Develop the sport
Oversee the development of para triathlon within the triathlon community - growing participation at all levels, building a pathway to elite performance, evolving events and building the sport's profile.
The Sport · Programs
Para Triathlon
A continuous race over a 750 m swim, 20 km bike and 5 km run or racing wheelchair — Paralympic since Rio 2016.
One distance, many ways to race it
750m
Open-water swim
20km
Bike · handcycle · tandem
5km
Run · racing wheelchair
Raced over the sprint distance — by bicycle, handcycle or tandem on the bike, on foot or racing wheelchair on the run.
What is para triathlon?
Para triathlon is an exciting multi-discipline sport involving a continuous race over a 750 m swim, 20 km bike and 5 km run or racing wheelchair. It is triathlon for athletes with physical or visual impairments, raced over the sprint distance with adaptations to equipment and format according to the athlete's sport class.
Para triathlon made its Paralympic Games debut at Rio 2016 and features on the programme of the World Triathlon Para Series, Para Cups, Continental Championships and the World Triathlon Para Championships.
One Athlete, three Sports!
Para triathlon is accessible, equitable, viable, sustainable and well balanced in every way, incorporating in its sub-disciplines three of the most prolific and recognisable medal sports in the history of the Paralympic Games. Racing is a continuous sprint-distance event: 750 m swim, 20 km bike or handcycle, and a 5 km run or racing wheelchair.
Nine sport classes, six medal events
Para triathlon is raced across nine sport classes, grouped into three families: PTWC for wheelchair users, PTS2–PTS5 for standing athletes with physical impairments, and PTVI for athletes with visual impairments.
Classification ensures fair racing: athletes with comparable activity limitation race each other, with equipment adapted to each class.
The sport classes
PTWC1 and PTWC2: wheelchair users, who ride a recumbent handcycle on the bike course and a racing wheelchair on the run segment. The two classes compete in a single PTWC medal event, with a start-interval system compensating between them.
From Rio to the world stage
Since its Paralympic debut at Rio 2016, para triathlon has become one of the fastest-growing para sports in the world. The season runs through the World Triathlon Para Series, Para Cups and Continental Championships to the annual World Triathlon Para Championships — and, every four years, the Paralympic Games.
Our commitments to para triathlon
Uphold ethical principles
Uphold ethical principles and fair play at all times, including moving towards evidence-based assessment of classification.
Grow the Paralympic movement
Work with the International Paralympic Committee to foster the growth of para triathlon as an integral and contributing part of the Paralympic movement.
Where to watch
Stream every World Triathlon Para Series race live and on demand with TriathlonLIVE, and catch international television coverage produced with Infront across the world's biggest sports broadcasters.
Useful links
Frequently asked questions
Sprint distance — 750 m swim, 20 km bike, 5 km run (racing wheelchair for PTWC athletes).
Nine sport classes — PTWC1, PTWC2, PTS2, PTS3, PTS4, PTS5, PTVI1, PTVI2 and PTVI3 — competing in six medal events.
PTWC athletes use a recumbent handcycle on the bike segment and a racing wheelchair on the run.
No — PTVI athletes ride a tandem on the bike and race with a guide; one guide of the same nationality and gender is mandatory throughout the race.
At the Rio 2016 Summer Paralympics.
Get classified, get racing
Find a para triathlon start line near you and explore the documents that get you race-ready.