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Track & Field News

The Bible of the Sport since 1948 — track and field's magazine of record, honored with a World Athletics Heritage Plaque.
✓ Last reviewed: August 2026
Country / scopeUnited States
TypeMagazine + site
Founded1948 — Bert & Cordner Nelson
HonorsWorld Athletics Heritage Plaque · annual world rankings since 1947

What is Track & Field News?

Track & Field News is the sport's American magazine of record — founded in 1948 by brothers Bert and Cordner Nelson and self-styled, with justice, "The Bible of the Sport." World Athletics has honored the publication with a Heritage Plaque for its service to athletics.[1][2]

What does it cover and confer?

Championship coverage, deep statistics, and the sport's reference honors: the T&FN world and U.S. rankings compiled annually in every event since 1947, and its Athlete of the Year selections — institutions of the sport's record-keeping. Now digital-first at trackandfieldnews.com.[2][3]

Why does it matter?

A T&FN world ranking — published continuously for over 75 years — is among the most respected independent measures of standing in athletics, and coverage in its pages has marked the sport's elite since the 1940s.[1][2]

References

  1. World Athletics — Heritage Plaque: Track & Field News. Accessed August 2026.
  2. Track & Field News — About. Accessed August 2026.
  3. Wikipedia — Track & Field News (background). Accessed August 2026.