Adaptive Athletes
Paratriathlon is an exciting, inclusive endurance sport that combines swimming, cycling, and running into one continuous race.
In the sport of Paratriathlon, events are sprint distance and are often conducted alongside traditional triathlon races with courses adapted to support athletes using assistive equipment. Athletes can advance from local racing opportunities to national championships, and ultimately to World Cup and World Championship events by earning ranking points within their sport classification. Whether your goal is participation, competition, or pursuing elite performance, there is a place in paratriathlon for you.
Learn more about getting started in Paratriathlon here!
The standard Paralympic event is the sprint distance: a 750m swim, 20 km bike and 5 km run. Age group events may offer distances ranging from super sprint to long course.
While the goal of adaptive multisport - complete the distance - is the same, there are rules modifications that allow adaptive athletes to best navigate the course and transition. USA Triathlon recently put together a webinar that details the adaptive divisions and key rules differences.
There are two divisions for adaptive athletes to compete in: paratriathlon and adaptive multisport. We acknowledge and honor that paratriathlon is a form of adaptive multisport, and that many adaptive athletes consider themselves paratriathletes and vice versa. This section and these categories will be separated based on the classification system that governs competition in these two categories.
Paratriathlon
ClassificationParatriathlon is governed by USA Paratriathlon rules and classifies athletes using World Triathlon's medical classification system. Elite and international races fall under Paratriathlon.
Adaptive Multisport
Adaptive DivisionsAdaptive multisport is more general and does not require going through the strict classification process. Rules surrounding competition divisions, equipment and assistance are more relaxed in adaptive multisport.
- Swim goggles
- Bike helmet
- Running shoes
- Race belt
- Bicycle
- Swim tether
- Tandem bike
- Run tether
- Guide (outdoor competitions)
- Bike trainer and treadmill (indoor training)
- Lava pants/wetsuit pants for swim
- Handcycle
- Racing Wheelchair
- Prosthetic
- Prosthetic specific for cycling and running
- Leg braces
Wheelchair Athlete-Specific
Visually Impaired Athlete-Specific
Note: most of USA Triathlon’s adaptive resources are designed for paratriathlon and athletes with visual or mobile impairments. PC Open and Challenged Teams are valued members of the multisport community, and we will work to build resources dedicated to these groups in the future.
Chase your Paralympic dreams! USA Triathlon's high performance team is here to support your elite paratriathlon career. With development camps, racing opportunities and structured teams, there are resources available to you as you begin racing on the world's biggest stage.