How to Train for the Modern Pentathlon

The Olympic modern pentathlon is comprised of five events in one day. Both women and men can compete in the modern pentathlon's five events, which include shooting, fencing, swimming, riding and running. The overall points scored in the first four events determine each contestant's starting position and time handicap for the fifth event. The overall winner is the person to cross the finish line first in cross-country running.

Instructions

1. Compete in the pistol-shooting event. Competitors shoot 20 shots at 20 targets ten meters away using a 4.5 mm air pistol. Each target has 10 rings. If the shooter hits the center target, he gets 10 points. Hitting the outside ring results in one point. Getting a perfect score of 200 equates to 1,336 points for the athlete. Most athletes train by completing multiple target shooting exercises.

2. Enter the fencing portion of the pentathlon. There are usually 32 competitors in the final round of the pentathlon. Each person must play all other competitors. The fencing takes place indoors on special aluminum pistes (corridors), 18 meters long and 2 meters wide. Each match lasts one minute. The first fencer to touch the other fencer with the epee (fencing stick) wins. If no one touches during the one-minute match, both competitors lose. Judges can award penalties for a variety of unacceptable behaviors. The more matches a fencer wins, the more points he earns. Winning 70% of your heats gives you 1,000 points. Athletes train by competing against their coaches, fellow teammates, or themselves using drills and videos.

3. Swim the 200-meter race. Women and men compete in heats according to their personal best times. A man must swim a time of 2:30 or better to obtain 1,000 points and a woman must swim 2:40 or less. Training for this event includes swimming at one's local Olympic-sized pool and aiming for a higher personal best.

4. Ride a horse in the equestrian competition. Competitors jump over 15 hurdles up to 1.2 meters high on a 350 to 450 meter-long course. Each athlete has an assigned horse, at random. A ride with no faults with a time between 1:00 and 1:17 earns 1,200 points. Judges will deduct points for knocked-over hurdles, refusals to jump and excessive time spent. Athletes would do well to train with a variety of unfamiliar horses beforehand.

5. Run in the cross-country event. This race takes places on uneven terrain or a public road and is 3 km long. A ten-minute or shorter time for men and an 11:20 or shorter time for women earns the runner 1,000 points. The first person to cross the finish line wins the overall event. Training in all sorts of environments, indoors and out, helps the runner to prepare for this event.

Tips & Warnings

• Pentathlons competitions range from the Olympics to the World Championships.