The Biathlon World Cup is a series of events that brings together the world's best biathletes to compete in various disciplines. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the Biathlon World Cup schedule, highlighting key locations, dates, and innovations aimed at enhancing the sport for both athletes and fans.
IBU World Cup Calendar 2026-2030
The International Biathlon Union (IBU) has announced its World Cup calendar for 2026-2030, introducing innovations to enhance fan engagement, future-proof the sport, and safeguard athlete welfare. The IBU has confirmed the allocation of IBU World Cup biathlon hosts across the four seasons from 2026/2027 to 2029/2030.
The World Championships are already confirmed for:
- Otepää (EST) in 2027
- Hochfilzen (AUT) in 2028
- Oslo (NOR) in 2029
before the Olympic competitions in the French Alps in 2030.
Key Innovations in the Biathlon World Cup Schedule
For the first time, in the 2026/2027 and 2028/2029 seasons, a new two-day World Cup event will be held in Pokljuka (SLO) on the weekend at the end of December/ start of the New Year when fan engagement in winter sport is at its peak. To protect athlete welfare and maintain the number of competition days, the introduction of this two-day event will be compensated by removing the opening weekend of the season in November in those two seasons. The two week break in December will also be respected following consultation with athletes and teams ensuring the requisite time for rest, recovery and training.
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The World Cup held in Oberhof, Germany, will be moved from its traditional spot in the first week of January to the end of February/early March, taking advantage of the more favourable weather conditions towards the end of the season. In the 2028/2029 season, the World Cup in Oberhof will follow immediately after the Oslo World Championships with the usual post-World Championships break then taken ahead of the World Cup travelling to the USA and Canada.
Ten World Cup stops are on the programme for the biathletes.
“We are delighted to confirm our hosts for the next four seasons and provide our athletes, fans, broadcasters and partners with certainty of fantastic competitions in the years to come. We are fortunate to have so many excellent biathlon hosts and to be in a such a strong position that allows us to test new setups to guarantee that our sport is able to answer the challenges of the future.
“Developing the biathlon calendar is a delicate balancing act as we need to deliver competitions that prioritise our athletes and teams but also create the very best spectator and viewer experience, respect commitments to sustainability and mastering logistics challenges.
Biathlon explained | Maximum intensity, then steady aim ⛷️🎯
Biathlon World Cup 2025/2026 - Overview
The Biathlon World Cup season typically includes several stages held in various locations across Europe and North America. These stages feature different race formats, including individual races, sprint races, pursuit races, mass starts, and relays.
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First race in Östersund. This will be followed by Hochfilzen (Tyrol) and Grand Bornand (France) in December. During the Christmas break, the World Team Challenge with many World Cup professionals will take place in the stadium on Schalke. However, the result of the TV event does not count towards the World Cup.
In January, the World Cup team will continue to Oberhof (Thuringia), Ruhpolding (Bavaria) and Nove Mesto (Czechia). The highlight of the season will be the Olympic Games in Antholz (Italy) in February 2026.
After the Olympic Games, the World Cup team will travel on to Kontiolahti in Finland, before competing in Otepää, Estonia. The end of the season will once again traditionally take place in Norway at the Holmenkollen in Oslo.
Schedule of the IBU World Cup Biathlon 2025/2026
Here is an overview of the Biathlon World Cup schedule for the 2025/2026 season:
| Date | Venue | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 29 Nov - 07 Dec 2025 | Östersund | Sweden |
| 12 Dec - 14 Dec 2025 | Hochfilzen | Austria |
| 18 Dec - 21 Dec 2025 | Grand Bornand | France |
| 08 Jan - 11 Jan 2026 | Oberhof | Germany |
| 14 Jan - 18 Jan 2026 | Ruhpolding | Germany |
| 22 Jan - 25 Jan 2026 | Nove Mesto | Czech Republic |
| 08 Feb - 21 Feb 2026 | Antholz | Italy |
| 05 Mar - 08 Mar 2026 | Kontiolahti | Finland |
| 12 Mar - 15 Mar 2026 | Otepää | Estonia |
| 19 Mar - 22 Mar 2026 | Oslo | Norway |
(All information is subject to change.)
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You can download the schedule of the IBU World Cup Biathlon in the following formats:
Detailed Schedule and Start Times
Below are the detailed schedules, including start times and disciplines, for each location in the Biathlon World Cup 2025/2026 season.
