Modern pentathlon at home
A pool, a club for fencing and laser shooting, and a coach; at home, running, jumping, throwing and target games.
What should we practise today?
Tell us where you are and who is playing. You get one card and the reason.
New to modern pentathlon? The game in a minute
Read this once before the first card.- The sport in short
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One athlete takes on five sports in a single day: fencing with the épée, a 200 m freestyle swim, an obstacle course, and the laser-run, which mixes running with shooting a laser pistol at targets. The obstacle course has recently replaced horse riding.
- How a competition is won
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Each event earns points. The laser-run comes last, and the athletes start it one after another according to their points so far, the leader first. The first athlete across the finish line wins.
- How the laser-run works
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Athletes run a short loop, stop at the shooting range, hit five targets with a laser pistol (taking as many shots as they need, within a time limit), then run again. Calm breathing after running is what makes the shooting work.
- Rules children break first
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- Laser pistols are handled only at a club, with a coach.
- The fencing safety rules always apply: masks on before any blade is pointed.
- Swim only where there is a lifeguard.
- Settle the breathing before aiming.
- At home you play the base sports
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Running, jumping, throwing and balance circuits, and target games with bean bags after a short jog. Fencing, swimming and laser shooting each have their own home cards in their own sports.
Words you will hear (17, in plain language)
- Épée
- The fencing weapon used in pentathlon; a touch with the tip anywhere on the body scores.
- Freestyle
- The swimming race where any stroke may be used; almost everyone swims front crawl.
- Obstacle course
- A short course of walls, rings, bars and other obstacles, raced against the clock.
- Laser pistol
- A pistol that fires a beam of light, not a bullet; the laser-run combines running and shooting at targets.
- Shooting range
- The area where athletes stand to shoot at the targets.
- Target
- The round mark that lights up when it is hit.
- Sight picture
- Lining up the pistol's sights with the target.
- Trigger squeeze
- Pressing the trigger smoothly and slowly instead of pulling it.
- Follow-through
- Staying still for a moment after the shot.
- Handicap start
- In the laser-run, the leader starts first and the others start later by their points gap.
- Belly breathing
- Slow breaths that move the belly, not the chest, to calm down.
- Circuit
- A set of stations done one after another.
- Hip to lip
- The sprint arm action: hands swing from the hip up to the lips.
- Standing long jump
- A jump forward from standing with both feet: crouch, swing, drive.
- Underarm throw
- A throw with the arm swinging low to high, stepping with the opposite foot.
- Growth spurt
- The years when a child grows fast, when training load is watched carefully.
- Taper
- Cutting training before a big event so the athlete is at their best on the day.
Try it, nothing to buy
Mark the space once. Every card starts from it.- Base setup Mark your space Lane, terrace, park (running, agility), supervised pool, club. What fits, kit and safety
- b1 · Basic Run, jump, throw and swim games Game: Little pentathlon 20 min · 1 to 4 players · yard or lane, park
- b2 · Basic Target games for the laser-run Game: Run, breathe, throw 10 min · 1 to 3 players · yard or lane, park
The cards, level by level
Nobody is late. A beginner of any age starts at Basic.Ticks and stars are saved in this browser only. Clearing the browser's data, or another browser, starts from zero. Carry them into the app
Basic 3 cards · show· hide Multi-activity play (run, jump, throw, swim games, target games), the ABCs (agility, balance, coordination, speed) with speed work kept under 5 seconds, and a first try at laser targets. About 30 minutes of active play a day suits ages 6 to 9.
- b1✓ Run, jump, throw and swim games At home
- b2✓ Target games for the laser-run At home
- b3✓ Swimming and fencing basics, with a coach At a club
Move on when the child enjoys all the parts and swims and runs comfortably.
Intermediate 2 cards · show· hide The growth-spurt years: aerobic work becomes a priority after peak height velocity, flexibility is emphasised during rapid growth, the week fills up with swimming, running and laser-run, shooting and fencing sessions, and one or two other sports are kept going; the coach sets the load.
Move on when the coach confirms the athlete can handle the load.
Advanced 1 cards · show· hide Strength and power, personal strategy, peaking and tapering, simulated competitions, the support network, and recovery monitoring. Training reaches most days of the week for most of the year at this level.
Teaching this at home
Contact, falls, weapons or heights. At home only games and knowledge; the skill is taught at a club.
You do not need to know the sport. Each card tells you where to stand, what to say and what to look at. Pick one thing to say in a session and say only that. The first week looks messy; that is normal. End every session on one that works.
Cards marked At a club are taught by a coach. They tell you what the coach teaches, what is safe at home, and what to ask the club before your child joins.
How to warm up before playing is at workonfitness.com. The rules of the game are at sportsmaze.com.