At the 1993 East Asian Games, the athletics events were held at the Yuanshen Sports Centre Stadium in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. A total of 41 events were contested, of which 22 by male and 19 by female athletes. The competition featured only track and field events as there was no marathon race and the 20 km walk was held on the track.

Koji Alexander Murofushi, is a former Japanese hammer thrower and sports scientist. He has been among the world elite since the 2001 World Championships, where he won the silver medal. He was the 2004 Olympic champion. In 2011, he was crowned world champion.