UIPM 2019 Global Laser Run City Tour: Football stadium attracts big crowd in Chiatura (GEO)

The Global Laser Run City Tour is all about versatility. This urban sporting phenomenon can take place on the streets of a city, in a park or even in an existing sports venue.

On May 12, more than 270 competitors took part in UIPM’s fastest-growing development competition at Temur Maghradze Stadium in Chiatura, Georgia. The venue is home to FC Chiatura and has a capacity of more than 11,000, and there was a strong attendance on the day.

Athletes came from the capital Tbilisi, host city Chiatura and also Sachkhere, Rustavi and Poti, and they were watched by representatives of the city government who said they would like to repeat the GLRCT experience in 2020.

Chiatura’s first GLRCT took place five weeks after the circuit returned to its original home, Tbilisi, where the competition was born in 2017.

Valeri Tskhadadze, a spokesperson for the local organising committee, said: “The Global Laser Run City Tour presents a very good opportunity for our region to develop Modern Pentathlon.

“We have a stadium, swimming pool, facilities for fencing in one place and the hotel is very near, so you can also create a training camp.”

Champion athlete Natia Matchavariani added: “For me it was a very successful day. My goal was to win this wonderful competition. I was struggling the whole race but I made it.”

The GLRCT was created to provide an entry point to UIPM Sports for people of all ages in urban communities around the world.

Another 100 cities have been selected in 2019 as hosts of the GLRCT or the Biathle/Triathle National Tour. The full calendar can be viewed at the UIPM website, where you can also find more information on UIPM’s various multi-discipline sports.

In September, the UIPM Laser Run World Championships will be incorporated into the Pentathlon World Championships for the first time in Budapest (HUN), where Laser Run is also on the programme for the 1st World Urban Games.

In December, Laser Run and Triathle will both feature for the first time in the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in the Philippines.

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