The UIPM saga with OCR rolls on

Here you will find all the updates as we receive them 

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The Story So far

2024 UIPM vote at their national meeting to take over the world of OCR and become the self appointed governing body for Obstacle course racing

Press release from UIPM on 11/04/2025

Statement from British Obstacle Sports on 14/04/25 

*Statement on the UIPM Obstacle World Championship Announcement* British Obstacle Sports remains a national federation under the international governance of World Obstacle. We will continue to operate as the national governing body for ninja and OCR in the UK and will support the selection process for athletes seeking to compete at international events sanctioned by World Obstacle, including the OCR European Championships (Portugal), OCR 400m European Championships (Ireland), and the OCR World Championships (Sweden).

We are very disappointed by the announcement that the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) will host an Obstacle World Championship in China for the next four years. This follows the unilateral move in November 2024 to include the governance of standalone obstacle disciplines within their statutes.

We will be seeking clarity from World Obstacle regarding its position on this event.

It is worth noting that it is not uncommon for multiple international federations to claim governance over the same sport. In parkour, for instance, three organisations—International Gymnastics Federation (FIG), International Parkour Federation (IPF), and Parkour Earth—assert international authority. While this situation is far from ideal, British Obstacle Sports will continue to work closely with World Obstacle to help resolve the current uncertainty.

Our mission is to ensure that everyone in the UK can enjoy the endless possibilities of obstacle sports. We remain committed to this mission—whether it’s a ninja furthest-fastest competition, a 24-hour World's Toughest Mudder, or everything in between.

As a volunteer-led organisation with hundreds of years of collective experience in the sport, we strongly believe in our ability to support and grow obstacle sports in the UK. Your continued support as members is crucial as we await a decision from the UK Sports Councils on our recognition application.

We are here to support any questions that you may have. You can also share your feedback through one of the following mechanisms:

General questions/feedback: membership@britishobstacle.org

National team questions/feedback: nationalteam@britishobstacle.org

We Are Listening feedback: Give your feedback here

Updated with news from latest UIPM taskforce meeting on 24/06/25

• 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.”

Updated 04/10/2025

🗞️ UIPM Announcement Raises Questions – UKOCR Seeks Clarification

Well, UIPM have done it again — and this time, their latest announcement has raised serious concerns across the OCR community. 

In a recent statement, ( click here to Read ) UIPM claimed that at the September 12 Congress in Sweden, the Federation of International Obstacle Sports (FISO) voted strongly in favour of full integration into the UIPM structure. According to UIPM, this would lead to FISO’s dissolution and formal unification under UIPM governance — described as a “historic step forward.”

However, based on our understanding and communications with those present and the article on FISO website ( See Here ), Section 2 of the announcement was not agreed upon. Instead, it was agreed that discussions would continue. This discrepancy is deeply concerning and requires clarification.

Additionally, Section 3 of the statement refers to the inaugural UIPM Obstacle World Championships in Beijing (October 21–26) as the start of a unified future. While this may sound promising, it’s troubling to see such a declaration when several other championship events remain outstanding, including those under FISO’s calendar. The suggestion that this event will “declutter” the landscape feels premature and dismissive of existing commitments.

In response, UKOCR has formally reached out to both FISO and UIPM, requesting clear statements and clarification. We’ve also contacted all national federations affiliated with FISO to understand their position and ensure transparency for athletes, organisers, and the wider community.

We remain committed to supporting the growth of OCR — but that growth must be built on clarity, collaboration, and respect for the athletes and organisations who have shaped the sport.

Stay tuned for updates as we receive responses.

Official Minutes from the 11th FISO congress on 12th September 2025 Below

First up lets go with British obstacle sports official explanation to its members

Congress voted in favour of pursuing integration with World Pentathlon (UIPM). However, this was conditional on establishing an integration model that safeguards the independence and autonomy of OCR and ninja within UIPM.

The full voting text is included in the published Congress minutes (attached). To quote two key points:

“This vote will not confirm the full integration of World Obstacle into UIPM, but rather, if UIPM moves towards this model, it will represent a significant step toward integration.”

“National Federations will support integration if an agreed structure is implemented alongside other requirements, with a final vote on dissolution to be taken by World Obstacle once these conditions are met.”

British Obstacle Sports represented the views of our community at Congress and voted in line with what was approved by our members at our recent AGM.

The recent communication from UIPM has been unhelpful to our shared goal of achieving an integration that benefits and is supported by both the obstacle and pentathlon communities. British Obstacle Sports will continue to work constructively with both UIPM and World Obstacle to move forward. A unified sport remains an important goal, but we must ensure that the interests of obstacle sports are fully protected.

As discussed, British Obstacle Sports will ensure that all our members have the opportunity to vote before any potential international vote on the dissolution of World Obstacle.

