00 to 23:30 scoring a total 12,363 points. Some of these performances are respectable, let alone doing all 20 in a single day!
Here was a “day in the life” of Frederic Xhonneux (link here):
8:00 100m: 12.03
8:20 Long Jump: 6.49m
8:50 200m low hurdles: 25.99
9:10 Shot Put: 13.46m
9:40 5,000m: 19:05.00
Break
11:00 800m: 2:17.04
11:20 High Jump: 185 cm
12:20 400m: 53.99
12:40 Hammer: 38.25m
13:10 3000m steeple 11:43.26
Break
14:30 110m hurdles: 15.85
14:50 Discus: 40m61
15:20 200m: 24.63
15:40 Pole Vault: 4.20m
16:30 3000m: 10:50.79
Break
17:50 400m hurdles: 60.78
18:10 Javelin: 55.18m
18:40 1500m: 5:06.94
19:00 Triple jump: 13.84m
19:30 10,000m: 47:18.92
Jimson Lee
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