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Beginner’s Guide to Parkour Competitions
- Reverent Movement
- Mar 10
- 3 min read
Parkour competitions have grown around the world, giving athletes a chance to test their abilities and measure their growth. Even for those athletes who aren't "competitive", these events are a great way to connect with the community.
If you’re new to the sport, competitions might sound intimidating, but the layout of parkour competitions allow athletes to participate in the specific events that align with the areas of the sport they enjoy most or fit their style of training best!
Most parkour competitions include three main events: Skill, Speed, and Freestyle.
Let's break them down using our new friend and fellow athlete: PK Paul 😀
Skill
The skill event focuses on the technical ability of each athlete through a series of challenges. Several sections are setup throughout the gym, each with a variety of challenges to represent multiple levels of difficulty. Points are awarded based on which challenges are successfully completed in each section, with the goal of earning the most points.
Example: There are 5 sections, each with 5 challenges ranging from 1 point (least difficult) to 5 points (most difficult). PK Paul has 1.5 hours to earn as many points as possible. He is able to complete the level 4 challenge in two sections, level 3 in two sections, and level 2 in one section - PK Paul earns a total of 16 points!
‼️Important Note:
Athletes want to play close attention to the specific directions for each section to know EXACTLY what is required to successfully complete a challenge.
Speed
The speed event focuses on how quickly each athlete can get through an obstacle course. Athletes typically have some freedom in choosing their specific route or the movements needed to get through the course with the goal of finishing with the fastest total time.
Example: There are 2 speed courses. PK Paul completes the first course in 5.5 seconds and the second course in 14.2 seconds. Adding his total time together between the two courses, PK Paul's total time is 19.7 seconds!
‼️Important Note:
Try to plan your route ahead of time, based on the directions given for each course. Knowing where you want to step, climb up, or stay low can help you shave valuable seconds off your time.\
Freestyle
The freestyle event focuses on the creativity of each athlete as they perform their own line.
They choose their own combination of movements, mixing foundational parkour movements with dynamic movements like flips or spins, with the goal of scoring the highest combination of points awarded by judges.
Example: There are 45 seconds available for PK Paul to showcase his best parkour line. He runs to a platform, kongs up and jumps to a bar overhead. After completing a swing 180, he laches to a cat grab on a wall. He then tacs off the wall and strides across a row of bars, landing with a precision on another wall. He ends with landing a swing gainer onto the floor. The 3 judges each score 78, 83, and 75. PK Paul's total score is 236 points!
‼️Important Note:
Judges typically look at the following categories when deciding on a score:
Creativity - did the athlete showcase something unique and with personality?
Flow - were the movements smooth and connect well?
Difficulty - how challenging was the sequence and individual movements?
Execution - did the athlete have control over each movement and clean landings?
Again, parkour competitions can be intimidating when comparing yourself to other athletes around you. But the first priority is to see how far YOU have come in your training, your ability to take on fears, and encourage others around you to do the same!
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