The competition

The mens decathlon consists of ten events that are held on two consecutive days. The first days events include, in order, a 100 meter run, the long jump, shot put, high jump and a 400 meter run. The second days events, in order, include the 110 meter hurdles followed by the discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw and a 1500 meter run.The rules for each event within the decathlon are generally the same as for the individual events themselves, with a few exceptions. Most notably, runners are allowed two false starts instead of one, while competitors receive only three attempts in throwing and jumping events. Competitors cannot pass on any event. Failing to attempt any single event results in disqualification.