Frame running, previously known as RaceRunning, is an adaptive athletic discipline, primarily for people with severe coordination and balance impairments such as
cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Signs and symptoms vary among people and over time, but include poor coordination, stiff muscles, weak muscles, and tremors. There may be problems with sens ...
. Athletes use a three-wheeled running frame, with a saddle, body support and most notably, no pedals. Athletes run over distances similar to other track and road running disciplines; 100, 200, 400, 800 meters as well as 5 kilometers, 10 kilometers, half and full marathons. Like running more generally, frame running can be competitive, recreational, or for health and fitness.
Frame running was created in Denmark in 1991 by Paralympian
Connie Hansen
Connie Hansen (born 29 May 1964) is a noted Danish Paralympian. She competed in athletics at the Summer Paralympics
The Summer Paralympics also known as the Games of the Paralympiad, are an international multi-sport event where athletes wit ...
and Mansoor Siddiqi, a former
CP2L backwards wheelchair foot pushing athlete and currently the international frame running coordinator. It has since been developed in partnership with the
Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association
The Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association ( CPISRA) is an international sports and recreation association for cerebral palsy and related neurological conditions. CPISRA organise recreational opportunities, develop adaptiv ...
.
In 1997, the first frame running development camp and cup was held in Copenhagen, Denmark. This became an annual event. The 25th edition of the Camp and Cup was held in 2022, with athletes from 14 countries represented.
Frame running has been contested at the
CPISRA World Games
The Cerebral Palsy Games (or CP Games) are a multi-sport competition for athletes with a disability, which under the former name of the International Stoke Mandeville Games were the forerunner of the Paralympic Games. The competition has been f ...
since 2005 , and at the
IWAS World Games
The International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports (IWAS) World Games (or IWAS World Games) are a multi-sport competition for athletes with a disability, which were the forerunner of the Paralympic Games. The competition has been formerly known as t ...
since 2011.
In 2017, frame running was announced as a
World Para Athletics
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC; german: Internationales Paralympisches Komitee) is an international non-profit organisation and the global governing body for the Paralympic Movement. The IPC organizes the Paralympic Games and fun ...
track discipline, alongside ambulant running and wheelchair racing. 100m frame running events were contested at the
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...
and
2021 World Para Athletics European Championships
The 2021 World Para Athletics European Championships was a track and field competition for athletes with a disability open to International Paralympic Committee (IPC) affiliated countries within Europe and a refugee team with one athlete. This was ...
, and at the
2019 World Para Athletics Championships
The 2019 World Para Athletics Championships was a Paralympic track and field event organised by the World Para Athletics subcommittee of the International Paralympic Committee. It was held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates from 7 to 15 November 20 ...
. Frame running was unsuccessfully proposed for inclusion in the
2024 Summer Paralympics. It was, however, included in the program for the
2023 World Para Athletics Championships.
Frame Running clubs exist in countries around the world including the United States, Australia, Portugal, Denmark, Netherlands, the UK, Poland, Lithuania, and others.
References
{{Athletics events
Para-athletics
Events in track and field