As a British obstacle Sports member I am pleased that they have clarified what we all voted on

However we are not convinced that everything in the World of OCR is as clear as British Obstacle sports are with us member

As I mentioned we wrote to all teh national federations in the FISO website and We’ve received several responses from them regarding the integration vote. As agreed, I’ve redacted any identifying details to maintain anonymity.

The first response raised concerns about whether some NFs truly understood what they were voting for:

"Good morning sir, in response to your questions, I would say yes **** voted for integration at the Gothenburg, Sweden Congress. However, for the rest of there questions, all my confidence and trust are reposed my International President in the person of Ian Adamson and his team at FISO Headquarters. As in, we stands with him all the time. Thank you sir"

To clarify, I asked whether they voted for full integration, integration under conditions (as per the minutes), or full integration as described in the UIPM statement. The reply was:

"We voted for what Ian Adamson told us too vote for"

This raises a serious question: did they actually understand what they were voting for?

The next response was more troubling:

"Unfortunately, our athletes were banned from participating in the World Championships in Sweden, so neither our athletes nor the federation's leadership were present. We did not give any consent to the merger, and the pentathlon federation in our country does not cooperate or communicate with us. In 2016, we received information that pentathletes were starting to open obstacle course federations in their own countries. Everything that's happening to our sport now is a scam."

It’s concerning that a registered NF would describe the situation as a “scam.” I’ve followed up to request more details.

We then received a more professional and detailed response:

"I am aware of the UIPM statement, and I believe it is misleading for someone who doesn’t know the facts. To an outsider, it may appear that everything is fine and that full integration is only a matter of time. However, that is not the case.

At the FISO Congress, the question was whether we wanted the Task Force discussions to continue in order to resolve the issues we have with UIPM that are blocking the integration. Almost all federations voted in favor, because if everything is resolved, full integration would be beneficial for our sport.

Regarding the calendar, if everything goes well, we will need to declutter it. At the moment, everything is very confusing for the athletes. Who is the OCR World Champion — the one in Sweden or the one in China?

So far, the president of UIPM has been very understanding and wants the integration to have a positive outcome by resolving all the issues. The problem is that the UIPM National Federations can act independently, and most of them don’t want to merge but rather to take over the OCR National Federations.

The truth is that, despite what they tell us, their actions — such as organizing their own World Championship and releasing that statement — suggest that they have their own agenda and are not considering us. Last but not least, I don’t believe we will have a clear answer before 2027. Therefore, despite the UIPM’s omission regarding the 2026 World Championship in Ireland, as long as FISO exists, there is only one legitimate OCR World Championship"

The section that stands out is:

"The problem is that the UIPM National Federations can act independently, and most of them don’t want to merge but rather to take over the OCR National Federations."

This sounds alarmingly like a hostile takeover.

Fortunately, we also received a few more positive and constructive responses:

"Thank you for reaching out and for the opportunity to contribute to your upcoming article.
Our federation did not attend the Congress in Gothenburg and therefore did not participate in the vote. However, as a national OCR federation, we recognize the experience and institutional knowledge that UIPM brings, particularly regarding Olympic alignment and IOC relations.
We remain open and supportive of any process that contributes to the professionalization and global recognition of OCR, provided that athlete development and the sport’s unique identity remain at the core of future plans."

And:

"FISO congress couldn't vote for UIPM integration contract because there is no contract yet. Vote was for continuing work towards integration with proposed structure.

More than 1 world championship is not good for the sports.

UIPM statement is for MP federations.

UIPM statements are for MP federations. To make them favor to welcome OCR NF-s.

As UIPM so called WC is in babysteps and far from Europa it doesn't have any affect on OCRWC in Ireland."

So where does this leave us at this moment in time - well here is my Summary

• Confusion About the Vote
  One NF stated they voted for integration but deferred entirely to Ian Adamson’s direction, This raises concerns about whether federations fully understood what they were voting for.

• Claims of Exclusion and Mistrust
  Another NF reported their athletes were banned from the World Championships and claimed: "Everything that's happening to our sport now is a scam"

• Concerns Over Misleading Messaging and Hostile Intentions
  A more detailed response criticized the UIPM statement as misleading and warned: "The UIPM National Federations can act independently, and most of them don’t want to merge but rather to take over the OCR National Federations"
  This suggests fears of a hostile takeover rather than genuine integration.

• Constructive and Open-Minded Responses
  Some federations expressed openness to collaboration, emphasizing the importance of preserving OCR’s identity and athlete development.

• Clarification on the Vote’s Nature
  Another NF clarified that: "FISO congress couldn't vote for UIPM integration contract because there is no contract yet. Vote was for continuing work towards integration with proposed structure." This for me tells me UIPM can not be trusted as they have said that "Voted to be fully integrated"

What's your thoughts, Leave a comment

**please note we will update further as we get more responses