The short answer
Para athletics groups athletes by impairment so competition is fair. Sprint classes run from T11 to T13 (visual impairment) through T35 to T38 (coordination) to T61 to T64 (limb deficiency with prosthetics). In the 100m, marks range from the low 10-second range in less-impaired classes to the mid 11s in the most affected. A lower number usually means greater impairment.
Key takeaways
- T means track and jumps; F means field throws; the number is the classification
- T11 to T13 cover visual impairment; T11 is fully blind and runs with a guide
- T35 to T38 cover coordination impairments such as cerebral palsy, standing
- T61 to T64 cover limb deficiency, racing on prosthetic running blades
- Within a band, a lower number generally means a greater degree of impairment
How Para classification works
Para athletics records only make sense once you understand the classification system, because there is no single 100m world record. Instead there is a record for each class. Athletes are grouped by the type and degree of their impairment so that competition within a class is fair. A letter and a number identify each class: T for track events and jumps, F for field throwing events, followed by a number that signals the impairment type and severity.
The number is not random. Each range covers a family of impairments, and within most ranges a lower number means a greater degree of impairment. That is why a T35 sprinter and a T38 sprinter both have coordination impairments, but the T35 athlete is more affected and the records differ accordingly.
One sport, many records
The International Paralympic Committee maintains a world record for every class in every event, which is why Para athletics has dozens of 100m records rather than one.
Source: International Paralympic Committee, Para Athletics Records (paralympic.org)
The classification bands
Here is the map. These are the main sprint and jump (T) bands you will see in the 100m and 200m lists. The throwing (F) classes follow the same logic with an F prefix.
Para athletics T classification bands
What each range of class numbers represents.
| Class range | Impairment group | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| T11 to T13 | Visual impairment | T11 is fully blind and runs with a guide runner |
| T20 | Intellectual impairment | Single class |
| T32 to T34 | Coordination (seated) | Wheelchair racing, e.g. cerebral palsy |
| T35 to T38 | Coordination (standing) | Ambulant, e.g. cerebral palsy |
| T40 to T41 | Short stature | Two classes by severity |
| T42 to T47 | Limb deficiency / power | Ambulant; lower limb (42-44), upper limb (45-47) |
| T51 to T54 | Spinal / wheelchair | Wheelchair racing |
| T61 to T64 | Limb deficiency, prosthetic | Racing on running blades |
Two details trip people up. First, T11 athletes wear eyeshades and run tethered to a sighted guide, who is part of the event. Second, the T61 to T64 classes race on carbon-fiber blades; T61 and T62 are double-leg amputees, while T63 and T64 are single-leg, which is why their times differ even though both use prosthetics.
Men's 100m world records by class
Here is where the system becomes concrete. These are the men's 100m world records across the key sprint classes. Notice how the less-impaired classes cluster near elite able-bodied territory, while the more affected classes sit higher.
Men's 100m Para world records by classification
World records for key sprint classes.
| Class | Time | Athlete | Nation |
|---|---|---|---|
| T11 | 10.82 | Athanasios Ghavelas | Greece |
| T12 | 10.43 | Salum Ageze Kashafali | Norway |
| T13 | 10.37 | Salum Ageze Kashafali | Norway |
| T35 | 11.39 | Dmitrii Safronov | RPC |
| T36 | 11.72 | James Turner | Australia |
| T37 | 10.95 | Nick Mayhugh | USA |
| T38 | 10.64 | Jaydin Blackwell | USA |
| T44 | 11.00 | Mpumelelo Mhlongo | South Africa |
| T47 | 10.29 | Petrucio Ferreira dos Santos | Brazil |
| T62 | 10.54 | Johannes Floors | Germany |
| T63 | 11.95 | Vinicius Goncalves Rodrigues | Brazil |
| T64 | 10.61 | Richard Browne | USA |
The numbers tell a story. Petrucio Ferreira's T47 record of 10.29 is genuinely world-class by any standard, set by an athlete with an upper-limb deficiency that affects arm drive but not leg speed. Salum Kashafali's T13 mark of 10.37 is just as striking, run by a visually impaired sprinter. At the other end, the more affected coordination classes like T36 run in the mid 11s, reflecting how much the impairment shapes the event.
Read the class before the time
A 10.95 in the T37 class and a 10.95 in an able-bodied open race are not the same achievement. In Para athletics the class is half the result. Always read the number next to the time.
The blade classes and the technology debate
The T61 to T64 classes draw the most attention because of the running blades. These carbon-fiber prosthetics store and return energy, and the engineering has improved steadily. Johannes Floors's T62 100m record of 10.54, set on two blades, and Richard Browne's T64 mark of 10.61 on a single blade, are remarkable times that have fueled an ongoing debate about how to regulate prosthetic length and stiffness so the contest stays about the athlete, not the equipment.
World Para Athletics sets rules on maximum allowable standing height for blade athletes precisely to keep that line clear. It is the Para equivalent of the wind and altitude flags in able-bodied athletics: a framework to make sure records reflect the athlete's performance under controlled conditions.
Beyond the sprints
The same class system runs across every event. In the jumps, the T-classes carry over, so a T64 long jumper competes against others on comparable prosthetics. In the throws, the F-classes apply, including seated throwing classes (F51 to F57) where athletes throw from a fixed frame, and standing classes that mirror the T-numbers. A women's program runs in parallel; Lamiya Valiyeva of Azerbaijan, for example, holds the women's T13 100m record at 11.76.
If you are new to the sport, the single most useful habit is to stop comparing Para times to able-bodied times and start comparing within a class. The records here are the standard for their class, and they are every bit as hard-won. For the official, fully current list across all classes and events, the IPC records database is the primary source, last verified for this page in 2026.