IPC Athletics increases the number of marathon opportunities

“The IPC Athletics Marathon World Cup has been a huge success in London since it was introduced in 2013 and we are confident that these regional events in Rio and Sao Paulo will have a similar impact."

IPC Athletics, in conjunction with the Brazilian Paralympic Committee, has agreed with the Rio Half Marathon and Sao Paulo Marathon to host IPC Athletics Marathon Americas Cup events for the next four years, starting this August.

The announcement comes just a few weeks after London, Great Britain, staged the second annual IPC Marathon World Cup and is all part of a strategy by the international federation of para-athletics to increase the number of high quality distance events around the world for athletes with different impairments.

Ryan Montgomery, Head of IPC Athletics, said: “This four year agreement which goes through to 2017 is part of our overall strategy to increase the number of top class events around the world, not just on the track but also on the road.

“The IPC Athletics Marathon World Cup has been a huge success in London since it was introduced in 2013 and we are confident that these regional events in Rio and Sao Paulo will have a similar impact.

“I would like to thank the Brazilian Paralympic Committee for their support in helping to secure this agreement and believe that both events will help raise awareness of para-athletics ahead of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.”

Andrew Parsons, IPC Vice President and President of the Brazilian Paralympic Committee, said: “It’s an honour and a pleasure to have two big events promoted by IPC Athletics here in Brazil.

“We traditionally participate in marathons with some of our best athletes around the globe and now we give top class athletes from the whole Americas region the opportunity to compete against some of the best in the world close to their homeland.

“It helps us to build the momentum for the Rio Games in two years in time. Both events, either in Rio and Sao Paulo, are going to be remarkable for the Paralympic Movement in our continent.”

This year Rio’s half marathon will be held on 31 August and Sao Paulo’s marathon on 19 October. Both events are shown live on Globo, Brazil’s biggest TV channel.

Qualification criteria and event details will be communicated shortly via the IPC Athletics homepage and the event will be open to athletes with a visual impairment (T11-T13), leg and arm amputees (T42-46) and wheelchair athletes (T51-54).