The 2026 Hartford Nationals, conducted by Move United, concluded after a six-day run July 10-16 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, featuring an all-time high of 428 athletes from 38 states competing in eight sports, including archery, boccia, para powerlifting, paratriathlon and aquathlon, shooting, swimming, track and field, and wheelchair and para standing tennis.
The event was hosted by the West Michigan Sports Commission with support from Move United member organization Mary Free Bed Wheelchair and Adaptive Sports. Seven local venues hosted competition events, which generates an estimated economic impact of more than $2 million in direct visitor spending in the West Michigan community.
Athletes wishing to compete at The Hartford Nationals 2027 must qualify through one of more than 35 sanctioned competitions that take place across the country throughout the Move United member network, a national governing body, or High School Athletic Association sanctioned event.
This year’s event location was originally going to be the final year of a two-year bidding cycle, but Move United announced The Hartford Nationals will return to Grand Rapids next year, scheduled for July 9-15, 2027, which will mark its 70th anniversary. The Hartford Nationals is the largest and longest-running national sport championship event for athletes with a physical disability, visual impairment, and/or intellectual disability.
