{{Short description|Professional darts tournament}} {{notability|date=January 2023}}{{Infobox darts tournament
| tournament_name = British Pentathlon
| image = | venue = Various | location = | country = {{flagicon|ENG}} England | establishment = 1975 | organisation = [[British Darts Organisation|BDO]] (until 2020), [[World Darts Federation|WDF]], unranked | format = | prizefund = | month_played = | final year = | Current Champion = {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Connor Scutt]] | Final Champion = }} The ''' British Pentathlon''' is a professional [[darts]] event consisting of five different disciplines. It was first established in 1975, run by the [[British Darts Organisation]] and subsequently the [[World Darts Federation]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dartswdf.com/competitions/british-pentathlon|work=dartswdf.com|title=British Pentathlon}}{{Dead link|date=October 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> A women's event was established in 2004.
The event is invitational and has twenty competitors. [[Martin Adams]] has won it 13 times and [[John Lowe (darts player)|John Lowe]] won it ten times. The women's event has been won eight times by [[Trina Gulliver]]. Other multiple winners include [[Eric Bristow]], [[Phil Taylor (darts player)|Phil Taylor]], [[John Walton (darts player)|John Walton]] and [[Andy Fordham]].
==Format== The Pentathlon has a unique format among darts events. Competitors play 24 games of darts over the course of the day: a two-legged 501 match against each of the other players (a total of 19 matches), single legs from 1001 and 2001, then games of halve-it, Shanghai and round the board on doubles. Points are awarded based on performances in each of the events. The champion is the player who accumulates the highest number of points.
The Pentathlon has been described as "the toughest and most gruelling darts event on the calendar," whose aim is "to reduce luck to a minimum and ensure that talent, skill and determination are rewarded with success."<ref>{{cite book | last =Waddell |first=Sid|title= The BBC book of world darts |url=https://archive.org/details/bbcbookofworldda0000unse/|page=41| publisher = BBC | location = London | year = 1983| isbn =0563201843 }}</ref> [[Trina Gulliver]] called it "probably the most difficult darts competition ever."<ref>{{cite book|last=Gulliver|first=Trina|title=Golden Girl: The Autobiography of the Greatest Ever Ladies' Darts Player|page=|publisher=John Blake|location=|year=2008|isbn=9781844545001}}</ref> [[Bobby George]] described it as "like darts' version of ''[[Superstars (British TV programme)|Superstars]]'' without any cycling, shooting or swimming." He also thought it a "ridiculous event", which "had no appeal to me whatsoever", and "one long, hard, boring slog".<ref>{{cite book | last = George|first=Bobby|title=Bobby Dazzler: My Story|page=92| publisher = Orion | location = | year = 2007| isbn = 9780752882260|url=https://archive.org/details/bobbydazzlermyst0000geor}}</ref> John Lowe, on the other hand, enjoyed the event, but eventually stopped playing in it because the prizemoney hadn't increased in years.<ref>{{cite tweet|user=jloweprodart|last=Lowe|first=John|date=11 June 2020|number=1270973669578326016|title=I stopped playing in the Pentathlon after 10 wins, I liked the event, but the prize money was the same after 12 years, and it cost £100 to enter, plus your hotel, travel, food and drink, I can hear today's players laughing, but that was pioneering what they have today.}}</ref>
==Gameplay== The exact rules can vary across events. In the British pentathlon, the rules are as follows:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://essexdarts.com/kevin_stammers/Index2_files/pentatlhlon/british_pentathlon_rules.htm|work=Essex Darts|title=British Pentathlon Rules}}</ref> *Each invited player plays each other over two legs from the standard 501 start. Points are awarded for high scoring visits, for completing the leg within a set number of darts, and for winning the leg. *Each player plays a single leg of darts starting from both 1001 and 2001. Points are awarded for high scoring visits and there are bonus points for completing the leg within a set number of darts. *[[Darts#Shanghai|Shanghai]] - The player throws three darts at each segment from 1 through 9. One point is awarded for hitting the correct single number, two for the double and three for the treble. Bonus points are awarded for hitting one single, one double and one treble of the target number ("Shanghai"). *[[Halve it]] - Players have three darts at each of the designated numbers in turn: 20s, 16s, double 7, 14s, treble 10, 17s, bullseye. Scoring is standard, but as the game progresses, missing a target number results in the player's score being halved. For pentathlon points, players are awarded one point for hitting each correct single, two for a double, three for a treble and two for a bullseye. *Round the board on doubles - Players have 42 darts to hit every double on the board starting on 1 and continuing sequentially until 20. Two points are awarded for each double hit and bonus points are awarded for completing the challenge with darts to spare.
