| Athletics at the X Summer Universiade | |
|---|---|
 The host stadium for the events | |
| Dates | 8–13 September 1979 |
| Host city | Mexico City, Mexico  |
| Venue | Estadio Olimpico Universitario |
| Level | University |
| Events | 34 |
| Records set | 1 WR, 12 UR |
| ← 1977 Sofia 1981 Bucharest → 1979 Summer Universiade | |
Athletics events were contested at the 1979 Summer Universiade in Mexico City, Mexico between 8 and 13 September.
Medal summary
Men's events
Women's events
Medal table
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Soviet Union (URS) | 8 | 4 | 6 | 18 |
| 2 |  East Germany (GDR) | 5 | 4 | 1 | 10 |
| 3 |  Romania (ROM) | 5 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| 4 |  West Germany (FRG) | 4 | 4 | 4 | 12 |
| 5 |  United States (USA) | 4 | 2 | 4 | 10 |
| 6 |  Poland (POL) | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| 7 |  Italy (ITA) | 2 | 1 | 4 | 7 |
| 8 |  Great Britain (GBR) | 1 | 4 | 4 | 9 |
| 9 |  Netherlands (NED) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 10 |  Austria (AUT) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
 Hungary (HUN) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 12 |  Finland (FIN) | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 13 | Mexico (MEX) | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 14 |  France (FRA) | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 15 |  Bulgaria (BUL) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 16 |  Ivory Coast (CIV) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 Japan (JPN) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
 Switzerland (SUI) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 19 |  Cuba (CUB) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
 Czechoslovakia (TCH) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
 Kenya (KEN) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Totals (21 entries) | 34 | 34 | 34 | 102 | |
References
- World Student Games (Universiade - Men) - GBR Athletics
- World Student Games (Universiade - Women) - GBR Athletics
| 1979 in the sport of athletics | |||||||
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| Events at the 1979 Summer Universiade (Mexico City) | ||
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