Marathons at the Paralympics

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[]

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	United States (USA)	9	8	10	27
2	Canada (CAN)	9	4	6	19
3	Switzerland (SUI)	5	5	5	15
4	Germany (GER)	5	3	3	11
5	Japan (JPN)	4	6	3	13
6	Great Britain (GBR)	4	6	2	12
7	Australia (AUS)	4	3	3	10
8	Spain (ESP)	3	3	1	7
9	Italy (ITA)	3	1	3	7
10	France (FRA)	2	5	1	8
11	Denmark (DEN)	2	4	0	6
12	Mexico (MEX)	2	1	5	8
13	Poland (POL)	2	1	2	5
14	Russia (RUS)	2	0	1	3
15	Austria (AUT)	1	3	2	6
16	Brazil (BRA)	1	1	1	3
	Portugal (POR)	1	1	1	3
	Sweden (SWE)	1	1	1	3
19	Norway (NOR)	1	1	0	2
	Slovakia (SVK)	1	1	0	2
21	China (CHN)	1	0	0	1
22	Colombia (COL)	0	2	0	2
23	New Zealand (NZL)	0	1	3	4
24	Ireland (IRL)	0	1	2	3
	South Africa (RSA)	0	1	2	3
26	Czechoslovakia (TCH)	0	1	0	1
	Israel (ISR)	0	1	0	1
	Netherlands (NED)	0	1	0	1
29	Belgium (BEL)	0	0	1	1
	Finland (FIN)	0	0	1	1
	Lithuania (LTU)	0	0	1	1
	Tunisia (TUN)	0	0	1	1
Totals (32 nations)		63	66	61	190

Notes[]