==British Pentathlon winners== ===Men=== <ref>{{cite web|url=https://mastercaller.com/tournaments/british-pentathlon-men|work=Mastercaller.com|title=British Pentathlon men}}</ref> {|class="wikitable" |- !Year !1st place !2nd place !Round the board on doubles !Shanghai !Halve-it |- |2021||[[Neil Duff]]||[[Luke Littler]]||[[Neil Duff]]||[[Neil Duff]]||[[Dean Winstanley]]/[[James Richardson (darts player)|James Richardson]] |- |2020||colspan="5"|Not held due to COVID-19 pandemic |- |2019||[[Martin Adams]]||[[Kyle McKinstry]]||[[Dave Parletti]]||[[Jim Withers]]/[[Keith Montgomery]]||[[Martin Adams]] |- |2018||[[Kyle McKinstry]]||[[Andy Baetens]]||[[Sven Verdonck (darts player)|Sven Verdonck]]||Dave Parletti||[[Jim McEwan]] |- |2017||[[Martin Adams]]||[[Willem Mandigers]]||Jay Foreman||[[Andy Baetens]]||[[Paul Dawkins (darts player)|Paul Dawkins]] |- |2016||[[Martin Adams]]||[[Jamie Hughes (darts player)|Jamie Hughes]]||[[Jamie Hughes (darts player)|Jamie Hughes]]||[[Ted Hankey]]||[[Tatu Pehkonen]] |- |2015||[[Jamie Hughes (darts player)|Jamie Hughes]]||[[John Walton (darts player)|John Walton]]||[[John Walton (darts player)|John Walton]]||[[Jamie Hughes (darts player)|Jamie Hughes]]||[[Jamie Hughes (darts player)|Jamie Hughes]] |- |2014||[[Martin Adams]]||[[John Walton (darts player)|John Walton]]||Pip Blackwell/[[Sven Verdonck (darts player)|Sven Verdonck]]||[[John Walton (darts player)|John Walton]]||[[Garry Thompson (darts player)|Garry Thompson]] |- |2013||[[James Hurrell]]||Jay Foreman/[[Paul Dawkins (darts player)|Paul Dawkins]]||Rune David/[[Joe Lacey]]||Jay Foreman/[[Dirk Hespeels]]||Jay Foreman |- |2012||[[Robert Wagner (darts player)|Robert Wagner]]||[[Martin Adams]]||[[Martin Adams]]/Steve Douglas/[[James Hurrell]]/[[Jim Withers]]||[[Paul Snowsill]]||[[Jani Haavisto]]/[[Joe Lacey]] |- |2011||[[Martin Adams]]||[[Dean Winstanley]]||[[Dirk Hespeels]]||[[Martin Adams]]||[[Danny Russell (darts player)|Danny Russell]] |- |2010||[[John Walton (darts player)|John Walton]]||[[Martin Adams]]||[[John Walton (darts player)|John Walton]]||[[John Walton (darts player)|John Walton]]||Pip Blackwell |- |2009||[[Martin Adams]]||[[Scott Mitchell (darts player)|Scott Mitchell]]||[[Martin Adams]]||[[Martin Adams]]||[[Scott Mitchell (darts player)|Scott Mitchell]] |- |2008||[[Martin Adams]]||[[John Walton (darts player)|John Walton]]||[[Marko Kantele]]||[[Martin Adams]]||[[Ross Smith (darts player)|Ross Smith]] |- |2007||[[Co Stompe]]||[[Marko Kantele]]||[[Phil