First meeting of Obstacle Task Force (OTF) brings communities closer to integration

• Group agrees on three guiding principles for historic project
• Action Plan to follow in July in pursuit of unified governance model
• President Stull commends ‘energising’ online gathering

Following the announcement of the UIPM Obstacle Task Force on June 2, UIPM President Rob Stull chaired the group’s inaugural online meeting on June 18 – a key milestone in the advancement of Obstacle sport integration within UIPM’s global governance framework.

Obstacle is now fully embedded in Modern Pentathlon and the discipline will have its first standalone World Championships in Beijing in October 2025 – with registration now open for both international and Chinese athletes.

The Task Force brings together representatives from both the Pentathlon and Obstacle communities, with a clear mission: to facilitate the structured integration of Pentathlon National Federations with the wider Obstacle ecosystem. This includes National Federations, associations, clubs and other national-level entities, reflecting a shared commitment to the growth and development of both merging movements.

The meeting emphasised three guiding principles that will underpin the Task Force’s work: cooperation, consultation and communication. A strong focus was placed on ensuring open, transparent and consistent messaging from both the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) and the Fédération Internationale de Sports d’Obstacles (FISO) to keep all stakeholders fully informed and engaged throughout the process.

The Task Force will publish an Action Plan in July, outlining the roadmap, timelines and key priorities for the next phases of the process. In parallel, UIPM – as the sole International Federation within the Olympic Movement governing both Modern Pentathlon and Obstacle sports – will continue developing a unified governance model, reaffirming its leadership in guiding the structured integration of the two communities.

UIPM President Rob Stull said: “The first meeting of the Obstacle Task Force was highly successful. We enjoyed discussing full integration challenges and best practices for Pentathlon and Obstacle disciplines such as Ninja and OCR across a global landscape in a collegial and highly competent environment.

“I think the meeting energised the ongoing process and will ensure success.”

FISO / World Obstacle President Ian Adamson added: “Many Federations and Associations have had success with their integrations to date. We will continue focusing on these successes and use those examples to continue moving forward to complete the integration process.”