Athletes compete at the UIPM Obstacle World Championships in Beijing on October 24, 2025. Photo: VCG

The Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) has confirmed that Guiyang, the capital of Southwest China's Guizhou Province, will host the Pentathlon World Championships in August 2026. 

Immediately following, the second edition of the UIPM Obstacle World Championships will take place in Beijing on September 2. This marks the second time in three years that the annual Pentathlon World Championships have been held in China, following Zhengzhou in 2024. Beijing previously hosted the inaugural Obstacle World Championships in 2025.

UIPM President Rob Stull told the Global Times that Guiyang earned the hosting rights by offering a fresh approach to presenting the sport. 

"When we met with the Guiyang representatives, we found out that what they're willing to do for us in terms of showcasing the sport represented a completely different approach," he said, highlighting the local appeal of combining first-tier and second-tier city settings to reach a global audience.

Stull also reflected on experiences from prior events in China, including staying at the Olympic training center in Beijing during the Obstacle World Championships. At the time, he noted the vibrant local engagement. 

"What I noticed there was that the local population had access to the training center and every day you had all these people, civilians, regular people out there doing physical activity, just leaving their homes and jogging, walking, Tai Chi, all these activities, it was exciting to see it and a big part of what we do is to encourage activities that are going to lead to better lifestyles and reduce health costs," he said.

The obstacle discipline replaced the equestrian component in modern pentathlon ahead of the 2028 Olympics, and Beijing has secured hosting rights for the Obstacle World Championships through 2028, according to Xinhua News Agency.