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 footballer, who fans can currently watch playing for Norway in the World Cup, was born in 2000 in Leeds, England, to two Norwegian star athletes (Leeds United player Alfie Haaland and former women’s heptathlon athlete Gry Marita Braut). — Joyce Chen, Architectural Digest, 25 June 2026

Sofia Cosculluela finished with 6,182 points in the heptathlon to win Washington's first championship in the event. — ABC News, 14 June 2026

Jenna Fee Feyerabend has secured a berth in the women’s heptathlon after winning the Mountain West title with a record score. — Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 May 2026

How other Longhorns did at the Texas Relays In other Relays news, UT sophomore Tabea Eitel, who was second in the heptathlon after Wednesday's competition, finished second Thursday. — Rick Cantu, Austin American Statesman, 3 Apr. 2026

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