Marathons at the Paralympics

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Marathon events have been held at the Summer Paralympic Games, for both men and women, since the 1984 Summer Paralympics in Stoke Mandeville and New York City.[1][2] They are held as part of the Paralympic athletics programme.

Since the 1996 Games in Atlanta, marathon events, along with all other track events, have been categorised as follows:[3][4][5]

  • Visually impaired athletes compete in categories T11, T12 and T13, based on their level of disability. Totally blind athletes compete in T11 events, and are permitted to run with a sighted guide. (In 1996 only, the categories were named T10, T11 and T12, and blind athletes were thus categorised "T10".) The marathon for visually impaired athletes is held only for men, and in 2008, no marathon was held in categories T11 or T13, leaving the men's T12 marathon as the sole event for visually impaired athletes. The same was true in 2012.
  • Athletes with lower limb amputations, competing with prosthetics, run in categories T42 to T44, depending on their level of disability. In the marathon, athletes in these categories were able to compete only in 1996, when they were grouped together in a single event. The event was held for men only.
  • Athletes with upper limb amputations compete in category T46. The marathon in this category exists only for men. In 1996, they ran mixed with lower limb amputees. In 2000, they were awarded their distinct race, which was cancelled in 2004 and restored in 2008.
  • Wheelchair athletes compete in categories T51 to T54. These are the only categories open to women as well as men for the marathon. In 2008, three marathons were held in these categories: T52 for men, T54 for men and T54 for women. In 2012, there were only two: the men's T54 and the women's T54.

Heinrich Koeberle of Germany, active from 1984 to 2000, is the most successful Paralympic marathon competitor to date, having won four gold medals and one silver. Among the women, Connie Hansen of Denmark and Jean Driscoll of the United States have each won two Paralympic marathons.[6][7]

Results by Games[8][9][]

1984[]

At the 1984 Games in Stoke Mandeville and New York, seven marathons were held for men, and four for women, all for wheelchair athletes. In the men's event 1A, only three runners started the race: Heinrich Koeberle from West Germany, his compatriot H. Lobbering (full name not recorded), and Rainer Kueschall of Switzerland. Only Koeberle reached the finish line.[10] In women's event 5, there were only two competitors, both from Mexico. Both reached the finish line.[11]

Men's events

Event Gold Silver Bronze
Marathon 1A
details
Heinrich Koeberle
 West Germany
Marathon 1B
details

 Sweden

 Switzerland
Ronan Rooney
 Ireland
Marathon 1C
details
Alan Dufty
 Australia

 United States

 Mexico
Marathon 2
details
Heinz Frei
 Switzerland
Paul Clark
 Canada
Graham Condon
 New Zealand
Marathon 3
details
André Viger
 Canada

 West Germany

 Canada
Marathon 4
details
Rick Hansen
 Canada

 France

 Canada
Marathon 5
Mel Fitzgerald
 Canada

 United States

 United States

Women's events

Event Gold Silver Bronze
Marathon 2

 United States
Patricia Hill
 New Zealand

 Mexico
Marathon 3

 West Germany
Julie Russell
 Australia

 Great Britain
Marathon 4
details

 Australia
Kay McShane
 Ireland

 United States
Marathon 5
details
Juana Soto
 Mexico

 Mexico

1988[]

The number of events at the 1988 Summer Paralympics in Seoul was expanded to eleven for men, but restricted to three for women (with category 5 being closed).

Men's events

Event Gold Silver Bronze
Marathon 1A
details
Heinrich Koeberle
 West Germany
Rainer Kueschall
 Switzerland
Bart Dodson
 United States
Marathon 1B
details
Serge Raymond
 Canada

 Sweden
Clayton Gerein
 Canada
Marathon 1C

 United States
Alan Dufty
 Australia

 West Germany
Marathon 2
Marc Quessy
 Canada
Paul Clark
 Canada
Michael Trujillo
 United States
Marathon 3
André Viger
 Canada

 Switzerland

 United States
Marathon 4
details

 France
Farid Amarouche
 France

 United States
Marathon 5-6
details

 United States

 United States
Georg Schrattenecker
 Austria
Marathon A1–3/A9/L1–2
Mustapha Badid
 France
Philippe Couprie
 France
Ted Vince
 Canada
Marathon B1
details

 Norway

 Israel

 Brazil
Marathon B2
Stephen Brunt
 Great Britain

 France

 New Zealand
Marathon B3

 United States

 Great Britain

 Poland

Women's events

Event Gold Silver Bronze
Marathon 2

 United States

 United States
Patricia Hill
 New Zealand
Marathon 3
Candace Cable-Brooks
 United States

 United States

 Japan
Marathon 4
Connie Hansen
 Denmark

 United States
Kay McShane
 Ireland

1992[]

At the 1992 Games in Barcelona, the number of events for men was cut to six: three for wheelchair athletes, and three for visually impaired athletes. The number of events for women was further reduced, down to one, for wheelchair athletes.

