Laser Run becomes Pentathlon GB's newest event

Pentathlon GB are delighted to officially announce Laser Run as the latest addition to our portfolio of sports with a series of brand new events planned for the coming year.  

Laser Run is the exhilarating finale to the Olympic sport of Modern Pentathlon with athletes required to alternate between shooting a laser pistol and running in a fast-paced and action-packed race to the finish line.   

At London 2012, British athlete Samantha Murray famously moved up from 4^th place to a brilliant silver medal in front of her home crowd following a brilliant running and shooting performance.

Laser Run is open to anyone aged 9-90 and follows the same format as when part of a Modern Pentathlon. Although a mass start rather than a handicap one will begin each race, the winner is still the first person to cross the line.

To be as welcoming and accessible as possible, the race lengths vary depending on age. Adults between 19 and 40 are required to shoot at their target from 10 metres in between each of 4 x 800m runs – just like at the Olympics – with younger and masters athletes competing over shorter shooting and running distances. Details of each class and their race length can be seen below.  

Confident runners and those keen on split-times will be interested to know the current World Record is 9:56:02. However, Laser Run is all about having fun and getting involved with a new sport. It’s something that all of the family can get involved with and ideal for beginners including those who have never tried shooting or multi-event sports.   

Sue Hyde, Pentathlon GB’s Competitions and Events Manager commented, “With 2 of the 5 disciplines, Laser Run is a great entry-point to the world of Modern Pentathlon but it’s also a unique sporting challenge in its own right. Anyone can have a go and runners with some hand-eye co-ordination can expect to do well. Whilst we’re hoping to see some fast times in this inaugural season, the main goal is to encourage people to get involved and introduce them all to Modern Pentathlon. Each of the events will be run very safely and have equipment to borrow for anyone who doesn’t have their own laser pistol. Some of our events will offer basic tuition so newcomers are very welcome to come and take part”.

The 2017 Laser Run season gets underway on the 3^rd and 4^th June with the 1^st UIPM Laser Run City Tour event in this country taking place at the Pentathlon GB National Training Centre at the University of Bath. A special occasion, the event will take place alongside the 2017 British Open Modern Pentathlon Championships, using the same world-class facilities. It gives all participants and supporters the chance to see GB’s ‘ultimate athletes’ competing in a Laser Run, including all Rio 2016 Olympians Kate French, Samantha Murray, Jamie Cooke and Joe Choong. The quartet have 1 Olympic Medal, 1 World Championship title and 6 World Cup victories between them and are among the world’s leading modern pentathletes.

To make Laser Run available right across the country, the 2^nd and 3^rd UIPM Laser Run City Tour events for 2017 will be held at Pentathlon GB Academies, Whitgift School, London on June 18^th and Bishop Burton College near York on July 2^nd. Equipment and support will be provided at all three events with coaching available at Bath and York for those who require it, including the option to complete the necessary shooting certificate before competing. Whilst the option to pass a certificate won’t be available at Whitgift, there will be another laser-run competition at the school on April 30^th which beginners can sign up to and pass their shooting certificate ahead of the City Tour event. The Pentathlon GB Academy also hold community sessions, providing another opportunity for participants to pass their shooting certificate.

With the Laser Run City Tour events complete, attention will quickly turn to the 1^st British Laser Run Championships at Yate Outdoor Sports Complex near Bristol on the 5^th and 6^th August. After numerous taster sessions, training events and the 3 City Tour competitions, the first Laser Run season in Britain will culminate with the best performers competing to become the inaugural British Laser Run Champions and earn the chance to represent Great Britain at the 2017 UIPM Laser Run World Championships in Cape Town, South Africa later in the year.

Danielle Every, Pentathlon GB CEO explained, ‘The run-shoot finale of the Modern Pentathlon never fails to capture the nation’s attention every four years at the Olympics; it is a tense, unique and compelling test of physical and mental strength. We are really excited to introduce Laser Run into our already busy portfolio of multi-sport events in 2017 and we hope to attract new athletes to the sport of all ages and abilities. Not only is the Pentathlon GB National Training Centre here at The University of Bath the right place to hold the first official Laser Run but to do so during the 2017 British Open Modern Pentathlon Championships is a great opportunity to launch it and showcase our elite pentathletes who are inspiring and some of the best in the world.  We’re looking forward to welcoming anyone interested in having a go whether established in the pentathlon family or a newcomer and to discovering the next generation of ultimate athletes for the exciting sport of modern pentathlon and its various formats.

Entry forms and further event details for all three UIPM Laser Run City Tour events can be found on the Pentathlon GB website Laser Run calendar.

Kit Required

• Comfortable running attire and trainers
• Pistols are available and can be borrowed on the day

Laser Run explained

1. Athletes start together with a short run into the shooting range and their allocated shooting bay.
2. Using a laser pistol, athletes shoot at their designated target as many times at it takes to register 5 successful hits. Each successful hit is represented by a green light.
3. After 5 successful hits or 50 seconds (whichever comes first), runners can leave the range and begin their first run before returning to the same range, bay and pistol for their next shoot.
4. After their final shoot, competitors complete their last running loop before crossing the finish line.

Laser Run - 2017 Event Dates

UIPM Laser Run City Tour #1 - Bath, 3 & 4 June

UIPM Laser Run City Tour #2 - London, 18th June

UIPM Laser Run City Tour #3 - York, 2nd July

British Laser Run Championships - Bristol, 5 & 6 August

World Laser Run Championships - Cape Town SA, 5 - 7 October

Laser Run – class and race length

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