UIPM brings global industry together for inaugural Obstacle Providers Forum

UIPM has taken an important step in shaping the future of obstacle sport with the successful staging of its first-ever Obstacle Providers Forum, held on 29-30 January at UIPM Headquarters in Monaco.

The pioneering forum marked the first time an event of this kind has been organised for the obstacle industry, bringing together equipment providers from four continents (America, Africa, Europe and Asia) for discussions, knowledge-sharing and strategic alignment.

The forum enabled providers to gain a deeper understanding of UIPM’s current activities and long-term vision for obstacle sport, while UIPM was able to learn more about the technical expertise, operational capacity and innovation potential within the industry.

A key focus of the discussions was UIPM’s approach to homologation and certification, with the federation outlining the foundations of a future system for obstacle equipment. This framework draws on the extensive experience UIPM has built over the past decade in the certification of laser pistols and targets, ensuring consistency, reliability and fairness across competition environments.

UIPM underlined that safety and credibility are central pillars of its strategy. Safety remains a fundamental commitment to athletes at all levels, while credibility is essential not only for the growth of obstacle sport but also for the wider industry, particularly in the context of UIPM’s Olympic recognition and responsibilities as a world governing body.

The forum also highlighted the importance of partnership beyond equipment supply alone. UIPM emphasised that obstacle providers play a vital role in shaping the sport’s infrastructure and future direction, and that close collaboration is essential to create shared standards, sustainable commercial opportunities and a lasting legacy for obstacle sport.

UIPM President Rob Stull OLY said: “Bringing the obstacle industry together for the first time was an important milestone for UIPM. Equipment is the infrastructure of our sport, and it is essential that providers understand our vision for the future while we understand their expertise and capabilities.

“By working together on safety, credibility and innovation, we can build strong partnerships that support athletes, events and the long-term legacy of obstacle sport.”

Participants’ reaction:

Giles Chater, COO of Spartan Race: “It's a pleasure to be in the room with so many talented and experienced people turning our minds collectively to what we can build for the athletes, for this sport and for the future.

“It's long been our vision that Obstacle Course Racing gets into the Olympics and even more importantly that it inspires generations to get off the couch and get active. So it's a privilege to still be at the forefront of those conversations.”

Shawn Shen, TourGo representative: “I spent 15 hours flying from China to be here and the meeting fully refreshed me! There was all of this knowledge and [people] I can learn from. I can see the bright future for Obstacle and UIPM. I really want to see our Obstacles appear in the Olympic Games. For us to be a part of that would make me super proud.”

Bertwin Brouwers, Technical Coordinator at Eccholine: “We have been building obstacle courses for some time, 10 to 15 years. For us it’s a daily business. But now, probably, this will make it explode! Young kids getting off the couch, as Giles was saying, is great.”

Ross Gregory Butler, Director at Obstacle Formula: “I thought it was a bit crazy to start with, getting everybody together in the same room! But I see how it's all going to work and how it's going to make the sport better.

“We're passionate about it, we love it. It’s a pleasure to be part of this team. The future's bright here in the obstacle world and for Pentathlon. It's going to be more appealing to the younger generation.”

Frans van Niekerk, South Africa Modern Pentathlon Association (SAMPA) President: “For us in South Africa it’s a privilege to be a part of this process and to see how it’s evolving and to see the safety part of Obstacle to be given such attention.

“That’s important for our athletes because they have an expectation that they get to a competition, get on a course and it’s fine and it works. But they don’t usually know what goes behind the scenes. So the process that UIPM is doing behind the scenes is very good – and needed. Success lies in UIPM and OCR working as a team.”