Wheelchair Division

Wheelchair Division

 

WHEELCHAIR DIVISION

The Wheelchair Division is a competitive division for athletes who use racing wheelchairs in track and road racing events and hold a national or World Para Athletics classification.

ELIGIBILITY

  • The athlete must hold a national or WPA classification T51 – T54, T33 or T34 at time of registration with a New (N), Review (R), or Confirmed (C) status. Impairment documentation may be accepted for non-elite athletes in lieu of classification at the B.A.A.’s discretion.

CLASSIFICATION PROFILE

CLASS DESCRIPTION
T54 Normal arm muscle power with a range of trunk muscle power extending from partial trunk control to normal trunk control.
T53 Normal arm muscle power with no abdominal and no lower spinal muscle activity.
T52 Use shoulder, elbow, and wrist for propulsion. Poor to normal muscle power of the finger flexors and extensors. Usually has no muscle power in the trunk.
T51 Use elbow flexors and wrist dorsiflexes for propulsion. Decrease in shoulder power. Usually has no muscle power in the trunk.
T34 Diplegia caused by hypertonia, athetosis, or ataxia. Normal functional strength of upper limbs and minimal trunk limitation.
T33 Quadriplegia, triplegia, or hemiplegia caused by hypertonia, athetosis, or ataxia. Limitation of upper limb(s) and trunk control.

QUALIFYING STANDARDS

  • Wheelchair athletes must achieve or better their respective qualifying time by age, gender, and classification on a certified marathon course during the qualifying window.
  • The qualifying window for the 2023 Boston Marathon opened September 1, 2021.
  • Athletes have until the day they register to achieve their qualifying time.
Sport Class Age Men Women
T53 / T54 / T34 18-39 2:00:00 2:25:00
  40-49 2:15:00 2:40:00
  50 and over 2:30:00 2:55:00
T51 / T52 / T33 18-39 2:45:00 3:10:00
  40-49 3:00:00 3:25:00
  50 and over 3:15:00 3:40:00

HIGH-PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

Wheelchair athletes who hold a current national or WPA classification and who have achieved the following high-performance standard during the current qualifying window may be considered for a complimentary entry.

  • Men: Sub 1 hour 31 minutes (1:31:00)
  • Women: Sub 1 hour 52 minutes (1:52:00)

RULES OF COMPETITION

  • The Wheelchair Division of the Boston Marathon follows World Para Athletics Rules and Regulations.
  • Athletes must compete in racing wheelchairs that meet the wheelchair requirements specified by World Para Athletics.

FIELD SIZE

  • The maximum field size of the Wheelchair Division of the 2023 Boston Marathon is 45.

SCORING

  • Wheelchair competitors are scored against one another by gender and results will be listed in order of finish.
  • Wheelchair athletes are not scored against runners.

AWARDS & PRIZE MONEY

  • Only wheelchair athletes who hold a national or WPA classification are eligible for prize money. 
  • The overall top 3 men and women in the Wheelchair Division will receive awards.
  • Visit Prize Money to view the Wheelchair Division prize purse of the Boston Marathon.