Wanstall]]||[[Dirk Hespeels]]/[[Co Stompe]]||[[Paul Dawkins (darts player)|Paul Dawkins]] |- |2006||[[John Walton (darts player)|John Walton]]||[[Tony Eccles]]||[[Robert Wagner (darts player)|Robert Wagner]]||[[Tony Eccles]]/[[John Walton (darts player)|John Walton]]||[[Jim Withers]] |- |2005||[[Tony Eccles]]||[[Ulf Ceder]]||[[Pascal Rabau]]||[[Pascal Rabau]]||[[Ulf Ceder]] |- |2004||Martin Adams||[[Ted Hankey]]||[[Marko Kantele]]||[[Martin Adams]]||[[Phill Nixon]] |- |2003||[[Andy Fordham]]||[[Ted Hankey]]||[[Martin Adams]]/[[Andy Fordham]]||[[Jarkko Komula]]||[[Vijay Kumar (darts player)|Vijay Kumar]] |- |2002||[[John Walton (darts player)|John Walton]]||[[Martin Adams]]||[[Martin Adams]]/[[Robert Wagner (darts player)|Robert Wagner]]||[[Andy Fordham]]||[[Chris Bowring]] |- |2001||[[Martin Adams]]||[[Ronnie Baxter]]||[[Jarkko Komula]]||[[Colin Monk]]/[[Phill Nixon]]||[[Martin Adams]] |- |2000||[[Martin Adams]]||[[Peter Manley]]||[[Ronnie Baxter]]||[[Martin Adams]]||[[Ronnie Baxter]] |- |1999||[[Martin Adams]]||[[Colin Monk]]||[[John Walton (darts player)|John Walton]]||[[Martin Adams]]||[[John Walton (darts player)|John Walton]] |- |1998||[[Andy Fordham]]||[[Ronnie Baxter]]||[[Colin Monk]]||[[Andy Fordham]]||[[Ronnie Baxter]] |- |1997||[[Ronnie Baxter]]||[[Mervyn King (darts player)|Mervyn King]]||[[Martin Adams]]||[[Ronnie Baxter]]||[[Andy Fordham]] |- |1996||[[Martin Adams]]||[[Ronnie Baxter]]||[[Andy Jenkins]]||[[Thor Johansen]]||[[Colin Monk]] |- |1995||[[Richie Burnett]]||[[Steve Beaton]]||[[Richie Burnett]]||[[Richie Burnett]]||[[Martin Adams]] |- |1994||[[Martin Adams]]||[[Les Wallace]]||[[Steve Beaton]]||[[Andy Fordham]]||[[Colin Monk]] |- |1993||[[Steve Beaton]]||[[Andy Fordham]]||[[Steve Beaton]]||[[Kevin Painter]]||[[Steve Beaton]] |- |1992||[[Dennis Priestley]]||[[Alan Warriner]]||[[Dennis Priestley]]||[[Andy Fordham]]||[[Rod Harrington]] |- |1991||[[Phil Taylor (darts player)|Phil Taylor]]||[[Ronnie Baxter]]||[[Peter Evison]]||[[Phil Taylor (darts player)|Phil Taylor]]||[[Ritchie Gardner]] |- |1990||[[Phil Taylor (darts player)|Phil Taylor]]||[[Alan Warriner]]||[[Paul Reynolds (darts player)|Paul Reynolds]]||[[Alan Warriner]]||[[Ronnie Baxter]] |- |1989||[[Eric Bristow]]||[[Bob Sinnaeve]]||[[Eric Bristow]]/[[Martin Hurley]]||[[Eric Bristow]]||[[Shayne Burgess]] |- |1988||[[Alan Warriner]]||[[John Lowe (darts player)|John Lowe]]||[[Alan Warriner]]||[[Eric Bristow]]/Reg Harding/[[Alan Warriner]]||[[John Lowe (darts player)|John