Is this really even a fair question to ask? A lot of people don't see what goes on behind the scenes, so to an outsider, it may seem like we're just a bunch of weirdos who like to run until we can't feel our legs or our backs. In other sports, there is "something else" that is trying to be accomplished, such as:
Basketball: get buckets
Baseball: score runs, hit dingers
Soccer: awesome goals
Football: TOUCHDOWNS
Track: run.....fast
Many people don't understand the over-looked aspects that go into being a successful track and field athlete. Of course, running is the main point of emphasis in practice, but there is so much more that goes into it such as:
1) Speed work
2) Endurance training
3) Running form
And those are just a few. However, the thing that I feel sets track and field apart from all other sports is one thing...
PERFORMANCE
What do I mean by this? Let's go back to the other sports listed above, the sports like baseball, basketball, and baseball are timed with four quarters given, meaning if you make one mistake, you have hundreds of other chances to capitalize on the next given chance and gain your confidence back throughout the game. Baseball, similar thing. Seven to nine innings. You strike out? No big deal, get it again at your next at-bat, miss-handled ground ball? Shake it off and get the next one that comes your way.
That's what makes track different. In your event, you get ONE race, ONE chance to bring what you got and run the best time. We don't get a timeout in the middle of our race if we don't like what's happening. At every meet, in every event that you run, you HAVE to be at your best, or somebody will expose you. The worst feeling any runner can feel is ending a race knowing that the race they ran, or the distance that they threw or jumped wasn't to their full potential, and you know in your mind, and your soul that you could have beat the person in front of you.
It's an underrated sport, and a lot of us don't get appreciation for what we do, from youth track even all the way up to professional ranks.
We don't run because we are crazy, we run for race day ... because there is no other sport like it.
