The Pan American Games is a quadrennial event which began in 1951. The Pan American Sports Organization accepts only athletes who are representing one of the organisation's member states (most of which are within the Americas) and recognises records set at editions of the Pan American Games. The Games records in athletics are the best marks set in competitions at the Games. The athletics events at the Games are divided into four groups: track events (including sprints, middle- and long-distance running, hurdling and relays), field events (including javelin, discus, hammer, pole vault, long and triple jumps), road events and combined events (the heptathlon and decathlon).
Cuban athlete Ana Fidelia Quirot and Mexican Graciela Mendoza are the only competitors to hold records in two separate events. Quirot is the record holder over both 400 and 800 metres, while Mendoza holds the 10 and 20 kilometre walk records. The two nations that most represented in the record list are Cuba (with 8 male and 10 female record holders) and the United States (with six record holders of each sex. Furthermore, all but one of the records in the defunct athletic events are held by US athletes. Of the other countries, Brazil, Jamaica, and Mexico each have five records.
A total of 13 Pan American Games records in athletics were equalled or beaten at the last edition in 2007.
A = affected by altitude