Long jump is a sport within the track and field discipline in which athletes attempt to leap forward as far as possible from a takeoff point. The event has ancient origins, being part of the ancient Olympic pentathlon, and has been a cornerstone of modern Olympics since the inaugural Games in 1896. Here you will discover everything you need to know about the the Long jump athletics event.

athlete performing a long jump

An athlete mid-flight during a long jump

Long Jump Technique and Rules

To perform a long jump, athletes sprint down a runway typically measuring 40 meters (131 feet) in length and take off from a en marker board approximately 8 inches (20 cm) wide. The objective is to travel as far as possible through the air before landing in a sand pit filled with fine, dampened sand.

💡 Pro Tip: Elite long jumpers can reach approach speeds of over 10 meters per second (approximately 22 mph) before takeoff, making the sprint phase crucial to overall performance.

No part of the athlete's foot may cross the front edge of the takeoff board during the jump. If any portion crosses this line, the jump is ruled a foul and receives no distance measurement. Officials typically use plasticine or modeling clay placed along the front edge of the board to detect foot placements that exceed the legal limit.

After landing in the sand pit, the measurement is taken from the front edge of the takeoff board to the nearest mark made in the sand by any part of the competitor's body. Proper landing technique can add 20-30 centimeters to a jump by minimizing backward momentum upon impact.

Competition Format

In qualification rounds, each athlete receives three attempts to achieve a qualifying distance or place among the top performers. At major championships like the Olympics and World Championships, the top 12 athletes advance to the final round.

Qualification Round

Athletes receive three attempts to meet the automatic qualifying standard or finish in the top 12 positions to advance to the final.

Final Round

The top eight performers after three attempts receive three additional jumps. The best mark from all six attempts determines the final standings.

Wind Measurement

Wind speed is measured for each jump. For record purposes, the maximum allowable wind assistance is 2.0 meters per second (4.5 mph).

In the final, the best eight performers after the initial three attempts advance to receive three additional jumps. The athlete with the longest valid jump from either the qualification or final rounds is declared the winner. If athletes are tied with identical distances, the second-best jump serves as the tiebreaker.

World Records (as of November 2025)

The men's long jump world record of 8.95 meters (29 feet 4.25 inches) was set by Mike Powell of the United States on August 30, 1991, at the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan. This historic performance occurred during a legendary competition where Carl Lewis also surpassed Bob Beamon's long-standing record with an 8.91-meter jump, though Lewis's attempt was wind-assisted and therefore ineligible for record recognition.

“The long-jump is the hardest event in track and field.”
— Carl Lewis

The women's world record stands at 7.52 meters (24 feet 8 inches), established by Galina Chistyakova of the Soviet Union on June 11, 1988, in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg, Russia). Remarkably, this record has stood for over 37 years, making it one of the oldest world records in track and field athletics. The closest approach to this mark in recent years came from Germany's Malaika Mihambo, who jumped 7.30 meters to win the 2019 World Championships.

Category Athlete Distance Date & Location
Men's World Record Mike Powell (USA) 8.95 m (29 ft 4¼ in) August 30, 1991, Tokyo
Women's World Record Galina Chistyakova (USSR) 7.52 m (24 ft 8 in) June 11, 1988, Leningrad
Men's Olympic Record Bob Beamon (USA) 8.90 m (29 ft 2¼ in) October 18, 1968, Mexico City
Women's Olympic Record Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) 7.40 m (24 ft 3¼ in) September 29, 1988, Seoul

Recent Major Championships

At the Paris 2024 Olympics, Greece's Miltiadis Tentoglou successfully defended his Olympic title with a winning jump of 8.48 meters, becoming the first man since Carl Lewis in 1996 to retain the Olympic long jump crown. Jamaica's Wayne Pinnock claimed silver with 8.36 meters, while Italy's teenage sensation Mattia Furlani earned bronze with 8.34 meters.

Championship performances in long jump require not only exceptional physical capabilities but also superior mental focus, as evidenced by Tentoglou's consistent ability to produce his best jumps when it matters most in major finals.

Recent Rule Changes

Starting with the 2025 indoor season, World Athletics introduced a significant rule change to the long jump. Instead of the traditional narrow takeoff board, athletes now take off from a wider 40-centimeter (approximately 16-inch) takeoff zone. This modification aims to reduce the high percentage of foul jumps (previously around 30%) that have been common in elite competitions.

⚠️ Important: Under the new trial rules, the measurement is taken from the exact point where the jumper's front foot leaves the takeoff zone, rather than from a fixed foul line. This represents a fundamental change in how distances are recorded and may affect record comparisons.

Historical Significance

Long jump traces its roots to the ancient Olympic Games in Greece, where it was part of the pentathlon. However, ancient athletes performed a standing long jump while holding weights called halteres, which differs significantly from the modern running approach.

The modern event became part of the first Olympic Games in Athens in 1896. Since then, it has produced some of athletics' most memorable moments, including Jesse Owens' 1936 Olympic gold medal, Bob Beamon's "Leap of the Century" in 1968, and the Powell-Lewis showdown in 1991.