Men's events

Event Gold Silver Bronze
Marathon B1
details
Carlo Durante
 Italy
Tofiri Kibuuka
 Norway

 Canada
Marathon B2
details
Stephen Brunt
 Great Britain
José Ortiz
 Spain

 France
Marathon B3

 Great Britain
Anton Sluka
 Czechoslovakia
Timo Pulkkinen
 Finland
Marathon TW1
Heinrich Koeberle
 Germany
Rainer Kueschall
 Switzerland
Giuseppe Forni
 Switzerland
Marathon TW2
Clayton Gerein
 Canada
Christoph Etzlstorfer
 Austria
Greg Smith
 Australia
Marathon TW3–4
Heinz Frei
 Switzerland
Claude Issorat
 France
Jeddie Schabort
 South Africa

Women's event

Event Gold Silver Bronze
Marathon TW3–4
Connie Hansen
 Denmark
Jennette Jansen
 Netherlands
Lily Anggreny
 Germany

1996[]

At the 1996 Summer Paralympics in Atlanta, the current categorisation system was introduced. Seven events were held for men, and one for women.

Men's events

Event Gold Silver Bronze
Marathon T10
details
Harumi Yanagawa
 Japan
Carlo Durante
 Italy
Nicolas Ledezma
 Mexico
Marathon T11
details
Waldemar Kikolski
 Poland

 Poland
Francisco Perez
 Spain
Marathon T12
details
Anton Sluka
 Slovakia

 Great Britain

 Portugal
Marathon T42–46
details
Javier Conde
 Spain
Joseba Larrinaga
 Spain
Mark Brown
 Great Britain
Marathon T50
details
Heinrich Koeberle
 Germany
Bart Dodson
 United States
Tim Johansson
 Sweden
Marathon T51
details
Brent McMahon
 Canada
Clayton Gerein
 Canada

 United States
Marathon T52–53
details
Franz Nietlispach
 Switzerland

 Japan
Heinz Frei
 Switzerland

Women's event

Event Gold Silver Bronze
Marathon T52–53
details
Jean Driscoll
 United States
Kazu Hatanaka
 Japan

 United States

2000[]

The same number of events (seven for men, one for women) were maintained at the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney.

Men's events

Event Gold Silver Bronze
Marathon T11
details
Carlos Amaral Ferreira
 Portugal
Robert Matthews
 Great Britain
Carlo Durante
 Italy
Marathon T12
details
Waldemar Kikolski
 Poland
Stephen Brunt
 Great Britain
Moises Beristain
 Mexico
Marathon T13
Ildar Pomykalov
 Russia
Anton Sluka
 Slovakia
Roy Daniell
 Australia
Marathon T46
Javier Conde
 Spain
Mark Brown
 Great Britain
Michael Keohane
 United States
Marathon T51
Alvise de Vidi
 Italy
Heinrich Koeberle
 Germany
Thorsten Oppold
 Germany
Marathon T52
Clayton Gerein
 Canada
Christoph Etzlstorfer
 Austria
Thomas Geierspichler
 Austria
Marathon T54
Franz Nietlispach
 Switzerland
Krige Schabort
 South Africa
Heinz Frei
 Switzerland

Women's event

Event Gold Silver Bronze
Marathon T54
Jean Driscoll
 United States
Kazu Hatanaka
 Japan
Wakako Tsuchida
 Japan

2004[]

At the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens, the number of events for men was reduced to five (one for totally blind athletes, one for visually impaired athletes, and three for wheelchair athletes), while a single wheelchair event was maintained for women.

