Modern Pentathlon Victoria - Development Squad Training # 1 - Warrnambool Sunday 4th January

MPV Development Squad Training sessions are a great way to try pentathlon disciplines for the first time, develop skills and lifetime mateships.

#1 – Warrnambool – Obstacles – Laser Run – Open Water Swimming

Athletes will train together. Coaches will adapt for different abilities or split into groups depending on numbers.

Obstacles – Coach: Alex Cox - South West Movement Academy

Obstacles is the new Modern Pentathlon discipline to debut at the Olympics in 2028.

Why try Obstacles? It is fun, dynamic and technical, requiring strength and determination. Obstacle Laser Run is a pathway sport which is a popular starting point for athletes transitioning into the sport from Obstacle & traditional athletes developing new skills & friendships.

What is Obstacles? An Obstacle Course includes obstacles such as steps, rings, over-under-through, wheels, monkey bars, finish wall on a 70m course. In competition this is a timed event so learning to clear obstacles & complete efficiently is key.

Laser Run – Coach: Tully Watt

Why try Laser Run? Laser run is a fun sport of strategy and skill to run fast then compose yourself to shoot. It also is a great test of aerobic and anaerobic fitness and add some variety to your running training. 

Within the Laser Run the shooting takes place with a completely safe and environmentally friendly laser pistol, fired at a target from 10m or 5m, depending on age.

What is Laser Run? Simply, Laser Run combines shooting and running in a continuous format. Depending on the age group, athletes run a lap or run into the shooting range where they are required to hit 5 bullseyes, on an electronic target, or 50 seconds elapses as they try. Then run, shoot, repeat (depending on age) and finish with a run lap.

Laser Run is the final phase of a Modern Pentathlon (MP) competition and as an individual competition, it is one of the pathway sports of MP and keenly contested across the world.

Open Water Swimming – Coach: Michelle Beddows

Why Open Water Swimming? This is a skill required in the pathway sport of Triathle.

What is Triathle? Triathle adds the swimming in a continuous format with the Laser Run and in Victoria has been mainly run in pools. Same as Laser Run, except after your last shoot, you jump into the pool to swim, before running your final lap.

International events are often run in open water - beaches & lakes. As we aim to develop this style of events in Victoria in March ’26, this is an opportunity to prepare athletes, officials and volunteers.

Triathle and Biathle (run-swim-run) are great competitions for athletes transitioning from other sports and adds a change from the ‘swim race’ of MP.

Draft Schedule

10.00am Obstacle Training Session - coach Alex Cox – South West Movement Academy

Noon Laser Run Session – coach Tully Watt

2pm Open Water Session – coach Michelle Beddows

All athletes must be a member of a Modern Pentathlon Victoria - this can be a Trialist Membership which allows you to compete/participate in most Modern Pentathlon events in Australia for 3months. (Trialist membership can be upgraded to a Full membership at the end of the 3mths)

Minimum age for Squad training is 9 years (calculated as min. Birth year 2017) and athletes need to be a proficient swimmer to participate in swim sessions.

Fee:

$45 per athlete for the day - includes 3 challenging & fun sessions.

Family discount: 10% discount per family member when two (2) or more Adult or Youth athletes reside at the same address and register at the same time. Contact us for discount code.

"Nothing improves you like squad sessions - Together More Active"