Lowe]] |- |1987||[[John Lowe (darts player)|John Lowe]]||[[Ritchie Gardner]]||[[Paul Lim]]/[[Gene Raymond (darts player)|Gene Raymond]]||[[Graham Scowcroft]]||[[Don Dillon]] |- |1986||[[John Lowe (darts player)|John Lowe]]||Robert MacKenzie||[[John Lowe (darts player)|John Lowe]]||Robert MacKenzie||[[John Lowe (darts player)|John Lowe]] |- |1985||[[John Lowe (darts player)|John Lowe]]||[[Ritchie Gardner]]||[[John Lowe (darts player)|John Lowe]]||[[Tony Littlewood]]||[[John Lowe (darts player)|John Lowe]] |- |1984||[[John Lowe (darts player)|John Lowe]]||[[Jocky Wilson]]||Ken Summers||[[Steve Brennan]]/[[John Lowe (darts player)|John Lowe]]||[[Ritchie Gardner]] |- |1983||[[John Lowe (darts player)|John Lowe]]||[[Keith Deller]]||[[Steve Brennan]]/[[Alan Glazier]]||[[Alan Glazier]]/[[John Lowe (darts player)|John Lowe]]||[[Trevor Nurse]] |- |1982||[[John Lowe (darts player)|John Lowe]]||[[Jocky Wilson]]||[[Brian Langworth]]||[[Steve Brennan]]||[[John Lowe (darts player)|John Lowe]] |- |1981||[[Eric Bristow]]||[[John Lowe (darts player)|John Lowe]]||[[Cliff Lazarenko]]||[[John Lowe (darts player)|John Lowe]]||[[Eric Bristow]] |- |1980||[[John Lowe (darts player)|John Lowe]]||[[Eric Bristow]]||[[Brian Langworth]]||[[Brian Langworth]]||[[Dave Whitcombe]] |- |1979||[[John Lowe (darts player)|John Lowe]]||[[Eric Bristow]]||[[Bobby George]]/[[Cliff Lazarenko]]||[[Eric Bristow]]||[[Mick Banyard]] |- |1978||[[John Lowe (darts player)|John Lowe]]||[[Dave Whitcombe]]||[[Cliff Lazarenko]]||[[Dave Whitcombe]]||[[John Lowe (darts player)|John Lowe]] |- |1977||[[Rab Smith]]||[[Alan Glazier]]||[[George Simmons (darts player)|George Simmons]]||[[Alan Glazier]]||[[Ken Brown (darts player)|Ken Brown]] |- |1976||[[John Lowe (darts player)|John Lowe]]||[[Leighton Rees]]||[[George Simmons (darts player)|George Simmons]]||[[Cliff Lazarenko]]||[[Leighton Rees]] |- |1975||[[Conrad Daniels]]||[[Cliff Inglis]]||[[Harry Heenan]]/[[Phil Obbard]]/[[Tommy O'Regan]]/[[Noel Fowley]]/[[Phil Wakeman]]/[[Steve Rollings]]||[[George Foster (darts player)|George Foster]]/[[Kevin White (darts player)|Kevin White]]/[[Jim McQuillan (darts player)|Jim McQuillan]]/Jack McKenna/[[Cyril Hayes]]/[[Boerge Madsen]]||[[George Cottle]]/[[Javier Gopar]]/[[John Kelly (Australian darts player)|John Kelly]]/[[Glyn Greenway]]/[[Douglas Melander]]/[[Bjørn Enqvist]]/[[John Riding]] |}
