An urban movement discipline turned competitive sport in which athletes run, jump, and vault through challenge obstacle courses.
Origin and rules
Parkour was systematised in 1990s France by David Belle, drawing on Georges Hebert’s natural method of physical education. The FIG officially recognised parkour as a sport in 2018, sparking debate within the global community over its codification.
How it plays
Two events are contested. Speed runs are timed dashes through a course of walls, rails, and platforms with the fastest line winning. Freestyle awards points for technical difficulty, execution, originality, and flow over a short timed run on a built obstacle structure.
Competition
The FIG Parkour World Cup and Parkour World Championships are the elite events. The Red Bull Art of Motion and the World Freerunning and Parkour Federation circuit run parallel scenes. France, Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan are leading nations. Parkour is not yet on the Olympic programme.
Find more sports by letter
Parkour starts with P and ends with R. Browse other sports along the same letter.
Sports that contain a letter from "Parkour":