Athletics at the 2014 Commonwealth Games Athletics at the 2014 Commonwealth Games Athletics was one of ten core sports that appeared at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. As a founding sport, athletics has appeared consistently since its introduction at the 1911 Inter-Empire Games; the recognised precursor to the Commonwealth Games. The competition took place between Sunday 27 July and Saturday 2 August at the temporarily modified Hampden Park, Scotland's national football stadium. The programme commenced with the 26.2 mile marathon, which started and finished at Glasgow Green and included numerous para-sport events throughout. Racewalking events were dropped from the programme for 2014 – a move
Abuja bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games location for the games because of its unity, serenity, topography and availability of standard sporting facilities. Abuja had recently hosted the All-Africa Games, The African regional version of the olympics, for which it constructed a world-class olympic stadium and games village. It was a hugely successful tournament with more than 7,000 athletes (and larger in size than any Commonwealth Games ever held). The 2014 Commonwealth Games would also be an integral part of national celebration plans for Nigeria's centenary. The Abuja bid received strong support from African Commonwealth members (which make up the bulk of the Commonwealth) as well as