===Women=== <ref>{{cite web|url=https://mastercaller.com/tournaments/british-pentathlon-women|work=Mastercaller.com|title=British Pentathlon women}}</ref> {|class="wikitable" |- !Year !1st place !2nd place !Round the board on doubles !Shanghai !Halve-it |- |2021||colspan="5"|Not held |- |2020||colspan="5"|Not held due to COVID-19 pandemic |- |2019||[[Beau Greaves]]||[[Laura Turner (darts player)|Laura Turner]]||[[Laura Stockings]]||[[Laura Turner (darts player)|Laura Turner]]||[[Vicky Pruim]] |- |2018||[[Aileen de Graaf]]||[[Lorraine Winstanley]]||[[Deta Hedman]]/[[Sharon Prins]]||[[Casey Gallagher]]||[[Lorraine Winstanley]] |- |2017||[[Deta Hedman]]||[[Lorraine Winstanley]]||[[Rachna David]]||[[Anca Zijlstra]]||[[Lorraine Winstanley]] |- |2016||[[Trina Gulliver]]||[[Deta Hedman]]||[[Claire Brookin]]||[[Sarah Roberts (darts player)|Sarah Roberts]]||[[Rhian Griffiths]] |- |2015||[[Fallon Sherrock]]||[[Lorraine Winstanley]]/[[Deta Hedman]]||[[Deta Hedman]]||[[Fallon Sherrock]]||[[Claire Brookin]] |- |2014||[[Deta Hedman]]||[[Claire Brookin]]||[[Elin Assestrand]]||[[Trina Gulliver]]||[[Wendy Reinstadtler]] |- |2013||[[Deta Hedman]]||[[Trina Gulliver]]||[[Deta Hedman]]||[[Trina Gulliver]]||[[Donna Rainsley]] |- |2012||[[Trina Gulliver]]||[[Rachna David]]||[[Trina Gulliver]]/[[Donna Rainsley]]||[[Anna Forsmark]]||[[Anna Forsmark]] |- |2011||[[Trina Gulliver]]||[[Zoe Jones (darts player)|Zoe Jones]]||[[Marlene Badger]]||[[Zoe Jones (darts player)|Zoe Jones]]||[[Lorraine Winstanley]] |- |2010||[[Deta Hedman]]||[[Lorraine Winstanley]]||[[Deta Hedman]]/[[Sue Gulliver]]/[[Tricia Wright]]||[[Deta Hedman]]||[[Sue Gulliver]] |- |2009||[[Trina Gulliver]]||[[Apylee Jones]]||[[Donna Rainsley]]||[[Karen Lawman]]||[[Viv Dundon]] |- |2008||[[Lisa Ashton]]||[[Trina Gulliver]]||[[Lisa Ashton]]||[[Lisa Ashton]]||[[Lisa Ashton]] |- |2007||[[Trina Gulliver]]||[[Julie Gore]]||[[Irina Armstrong]]||[[Julie Gore]]||[[Sandra Pollett]] |- |2006||[[Trina Gulliver]]||[[Karen Lawman]]||[[Karen Lawman]]||[[Karen Lawman]]||[[Trina Gulliver]] |- |2005||[[Trina Gulliver]]||[[Apylee Jones]]||[[Inita Bite]]/[[Tricia Wright]]||[[Hege Lokken]]||[[Trina Gulliver]] |- |2004||[[Trina Gulliver]]||[[Karen Lawman]]||[[Karen Lawman]]||[[Trina Gulliver]]||[[Trina Gulliver]] |}
==References== {{reflist|2}} {{Darts}} {{BDO & WDF Tournaments}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pentathlon (Darts)}} [[Category:Darts variants]] [[Category:British Darts Organisation tournaments]] [[Category:1975 establishments in England]] [[Category:Recurring sporting events established in 1975]] [[Category:Darts in the United Kingdom]]