New event added to 2014 IPC Athletics Marathon World Cup

“We look forward to welcoming back some of the world’s best para-athletes to the streets of London in 2014.”

IPC Athletics and the Virgin Money London Marathon have announced that the 2014 IPC Athletics Marathon World Cup on 13 April will feature up to 14 races, following the decision to stage a separate T51-T52 wheelchair race for the very first time.

In 2013, the first IPC Athletics Marathon World Cup in the British capital featured races for IPC Athletics classes T42-46 (leg and arm amputees) and T11-13 (visual impairments),as well as the annual T53-T54 wheelchair race.

The inclusion of the T51-T52 wheelchair class now means there could be up to 14 IPC Athletics Marathon World Cup races in London next year – evenly split between men and women – in the following classes: T11-T12, T13, T42-T44, T43, T45-46, T51-52 and the T53-54 class.

Ed Warner, Sport Technical Committee Chairperson for IPC Athletics said: “We are grateful to the support and co-operation of the Virgin Money London Marathon organisers. The inclusion of more races for more classes is helping the sport to fulfil its strategy of creating more high level competition opportunities for elite athletes.”

Hugh Brasher, race director for the Virgin Money London Marathon said: “Last year’s first IPC Athletics Marathon World Cup was warmly received by all involved and featured a world record from El Amin Chentouf in the T11-13 category with a time of 2.24.00.

“We look forward to welcoming back some of the world’s best para-athletes to the streets of London in 2014.”

In August, IPC Athletics and The London Marathon Ltd announced that the IPC Athletics World Cup will continue to take place in London until at least 2017.

Last year more than 70 athletes, covering a range of impairment groups took part in the first IPC Athletics Marathon World Cup.

For further information, please visit the event page.