Bottom line: Innovation management has been previously compared to a marathon. It certainly needs enduring practice and, in this sense, the analogy is valid. However, the implication that innovation management is – like a marathon – top per- formance in a single discipline is misleading. Managing innovation requires good performance in a number of areas. A better analogy is the pentathlon, where good performance in five disciplines – the five elements of the framework – is essential.In addition, Strong links are required to the outside world (just as the Olympic pentathlon did not exist in isolation: there were specta- tors, stadia and training camps). The context in which innovation occurs – the business situation – has a strong influence on innovation management (market and competitive forces, technology, partnerships, suppliers)