Athletics competitions at the 1971 South Pacific Games were held at the Stade Pater Te Hono Nui in Pirae, French Polynesia, between September 9-15, 1971. A total of 35 events were contested, 22 by men and 13 by women.
Picture: Tony Moore in action in the Long Jump. Tony Moore stands as the 2nd most prolific long jumper in Fiji having a personal best of 7.65m which he jumped in 1974. He also represented Fiji at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games and in 2009 was inducted into the Fiji Sports Hall of Fame.
Overall Medal Tally
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | New Caledonia | 10 | 8 | 6 | 24 |
| 2 | Fiji | 9 | 7 | 4 | 20 |
| 3 | PNG | 6 | 13 | 11 | 30 |
| 4 | French Polynesia | 6 | 3 | 5 | 14 |
| 5 | Tonga | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| 6 | Wallis and Futuna | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 7 | British Solomon Islands | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 8 | Guam | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 9 | New Hebrides | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |