Day one there was no athletic competition on the first day as both athletes and judges devoted it to prayers, sacrifices, and the taking of oaths. Athletes had to arrive at the city of Elis, which supervised the festivals, at least a month prior to the events where they would train and be observed by the judges (the nobility of Elis). Two days before the events were to begin the athletes, trainers, and judges walked 36 miles from Elis to Olympia where they would arrive on the eve of the festival. .
On day two competition started with the chariot and horse races. These events took place in a Hippodrome. A Hippodrome was a wide, level, open space with pillars at the ends, one marking the start and finish and the other marking the turning post. Very little is known about the rules of chariot and horse races but it's logical to assume that there must have been many accidents at the turning post. Horse and chariot owners, usually well off aristocrats, rarely competed themselves but instead were allowed to hire jockeys to ride for them. In the afternoon of day 2 the five events of the Pentathlon were contested The Pentathlon consisted of the discus throw, long jump, javelin throw, stade (running) race and upright wrestling. Running and wrestling were also separate events but long jumping, the discus and the javelin were unique to the Pentathlon. The discus was originally made of stone and then later of iron, lead or bronze. The Greek technique of throwing the discus was much the same as ours is today. The athlete would spin in a circle and release the discus while at maximum speed. The forefinger would be used to spin the discus, which would keep it stable during flight. .
The javelin was a wooden pole about a man's height with either a sharpened end or an attached metal point. The main difference between the ancient and modern javelin is that the ancient athletes attached a thong, a leather strap that formed a loop, at the center of gravity of the javelin which increased the accuracy and the distance of the javelin throw.