How decathlon scoring works
The decathlon gathers ten events over two days. To add up a time in the 100 m and a distance in the shot put, World Athletics converts each mark into points with a formula whose coefficients were chosen so that a strong performance in any event is worth roughly the same score.
The formulas
- Running events: points = A × (B − T)^C, with T the time in seconds.
- Jumps: points = A × (M − B)^C, with M the height or distance in centimeters.
- Throws: same formula with M in meters.
Points are rounded down to the whole number. B is the threshold below which an event scores zero.
| Event | A | B | C |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 m | 25.4347 | 18 | 1.81 |
| Long jump | 0.14354 | 220 | 1.4 |
| Shot put | 51.39 | 1.5 | 1.05 |
| High jump | 0.8465 | 75 | 1.42 |
| 400 m | 1.53775 | 82 | 1.81 |
| 110 m hurdles | 5.74352 | 28.5 | 1.92 |
| Discus | 12.91 | 4 | 1.1 |
| Pole vault | 0.2797 | 100 | 1.35 |
| Javelin | 10.14 | 7 | 1.08 |
| 1500 m | 0.03768 | 480 | 1.85 |
Example
The default values are Ashton Eaton’s marks from the 2015 World Championships in Beijing: 10.23 in the 100 m (1,040 points), 7.88 m in the long jump (1,030), 45.00 in the 400 m (1,060) and 4:17.52 in the 1500 m (829), for a then world record of 9,045 points. Kevin Mayer raised the record to 9,126 in 2018.
What the totals mean
| Total | Level |
|---|---|
| 8,500 and more | World medal contender |
| 8,000 | International |
| 7,000 | National |
| 5,500 to 6,500 | Good club or college athlete |
Tips for decathletes
- The tables reward sprint and jump speed: a tenth of a second in the 100 m is worth about 24 points.
- Fully automatic timing is assumed; hand times are traditionally adjusted upward by 0.24 s for the 100 m and hurdles.
- Use the per-event points to find where training gives the most return.