Para sport to have unprecedented prominence at Commonwealth Games in Glasgow

The full session schedule for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games has been announced, with para sports taking on a role of unprecedented prominence.

There will be more than 200 medals to be won across 10 sports and six para sports, with 3,000 athletes from 74 nations taking part.

The first medal of the event will be awarded in para powerlifting on July 24 next year, marking the first time in Commonwealth Games history that a para sport opens the medal tally.

The event will have the largest para sport medal tally of any Commonwealth Games so far.

Organisers say the first weekend of July 25 and 26 will be a “showstopper” with 30 sport sessions, including netball, boxing, weightlifting, swimming and para swimming.

Athletics will begin on July 27, including the return of the Commonwealth Mile for the first time since 1966. This is the equivalent of the 1,609-metre race.

Track cycling and para track cycling will take over the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome from July 30, featuring the elimination race for the first time in Games history.

The sporting extravaganza will close on August 2, with the final medal going to either judo, track cycling and para track cycling depending on the flow of competition.

The full schedule of events is expected to be confirmed later this year. Thursday’s announcement confirms the day of each session.

Olivia Breen, reigning Commonwealth T38 100 metre champion, said: “It is a huge moment for para sport, with the largest medal programme in Commonwealth history, with 47 medals available across six sports.

“I love the Commonwealth Games as it is the only competition where the able-bodied and para athletes are altogether and it’s always so supportive and such a positive vibe.”

Track cycling medalist Jack Carlin said: “There will be so much to see and do across the 10 days of competition and I have no doubt that the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome is going to be one of the places to be next summer – the programme is mega.

“Pulling on a Scotland jersey is always special and for the Scottish riders to get the chance to compete in a Scottish vest on a home track, in front of a home crowd, is extra special.

“It’s going to be brilliant.”

Glasgow was last year announced as the host of the Games after the Australian state of Victoria pulled out due to rising costs.

It will feature fewer sports than previous Games, though organisers say there will be expanded programmes for individual sports.The Games will run between July 23 and August 6, 2026.

Last week a unicorn called Finnie was announced as the event mascot, and it was unveiled on top of the Finnieston crane in central Glasgow.

Phil Batty, chief executive of the Games, said “Glasgow 2026 will be an incredible Games.

“Packed full of medal moments, a brilliant platform for para sport, and a thrilling programme of sport across 10 days.

“From the very first session to the last, Glasgow 2026 will deliver stand-out moments to packed venues, creating sporting memories for spectators across the Commonwealth.

“Today’s session schedule sets out the biggest para sport medal programme in Commonwealth Games history.

“It’s only fitting that the very first medal awarded will come from a para sport; a powerful statement of intent from the outset of the competition.

“Fans can expect unforgettable drama, fierce rivalries and the kind of sporting magic that only the Commonwealth Games can deliver.”