Trinity played host to the fourth annual Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) Laser Run World Championships at weekend. The event, which is run in conjunction with Pentathlon Ireland, took place from September 28th to 30th on College Park.
Over 450 Irish and international athletes from over 20 countries competed in individual and mixed relay competitions from Friday afternoon through the weekend. Ireland saw plenty of success, claiming five medals in all. Medallists included Kate Coleman Lenehand and Tom O’Brien, with a gold medal coming courtesy of the women’s relay team.
A laser run consists of a shooting range and a running circuit, which the athlete has to complete four times. Participants must begin by sprinting to the shooting range, where they shoot their target until they register five clean shots. They then leave the range to run a circuit as fast as possible to make it back to the shooting range for round two.
The event was also run in conjunction with LauraLynn House, a children’s hospice centre. On Sunday, Pentathlon Ireland hosted a team fun charity event. This event was open to all members of the public.
In an email statement to The University Times, College’s Outdoor Duty Manager Kevin Moloney commented on the success of the event: “Hosting the Laser Run event was an amazing opportunity and it was a fantastic event. It was great to be able to hold a World Championships on campus in Trinity College.”
“College Park is a historical space and hosting this was another milestone in its history. The event was extremely well organised and the weather played its part. All in all a great weekend of sport for all involved”, Moloney said.
