How are pentathlon points calculated?

Each event is scored with the World Athletics combined-events formula for that event (a × (b − T)^c for races, a × (M − b)^c for jumps in centimetres, a × (D − b)^c for throws in metres). Every score is rounded down to a whole number, then the five are added.

What events are in the women's indoor pentathlon?

60m hurdles, high jump, shot put, long jump and 800m, in that order, held on one day.

What is the women's pentathlon world record?

Nafissatou Thiam scored 5,055 points at the 2023 European Indoor Championships in Istanbul. Press 'Load example' to see her five event scores.

Do hand times count in the pentathlon?

Yes. World Athletics adds 0.24 s to a hand-timed 60m hurdles or 200m before scoring. The 800m, 1000m and 1500m are scored as timed. Tick 'Hand-timed' next to the race.

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Pentathlon calculator

Score a pentathlon event by event with the official World Athletics combined-events formulas. Pick the women's indoor pentathlon, the men's indoor pentathlon or the men's outdoor pentathlon.

EventMarkTimingPoints

60m hurdlestime
Hand-timed
–
High jumpmetres
–
Shot putmetres
–
Long jumpmetres
–
800mtime
–

Total points

0 of 5 events scored

Times as 11.20 or 4:40.00; jumps and throws in metres (6.40 or 6.40m). The small number under each score is the running total.

How the scoring works

Every event is scored on its own with the formulas published in the World Athletics (IAAF) Scoring Tables for Combined Events, then the event scores are added. The tables printed in that book are generated from these same formulas:

Running: Points = a × (b − T)^c T = time in seconds

Jumps: Points = a × (M − b)^c M = mark in centimetres

Throws: Points = a × (D − b)^c D = distance in metres

Each event score is rounded down to a whole number before it is added (123.999 becomes 123). Hand-timed races up to 400m are scored as if they were 0.24 s slower (0.14 s for the 400m); there is no adjustment for the 800m, 1000m or 1500m. The calculator first records a hand time to the next tenth, as the timing rules require.

We checked this calculator against every mark covered by the book's printed tables (147,375 marks across all events, electronic and manual timing). It agrees everywhere except three marks where the printed table skips or misprints a row. There we keep the formula, which the book gives as the scoring method. It also reproduces the book's sample score sheets from the 2001 World Championships to the point.

The constants for each event as printed, plus the weakest mark worth at least 1,000 points (electronic timing for races):

Women's indoor pentathlon

Event	a	b	c	Unit	1000 pts
60m hurdles	20.0479	17	1.835	seconds	8.58
High jump	1.84523	75	1.348	centimetres	1.82 m
Shot put	56.0211	1.5	1.05	metres	17.07 m
Long jump	0.188807	210	1.41	centimetres	6.48 m
800m	0.11193	254	1.88	seconds	2:07.63

Men's indoor pentathlon

Event	a	b	c	Unit	1000 pts
60m hurdles	20.5173	15.5	1.92	seconds	7.92
Long jump	0.14354	220	1.4	centimetres	7.76 m
Shot put	51.39	1.5	1.05	metres	18.40 m
High jump	0.8465	75	1.42	centimetres	2.21 m
1000m	0.08713	305.5	1.85	seconds	2:29.00

Men's outdoor pentathlon

Event	a	b	c	Unit	1000 pts
Long jump	0.14354	220	1.4	centimetres	7.76 m
Javelin	10.14	7	1.08	metres	77.19 m
200m	5.8425	38	1.81	seconds	20.86
Discus	12.91	4	1.1	metres	56.17 m
1500m	0.03768	480	1.85	seconds	3:53.79

Worked example

Nafissatou Thiam, Istanbul 2023 (world indoor record): 5,055 points. Each line below is the formula above with the mark plugged in, rounded down.

Event	Mark	Calculation	Points
60m hurdles	8.23	20.0479 × (17 − 8.23)^1.835	1077
High jump	1.92 m	1.84523 × (192 − 75)^1.348	1132
Shot put	15.54 m	56.0211 × (15.54 − 1.5)^1.05	897
Long jump	6.59 m	0.188807 × (659 − 210)^1.41	1036
800m	2:13.60	0.11193 × (254 − 133.60)^1.88	913
Total			5,055

Which pentathlon is which

The women's indoor pentathlon runs the 60m hurdles, high jump, shot put, long jump and 800m, all on one day. It reuses the heptathlon tables for everything except the indoor 60m hurdles.

The men's indoor pentathlon is the 60m hurdles, long jump, shot put, high jump and 1000m. The men's outdoor version is the long jump, javelin, 200m, discus and 1500m. Both score the events they share with the decathlon on the men's decathlon tables, and add the book's men's 200m table and its indoor tables for the 60m hurdles and 1000m.

For two-day competitions use the heptathlon or decathlon calculator.

FAQ

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