AR Says NO ... AGAIN!
Rob Howard / 17.01.2026
The International Adventure Racing Association has reached out to the UIPM (the governing body of Pentathlon) requesting a confirmation that Adventure Racing will not be included in the upcoming merger with World Obstacle.
You can read the full letter here. (There are links to the previous history of World Obstacle actions and full documenatation of the foundation of IARA as the independent govering body of Adventure Racing.)
For context World Obstacle STILL includes Adventure Racing on its website as an 'Obstacle Sport' and the organisation will dissolve at a congress meeting on March 15th to allow for inclusion of 'obstacle sports' within UIPM.
This is despite the overwhelming majority in the sport rejecting World Obstacle after their unilateral declaration that they were the governing body of adventure racing and all active adventure racing countries backing the setting up of IARA as an independent body to oversee adventure racing.
At meetings in that process World Obstacle President Ian Adamson made it clear the World Obstacle members were not interested in adventure racing and said the consultation process with adventure racing countries (which established IARA) would be respected. That hasn’t happened.
After the ARsaysNO campaign the motion at the UIPM Congress which included AR as an ‘obstacle sport’ as part of the merger with UIPM was rejected - a major shock to UIPM! Their own members had listened to AR and voted that it should not be included against the will of those active in the sport.
The motion was rewritten and then passed without specifically mentioning adventure racing, but still citing that ‘the standalone disciplines of Obstacle Sport’ would be part of the merger.
Subsequently the UIPM Secretary General Shiny Fang said of adventure racing, “UIPM was misled at the beginning about its status inside WO”.
Despite ALL of this it appears adventure racing will be ‘passed on’ to UIPM from World Obstacle in the near future. This is despite no one in UIPM knowing anything about adventure racing, and adventure racing not wanting anything to do with UIPM.
That’s the background to IARA sending this letter and Adventure Racing must hope UIPM use sound judgement and respond positively.
You can follow what has previously happened to get to this sad state of affairs below.
Is it Finally Time for Adventure Racing to Stand up for Itself?
A World of Obstacles on the path to an International Adventure Racing Federation
Adventure Racing World Series Supports IARA and Campaign against World Obstacle and World Pentathlon
Pentathlon to Rule Adventure Racing - Who Knew?
Adventure Racing Says NO to World Obstacle and World Pentathlon
World Pentathlon Congress Removes Adventure Racing from Obstacle Merger ... but the Fight is not over (You were warned.)
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