UIPM 2019 Global Laser Run City Tour: New frontiers conquered in Zhitomir (UKR)

Yuri Gagarin was the first person to enter space and in the park that bears his name, Laser Run continued its meteoric rise with another well-attended Global Laser Run City Tour on June 22.

The second City Tour to take place in the city of Zhitomir benefited from better weather than the conditions that hit the previous event in 2018, enabling local organisers to organise the third GLRCT in Ukraine this year and fully promote UIPM’s fastest-growing development sport to new and existing audiences.

More than 250 people raced in various categories in the park on June 22, having come from the regions of Kharkiv, Lviv, Donetsk, Kiev and Zhitomir.

The competition was attended by VIP guests including Svitlana Gres, Head of the regional Youth Patriotic and Sport Movement, Victor Maluta, Head of the Sport Department of Zhitomir City, and Igor Panin, President of the Ukrainian Modern Pentathlon Federation.

Svitlana Gres admitted that the competition was very popular among young generations, enabling more and more children to choose athletic sports such as Modern Pentathlon over computer games.

At the closing ceremony Victor Maluta congratulated the medallists and encouraged all participants to develop their physical and mental capabilities and their Pentathlon skills. “Modern Pentathlon is one of the most harmonious sports for children,” he added.

At the end of the competition, President Panin thanked the athletes, parents and coaches, local organisers and honoured guests for the excellent organization and friendly atmosphere at the competition.

He underlined that because of UIPM’s support, the Laser Run format and Modern Pentathlon are developing very fast not only in Ukrainian regions but all over the world.

The GLRCT was created in 2017 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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