Athletics

Athletics is the rock on which organised sport for blind and vision-impaired people was built in Ireland in the late 1970s.To view the Vision Sports Ireland video on running Click Here For The Short Run.

Track and Field

Most track and field disciplines work for blind and vision-impaired people from 100m to Marathon as well as long jump, triple jump, high jump, shot putt, discus and javelin. Excluded disciplines include hurdles, steeplechase, hammer and pole vault.

Paralympics

International Paralympic (IPC) Rules apply which facilitate adaptions including guide runner/walker partnerships for lower vision athletes.Blind and vision-impaired athletes have a proud history in Paralympic competition to date winning 8 gold medals: Carol Carr, 400m, New York 1984; Bridie Lynch, discus, Atlanta 1996; Jason Smyth, 100m and 200m, Beijing 2008; Jason Smyth, 100m and 200m, London 2012 and Jason Smyth, 100m, Rio 2016.

Athletics for All

Vision Sports supports blind and vision-impaired people at all levels of ability and fitness to pursue athletics by linking in with Athletics Ireland clubs, with Parkrun Ireland and triathlon Ireland.Athletics is a core sport in all our multi-sport programmes including MayFest, Children's Inclusion Games as well as the new COVID-19 Return to Sport programme "Vision Sports Fest".