Men's events

Event Gold Silver Bronze
Marathon T11
details
Yuichi Takahashi
 Japan
Carlos Ferreira
 Portugal
Andrea Cionna
 Italy
Marathon T13
details
Ildar Pomykalov
 Russia
Roy Daniell
 Australia
Linas Balsys
 Lithuania
Marathon T51
details
Alvise De Vidi
 Italy
Stefan Strobel
 Germany
Edgar Navarro
 Mexico
Marathon T52
details
Toshihiro Takada
 Japan
Thomas Geierspichler
 Austria
Clayton Gerein
 Canada
Marathon T54
details
Kurt Fearnley
 Australia
Kelly Smith
 Canada
Tomasz Hamerlak
 Poland

Women's event

Event Gold Silver Bronze
Marathon T54
details
Kazu Hatanaka
 Japan
Wakako Tsuchida
 Japan
Cheri Blauwet
 United States

2008[]

At the 2008 Games in Beijing, the number of events for men was again reduced, down to four (one for visually impaired athletes, one for upper limb amputees, two for wheelchair athletes), while a single women's wheelchair event was maintained.

Men's events

Event Gold Silver Bronze
Marathon T12
details
Qi Shun
 China
Elkin Serna
 Colombia
Ildar Pomykalov
 Russia
Marathon T46
details
Mario Santillan
 Mexico
Tito Sena
 Brazil
Walter Endrizzi
 Italy
Marathon T52
details
Thomas Geierspichler
 Austria
Hirokazu Ueyonabaru
 Japan
Toshihiro Takada
 Japan
Marathon T54
details
Kurt Fearnley
 Australia
Hiroki Sasahara
 Japan
Ernst van Dyk
 South Africa

Women's event

Event Gold Silver Bronze
Marathon T54
details
Edith Hunkeler
 Switzerland
Amanda McGrory
 United States
Sandra Graf
 Switzerland

2012[]

At the 2012 Games in London, the number of events for men was once more reduced, down to three (one for visually impaired athletes, one for upper limb amputees, one for wheelchair athletes), while a single women's wheelchair event was maintained.

Men's events

Event Gold Silver Bronze
Marathon T12
details
Alberto Suarez Laso
 Spain
Elkin Serna
 Colombia
Abderrahim Zhiou
 Tunisia
Marathon T46
details
Tito Sena
 Brazil
Abderrahman Khamouch
 Spain
Frederic Van den Heede
 Belgium
Marathon T54
details
David Weir
 Great Britain
Marcel Hug
 Switzerland
Kurt Fearnley
 Australia

Women's event

Event Gold Silver Bronze
Marathon T54
details
Shirley Reilly
 United States
Shelly Woods
 Great Britain
Sandra Graf
 Switzerland

2016[]

Medal table[]

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 United States (USA)981027
2 Canada (CAN)94619
3 Switzerland (SUI)55515
4 Germany (GER)53311
5 Japan (JPN)46313
6 Great Britain (GBR)46212
7 Australia (AUS)43310
8 Spain (ESP)3317
9 Italy (ITA)3137
10 France (FRA)2518
11 Denmark (DEN)2406
12 Mexico (MEX)2158
13 Poland (POL)2125
14 Russia (RUS)2013
15 Austria (AUT)1326
16 Brazil (BRA)1113
 Portugal (POR)1113
 Sweden (SWE)1113
19 Norway (NOR)1102
 Slovakia (SVK)1102
21 China (CHN)1001
22 Colombia (COL)0202
23 New Zealand (NZL)0134
24 Ireland (IRL)0123
 South Africa (RSA)0123
26 Czechoslovakia (TCH)0101
 Israel (ISR)0101
 Netherlands (NED)0101
29 Belgium (BEL)0011
 Finland (FIN)0011
 Lithuania (LTU)0011
 Tunisia (TUN)0011
Totals (32 nations)636661190

Notes[]

  1. ^ "Medallists by Event: Athletics: Men's Marathon", International Paralympic Committee
  2. ^ "Medallists by Event: Athletics: Women's Marathon", International Paralympic Committee
  3. ^ "A-Z of Paralympic classification", British Broadcasting Corporation
  4. ^ "Medallists by Event: Athletics: Men's Marathon", International Paralympic Committee
  5. ^ "Medallists by Event: Athletics: Women's Marathon", International Paralympic Committee
  6. ^ "Medallists by Event: Athletics: Men's Marathon", International Paralympic Committee
  7. ^ "Medallists by Event: Athletics: Women's Marathon", International Paralympic Committee
  8. ^ "Medallists by Event: Athletics: Men's Marathon", International Paralympic Committee
  9. ^ "Medallists by Event: Athletics: Women's Marathon", International Paralympic Committee
  10. ^ "New York / Stoke Mandeville 1984 Paralympic Games: Athletics: Men's Marathon 1A", International Paralympic Committee
  11. ^ "New York / Stoke Mandeville 1984 Paralympic Games: Athletics: Women's Marathon 5", International Paralympic Committee
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