Para athletics is the Paralympic version of track and field, open to athletes with physical, vision, or intellectual impairments. It is one of the largest sports in the Paralympic Games, covering everything from sprints and marathons to long jump, shot put, and javelin. What makes it unique is a detailed classification system that groups athletes by the type and severity of their impairment, so competition is fair and meaningful.
Who Can Compete
To be eligible for Para athletics, an athlete must have one of ten recognized impairments. These fall into three broad groups. Eight are physical: impaired muscle power, impaired range of movement, limb deficiency, leg length difference, short stature, hypertonia (increased muscle tension), ataxia (lack of coordination), and athetosis (involuntary movements). The remaining two are vision impairment and intellectual impairment.
Each impairment must be permanent and significant enough to affect how the athlete performs in competition. A temporary injury or a mild condition that doesn’t limit athletic function won’t qualify.
How the Classification System Works
Every Para athlete is assigned a sport class: a code made up of a letter and a number. The letter tells you the type of event. “T” stands for track (running, jumping, and wheelchair racing events), while “F” stands for field (throwing events like shot put, discus, and javelin). The number indicates the athlete’s impairment type and severity.
The number ranges break down like this:
- 11 to 13: Vision impairment, from total blindness (11) to partial sight (13)
- 20: Intellectual impairment
- 32 to 38: Coordination impairments such as cerebral palsy
- 40 to 41: Short stature
- 42 to 44: Lower limb impairments (competing without a prosthesis)
- 45 to 47: Upper limb impairments
- 51 to 54: Athletes competing in a wheelchair due to limb deficiency or impaired muscle power
- 61 to 64: Lower limb impairments (competing with a prosthesis, such as a running blade)
- 71 to 72: Coordination impairments competing in Frame Running events
Within each range, a lower number generally means a more severe impairment. A T11 sprinter, for example, has no functional vision, while a T13 sprinter has partial sight. This layered system means athletes compete against others whose impairments affect performance in a similar way.
Events and Disciplines
Para athletics mirrors much of conventional track and field. Track events include the 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1,500m, 5,000m, and 10,000m, plus the marathon. Field events include long jump, high jump, shot put, discus, javelin, and club throw (a discipline unique to Para athletics for athletes with the most limited grip).
Not every sport class competes in every event. Athletes with vision impairment might race the 100m or 1,500m. Wheelchair racers compete in distances from 100m to the marathon. Athletes with severe coordination impairments may compete only in throwing events from a seated position. The programme at each Paralympic Games or World Championships is built around these class-specific events, with separate medal opportunities for men and women in each.
Guides, Wheelchairs, and Prosthetics
Some athletes use specialized equipment or human assistance, depending on their impairment.
Athletes in the T11 class (total blindness) must run with a guide runner. T12 athletes (severe visual impairment) can choose to run with a guide or independently. The guide and athlete are connected by a short tether attached at the hand or arm. The tether is made of non-elastic material, cannot store energy, and can be no longer than 30 cm at full extension. The guide cannot pull, push, or propel the athlete forward, and the athlete sets the running pace and style. One critical rule: the guide must never cross the finish line before the athlete.
Wheelchair racers use sleek, purpose-built racing chairs with three narrow wheels, a single front brake, and custom steering arms shaped to the individual athlete’s body. These chairs sit low to the ground and are stripped to the bare essentials for speed, bearing almost no resemblance to everyday wheelchairs.
Athletes in the T61 to T64 classes run on carbon fiber prosthetic blades. For double-leg amputees, prosthetic length is regulated based on factors like the athlete’s wingspan and overall height, ensuring the blades don’t artificially increase leg length beyond what is proportional. This regulation has been a source of ongoing debate, with governing bodies requiring athletes to demonstrate that their prosthesis does not provide a competitive advantage if they also want to enter mainstream events.
Seated Throwing
Athletes who cannot stand to throw (typically those in the F31 to F34 and F51 to F57 classes) compete from a throwing frame. This is a rigid, anchored chair that keeps competition fair by standardizing the seated position. The frame has a maximum seat height of 75 cm, with the seat surface parallel to the ground and a rigid backrest perpendicular to it. All components are made from materials that cannot store or return energy, so the athlete’s power comes entirely from their own body. The frame is secured to the ground with tie-downs, and athletes can hold a bar or pole for stability while throwing with the other arm.
Frame Running
One of the newer additions to Para athletics is Frame Running, designated by the T71 and T72 sport classes. It is designed for athletes with significant coordination impairments who cannot run independently or use a standard racing wheelchair. Athletes use a three-wheeled frame with a body support, propelling themselves forward with their legs while the frame provides balance. It opens up track competition to athletes who previously had no path to racing events.
Competition Structure
The two biggest stages for Para athletics are the Paralympic Games, held every four years alongside the Olympics, and the World Para Athletics Championships, held in the years between. The 2024 World Championships took place in Kobe, Japan, while the sport was a centerpiece of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. World Para Athletics, a division of the International Paralympic Committee, governs the sport globally, setting rules for classification, equipment, and competition.
Below the international level, athletes compete in regional championships, Grand Prix events, and national competitions. Many countries have their own Para athletics programmes that serve as pathways to international selection, starting from grassroots and club-level competition.