En garde! In the world of endurance sports, modern pentathletes -- who fence, swim, ride, shoot and run over a mammoth day of competition -- are the forgotten ones

It's a somewhat strange sport to Americans. Why is there a sport in which athletes have to fence, swim a sprint, jump a horse over 15 barriers, and run 3,200 meters while stopping four times to shoot at targets? It's the modern pentathlon, and its athletes are among the most conditioned anywhere. My story for ESPN.com's Endurance Sports section: http://espn.go.com/sports/endurance/story/_/id/13682606/endurance-sports-modern-pentathlon-deep-roots-grueling-events-fight-survival