heptathlon

noun

hep·​tath·​lon hep-ˈtath-lən  -ˌlän 

 nonstandard  -ˈta-thə-

: a 7-event athletic contest

specifically : a composite contest for female athletes that consists of the 100-meter hurdles, the high jump, the shot put, the 200-meter dash, the long jump, the javelin throw, and the 800-meter run

Examples of heptathlon in a Sentence

She won a gold medal in the heptathlon.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Giants wide receiver and the heptathlon world champion first went public with their relationship in November 2024, when Hall included a photo of them hugging in an Instagram carousel. —Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025

At the Great Southwest Classic in 2018, Hall’s club coach was with her in Albuquerque as the 17-year-old Valor Christian senior-to-be shattered the high school national record in the heptathlon. —Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 28 Sep. 2025

Only Anna Hall, who finished fifth in the 2024 Paris Olympics, has a better high school girls heptathlon score. —Jason Dill, Miami Herald, 28 June 2025

Hall walked away with another NCAA title in the heptathlon and a silver medal in the 400-meter hurdles. —Katelyn Hutchison, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

hept- + -athlon (as in decathlon)

First Known Use

1977, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

heptathlon

noun

hep·​tath·​lon

hep-ˈtath-lən,

-ˌlän

: an athletic contest made up of seven different track-and-field events