This article contains an overview of the sport of athletics, including track and field, cross country and road running, in the year 2001.

The foremost competition of the season was the 2001 World Championships in Athletics in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The 2001 IAAF World Indoor Championships was the second major track and field event that year.

• China National Games
• Lithuanian Athletics Championships

Event	Athlete	Nation	Performance	Meeting	Place	Date
3000 metres	Brahim Boulami	Morocco	7:55.28		Brussels, Belgium	24 August
Decathlon	Roman Sebrle	Czech Republic	9,026		Götzis, Austria	26-27 May

Event	Athlete	Nation	Performance	Meeting	Place	Date
3000 m steeplechase	Justyna Bak	Poland	9:25.31		Nice, France	9 July
Pole vault	Stacy Dragila	United States	4.63 m		New York, USA	2 February
Pole vault	Svetlana Feofanova	Russia	4.64 m		Dortmund, Germany	11 February
Pole vault	Stacy Dragila	United States	4.66 m		Pocatello, USA	17 February
Pole vault	Stacy Dragila	United States	4.70 m		Pocatello, USA	17 February
Pole vault	Stacy Dragila	United States	4.70 m		Pocatello, USA	27 April
Pole vault	Stacy Dragila	United States	4.71 m		Stanford, USA	9 June
Pole vault	Stacy Dragila	United States	4.81 m		Stanford, USA	9 June
Javelin Throw (new)	Osleidys Menéndez	Cuba	71.54 m		Rethymno, Greece	1 July

2001 TRACK & FIELD AWARDS	ATHLETE
IAAF World Athlete of the Year	Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR)
Track & Field Athlete of the Year	Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR)
European Athlete of the Year Award	André Bucher (SUI)
Best Male Track Athlete ESPY Award	Maurice Greene (USA)

2001 TRACK & FIELD AWARDS	ATHLETE
IAAF World Athlete of the Year	Stacy Dragila (USA)
Track & Field Athlete of the Year	Stacy Dragila (USA)
European Athlete of the Year Award	Stephanie Graf (AUT)
Best Female Track Athlete ESPY Award	Marion Jones (USA)

RANK	2001 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.	Félix Sánchez (DOM)	47.38
2.	Fabrizio Mori (ITA)	47.54
3.	Dai Tamesue (JPN)	47.89
4.	Angelo Taylor (USA)	47.95
5.	Hadi Soua'an Al-Somaily (KSA)	47.99

RANK	2001 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.	Brahim Boulami (MAR)	7:55.28
2.	Reuben Kosgei (KEN)	7:57.29
3.	Stephen Cherono (KEN)	7:58.66
4.	Kipkirui Misoi (KEN)	8:01.69
5.	Wilson Boit Kipketer (KEN)	8:01.73

RANK	2001 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	HEIGHT
1.	Dmitriy Markov (AUS)	6.05 m
2.	Aleksandr Averbukh (ISR)	5.91 m
3.	Lawrence Johnson (USA)	5.90 m
	Jeff Hartwig (USA)
5.	Pavel Burlachenko (RUS)	5.86 m

RANK	2001 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.	Zhanna Block (UKR)	10.82
2.	Ekateríni Thánou (GRE)	10.91
3.	Chandra Sturrup (BAH)	10.95
4.	Myriam Léonie Mani (CMR)	10.98
	Chryste Gaines (USA)

RANK	2001 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.	LaTasha Jenkins (USA)	22.39
	Debbie Ferguson (BAH)
3.	Cydonie Mothersille (CAY)	22.54
	Myriam Léonie Mani (CMR)
5.	Beverly McDonald (JAM)	22.57

RANK	2001 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.	Paula Radcliffe (GBR)	1:06:47

RANK	2001 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.	Anjanette Kirkland (USA)	12.42
2.	Gail Devers (USA)	12.53
3.	Delloreen Ennis-London (JAM)	12.57
4.	Olga Shishigina (KAZ)	12.58
	Svetla Dimitrova (BUL)

RANK	2001 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.	Nezha Bidouane (MAR)	53.34
2.	Daimí Pernía (CUB)	53.81
3.	Yuliya Pechonkina (RUS)	53.84
4.	Debbie-Ann Parris (JAM)	53.88
5.	Tetyana Tereshchuk-Antipova (UKR)	53.89

RANK	2001 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.	Justyna Bak (POL)	9:44.36
2.	Élodie Olivarès (FRA)	9:44.68
3.	Cristina Casandra (ROM)	9:45.92
4.	Lisa Nye (USA)	9:49.41
5.	Elizabeth Jackson (USA)	9:49.73

RANK	2001 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	HEIGHT
1.	Venelina Veneva (BUL)	2.04 m
2.	Inga Babakova (UKR)	2.03 m
3.	Hestrie Cloete (RSA)	2.01 m
4.	Kajsa Bergqvist (SWE)	2.00 m
	Dóra Győrffy (HUN)

RANK	2001 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	HEIGHT
1.	Stacy Dragila (USA)	4.81 m
2.	Svetlana Feofanova (RUS)	4.75 m
3.	Mary Vincent (USA)	4.61 m
	Monika Pyrek (POL)
5.	Kellie Suttle (USA)	4.60 m

RANK	2001 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	POINTS
1.	Eunice Barber (FRA)	6736
2.	Yelena Prokhorova (RUS)	6694
3.	Natalya Roshchupkina (RUS)	6551
4.	Natalya Sazanovich (BLR)	6539
5.	Irina Belova (RUS)	6528

• March 31 — Diego García (39), Spanish long-distance runner (b. 1961)
• August 15 — Richard Chelimo (29), Kenyan athlete (b. 1972)
• October 17 — Micheline Ostermeyer (78), French athlete (b. 1922)

• ARRS