The track and field competition at the 2011 Military World Games was held from 17–23 July 2011 at the Estádio Olímpico João Havelange in Rio de Janeiro. The programme contained 35 athletics events, 20 for men and 15 for women. The marathon races took place on 17 July while the track and field events were held in the stadium from 19–23 July.

At the 2007 Military World Games, the track and field events were held at the G. M. C. Balayogi Athletic Stadium in Hyderabad, India from 15 – 18 October 2007. A total of 36 events were contested, of which 22 by male and 14 by female athletes. Kenya topped the medal table with five gold medals and a total of 12 – the track and field competition accounted for all of the African nation's medals at the games, which brought them sixth place on the overall games medal count. Russia took second with four golds and eight silvers, having the joint greatest medal total. Poland, the People's Republic of China, and Saudi Arabia also achieved four gold medals. Athletes from thirty three of the participating countries reached the podium at the four-day competition organised by the Conseil International du Sport Militaire, which had no obvious dominant nation.