The men's 100 metres sprint competition of the athletics events at the 1979 Pan American Games took place on 7 and 8 July at the Estadio Sixto Escobar. The defending Pan American Games champion was Silvio Leonard of Cuba.
The men's 1500 metres sprint competition of the athletics events at the 1979 Pan American Games took place at the Estadio Sixto Escobar. The defending Pan American Games champion was Tony Waldrop of the United States.
The men's 5000 metres sprint competition of the athletics events at the 1979 Pan American Games took place on 11 July at the Estadio Sixto Escobar. The defending Pan American Games champion was Domingo Tibaduiza of Colombia.
The men's 10,000 metres sprint competition of the athletics events at the 1979 Pan American Games took place on 7 July at the Estadio Sixto Escobar. The defending Pan American Games champion was Luis Hernández of Mexico.
The men's 110 metres hurdles sprint competition of the athletics events at the 1979 Pan American Games took place on 9 and 11 July at the Estadio Sixto Escobar. The defending Pan American Games champion was Alejandro Casañas of Cuba.
The men's 4 × 100 metres relay competition of the athletics events at the 1979 Pan American Games took place at the Estadio Sixto Escobar. The defending Pan American Games champion was the United States team.
The men's 4 × 400 metres relay competition of the athletics events at the 1979 Pan American Games took place on 13 and 14 July at the Estadio Sixto Escobar. The defending Pan American Games champion was the United States team.
The men's 20 kilometres walk competition of the athletics events at the 1979 Pan American Games took place at the Estadio Sixto Escobar. The defending Pan American Games champion was Daniel Bautista of Mexico.
The men's high jump competition of the athletics events at the 1979 Pan American Games took place on 11 July at the Estadio Sixto Escobar. The defending Pan American Games champion was Tom Woods of the United States.
The men's long jump competition of the athletics events at the 1979 Pan American Games took place on 7 July at the Estadio Sixto Escobar. The defending Pan American Games champion was João Carlos de Oliveira of Brazil.
The women's 100 metres sprint competition of the athletics events at the 1979 Pan American Games took place on 7 and 8 July at the Estadio Sixto Escobar. The defending Pan American Games champion was Pamela Jiles of the United States.
The women's 200 metres sprint competition of the athletics events at the 1979 Pan American Games took place on 9 and 11 July at the Estadio Sixto Escobar. The defending Pan American Games champion was Chandra Cheeseborough of the United States.
The women's 400 metres sprint competition of the athletics events at the 1979 Pan American Games took place at the Estadio Sixto Escobar. The defending Pan American Games champion was Joyce Yakubowich of Canada.
The women's 800 metres sprint competition of the athletics events at the 1979 Pan American Games took place on 8 and 9 July at the Estadio Sixto Escobar. The defending Pan American Games champion was Kathy Weston of the United States.
The women's 100 metres hurdles sprint competition of the athletics events at the 1979 Pan American Games took place at the Estadio Sixto Escobar. The defending Pan American Games champion was Edith Noeding of Peru.
The women's 4 × 100 metres relay competition of the athletics events at the 1979 Pan American Games took place on 14 July at the Estadio Sixto Escobar. The defending Pan American Games champion was the United States team.
The women's 4 × 400 metres relay competition of the athletics events at the 1979 Pan American Games took place on 14 July at the Estadio Sixto Escobar. The defending Pan American Games champion was the Canadian team.
The women's long jump competition of the athletics events at the 1979 Pan American Games took place on 8 July at the Estadio Sixto Escobar. The defending Pan American Games champion was Ana Alexander of Cuba.
The women's shot put competition of the athletics events at the 1979 Pan American Games took place on 9 July at the Estadio Sixto Escobar. The defending Pan American Games champion was María Elena Sarría of Cuba.
The women's discus throw competition of the athletics events at the 1979 Pan American Games took place on 7 July at the Estadio Sixto Escobar. The defending Pan American Games champion was Carmen Romero of Cuba.
