| Athletics at the 1978 Asian Games | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Venue | National Stadium |
| Dates | 14–19 December |
The 1978 Asian Games were held in National Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand from 14 December to 19 December. The event was not sanctioned by the International Amateur Athletics Federation due to the organizers' refusal to invite Israel.
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  China (CHN) | 12 | 9 | 13 | 34 |
| 2 |  Japan (JPN) | 10 | 15 | 10 | 35 |
| 3 |  India (IND) | 8 | 7 | 3 | 18 |
| 4 |  Thailand (THA) | 4 | 1 | 2 | 7 |
| 5 |  North Korea (PRK) | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
| 6 |  Iraq (IRQ) | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| 7 |  Malaysia (MAL) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 8 |  Burma (BIR) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
 South Korea (KOR) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 10 |  Pakistan (PAK) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 11 |  Kuwait (KUW) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
 Philippines (PHI) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Totals (12 entries) | 39 | 39 | 39 | 117 | |
The athletics competition at the 1998 Asian Games were held in Bangkok, Thailand between 13 and 20 December.
Athletics was contested at the 1994 Asian Games in Hiroshima Big Arch, Hiroshima, Japan from October 9 to October 16.
The athletics competition at the 1990 Asian Games was held at the Olympic Sports Centre in Beijing, China from 27 September to 3 October.
The athletics competition at the 1986 Asian Games was held in Olympic Stadium, Seoul, South Korea.
The athletics at the 1982 Asian Games were held in Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi, India.
The athletics at the 1974 Asian Games were held in Aryamehr Stadium, Tehran, Iran. This was the first time that China competed in these games and also the last time that Israel competed.
The athletics at the 1970 Asian Games were held in Bangkok, Thailand.
Athletics was contested at the 1966 Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand from December 10 to December 15.
Athletics was contested at the 1962 Asian Games at the Senayan Main Stadium, Jakarta, Indonesia from 25 to 30 August.
Athletics was contested at the 1958 Asian Games in National Stadium, Tokyo, Japan from May 25 to May 29.
Athletics was contested at the 1954 Asian Games in Manila, Philippines from May 2 to May 5.
Athletics was contested at the 1951 Asian Games in National Stadium, New Delhi, India from 8 March to 11 March.
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