UIPM launches ‘Embrace The Great Wall’ campaign as Beijing 2025 registration opens

• World titles and $80k prize fund on offer to winners in Chinese capital
• President Stull hails ‘major step forward for athletes’
• UIPM Obstacle World Championships (OCR) now open for registration

Athletes from across the global Pentathlon and Obstacle communities have been challenged to “Embrace The Great Wall” and confirm their status as OCR legends.

After China’s capital city of Beijing signed a four-year hosting agreement in April, the UIPM 2025 Obstacle World Championships (OCR) has now opened for registration – with a prize pot exceeding $50,000 in cash and $30,000 in VIK (value in kind). Each of the elite race winners will take home $5,000 as well as the prestigious world title.

An established world governing body and competition organiser, UIPM has been staging World Championships for pentathletes since 1949, now complemented by an annual series of Pentathlon World Cups and World Cup Final.

Beijing 2025 will be UIPM’s first standalone Obstacle competition since becoming the only recognised International Federation overseeing Obstacle sports such as OCR and Ninja. In October, hundreds of athletes will gather to compete across 100m, 400m and 3km distances at a complex originally built for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

International promotion for the Championships is centred around the ‘Embrace The Great Wall’ slogan, reflecting one of the defining symbols of Obstacle racing – the finishing wall – and the connection to China’s unique heritage.

A four-year hosting agreement promises to elevate the visibility and impact of Obstacle sports worldwide.

UIPM President Rob Stull OLY said: “The launch of this World Championships is a major step forward for UIPM and for athletes worldwide. It reflects our commitment to growing competitive opportunities, especially in a fast-moving and accessible sport like Obstacle.

“The Pentathlon, OCR and Ninja communities are becoming more and more integrated, and I know there is going to be a lot of excitement about what’s coming up in October.

“Beijing is an outstanding host city, and this event will help raise the bar for athlete experience, performance standards and global visibility. We’re building a stronger future for our sport — one that puts athletes first and engages new generations of sport fans around the world.”

Chinese Modern Pentathlon Association (CMPA) President Bin Zhang added: “Beijing 2025 will be a milestone not only for Obstacle racing but also for Modern Pentathlon as an Olympic sport.

“China has a strong culture of overcoming challenges and pushing personal limits, with a passionate community of athletes and fans who are deeply engaged in Obstacle racing.

“By staging this event in the capital city that hosted both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games, in a country of 1.4 billion people, and in one of the most iconic Olympic venues, we are creating the perfect environment to showcase athletic excellence and dynamism.

“The broadcast and commercial potential of this new competition is very exciting, and we are confident it will open new doors for the development of our sport and for our athletes.”

More information on the venue, schedule and athlete registration for Beijing 2025 can be found at this page.