Biathlon World Cup Östersund 29 Nov - 07 Dec 2025
Start times and disciplines in Östersund (Sweden):
| Date | Start | Discipline |
|---|---|---|
| 29 Nov 2025 | 13:15 | Relay Women 4 x 6 km |
| 29 Nov 2025 | 16:55 | Relay Men 4 x 7,5 km |
| 30 Nov 2025 | 14:00 | Single Mixed Relay |
| 30 Nov 2025 | 16:40 | Team Mixed Relay |
| 02 Dec 2025 | 15:30 | Individual Women 15 km |
| 03 Dec 2025 | 15:30 | Individual Men 20 km |
| 05 Dec 2025 | 16:00 | Sprint Women 7,5 km |
| 06 Dec 2025 | 16:30 | Sprint Men 10 km |
| 07 Dec 2025 | 13:15 | Pursuit Women 10 km |
| 07 Dec 2025 | 15:20 | Pursuit Men 12,5 km |
(All information is subject to change. Time = CET)
Biathlon World Cup Hochfilzen 12 Dec - 14 Dec 2025
Start times and disciplines in Hochfilzen (Austria):
| Date | Start | Discipline |
|---|---|---|
| 12 Dec 2025 | 11:25 | Sprint Men 10 km |
| 12 Dec 2025 | 14:15 | Sprint Women 7,5 km |
| 13 Dec 2025 | 12:00 | Pursuit Men 12,5 km |
| 13 Dec 2025 | 14:15 | Relay Women 4 x 6 km |
| 14 Dec 2025 | 12:00 | Relay Men 4 x 7,5 km |
| 14 Dec 2025 | 14:45 | Pursuit Women 10 km |
(All information is subject to change. Time = CET)
Biathlon World Cup Grand Bornand 18 Dec - 21 Dec 2025
Start times and disciplines in Annecy-Le Grand Bornand (France):
| Date | Start | Discipline |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Dec 2025 | 14:15 | Sprint Women 7,5 km |
| 19 Dec 2025 | 14:15 | Sprint Men 10 km |
| 20 Dec 2025 | 12:15 | Pursuit Women 10 km |
| 20 Dec 2025 | 14:45 | Pursuit Men 12,5 km |
| 21 Dec 2025 | 12:15 | Mass Start Women 12,5 km |
| 21 Dec 2025 | 14:45 | Mass Start Men 15 km |
(All information is subject to change. Time = CET)
Biathlon World Cup Oberhof 08 Jan - 11 Jan 2026
Start times and disciplines in Oberhof (Germany):
| Date | Start | Discipline |
|---|---|---|
| 08 Jan 2026 | 14:10 | Sprint Men 10 km |
| 09 Jan 2026 | 14:25 | Sprint Women 7,5 km |
| 10 Jan 2026 | 12:00 | Pursuit Men 12,5 km |
| 10 Jan 2026 | 14:25 | Relay Women 4 x 6 km |
| 11 Jan 2026 | 11:00 | Relay Men 4 x 7,5 km |
| 11 Jan 2026 | 14:30 | Pursuit Women 10 km |
(All information is subject to change. Time = CET)
Biathlon World Cup Ruhpolding 14 Jan - 18 Jan 2026
Start times and disciplines in Ruhpolding (Germany):
| Date | Start | Discipline |
|---|---|---|
| 14 Jan 2026 | 14:30 | Relay Women 4 x 6 km |
| 15 Jan 2026 | 14:30 | Relay Men 4 x 7,5 km |
| 16 Jan 2026 | 14:30 | Sprint Women 7,5 km |
| 17 Jan 2026 | 14:30 | Sprint Men 10 km |
| 18 Jan 2026 | 12:30 | Pursuit Women 10 km |
| 18 Jan 2026 | 15:00 | Pursuit Men 12,5 km |
(All information is subject to change. Time = CET)
Biathlon World Cup Nove Mesto 22 Jan - 25 Jan 2026
Start times and disciplines in Nove Mesto (Czech Republic):
| Date | Start | Discipline |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Jan 2026 | 18:15 | Individual Men Short 15 km |
| 23 Jan 2026 | 18:15 | Individual Women Short 12,5 km |
| 24 Jan 2026 | 13:15 | Single Mixed Relay |
| 24 Jan 2026 | 15:10 | Team Mixed Relay |
| 25 Jan 2026 | 15:15 | Mass Start Men 15 km |
| 25 Jan 2026 | 18:15 | Mass Start Women 12,5 km |
(All information is subject to change. Time = CET)
Olympic Games Antholz 08 Feb - 21 Feb 2026
Start times and disciplines in Antholz (Italy):
| Date | Start | Discipline |
|---|---|---|
| 08 Feb 2026 | 14:05 | Team Mixed Relay |
| 10 Feb 2026 | 13:30 | Individual Men 20 km |
| 11 Feb 2026 | 14:15 | Individual Women 15 km |
| 13 Feb 2026 | 14:00 | Sprint Men 10 km |
| 14 Feb 2026 | 14:00 | Sprint Women 7,5 km |
| 15 Feb 2026 | 11:15 | Pursuit Men 12,5 km |
| 15 Feb 2026 | 14:45 | Pursuit Women 10 km |
| 17 Feb 2026 | 14:30 | Relay Men 4 x 7,5 km |
| 18 Feb 2026 | 14:45 | Relay Women 4 x 6 km |
| 20 Feb 2026 | 14:15 | Mass Start Men 15 km |
| 21 Feb 2026 | 14:15 | Mass Start Women 12,5 km |
(All information is subject to change. Time = CET)
Biathlon World Cup Kontiolahti 05 Mar - 08 Mar 2026
Start times and disciplines in Kontiolahti (Finland):
| Date | Start | Discipline |
|---|---|---|
| 05 Mar 2026 | 17:05 | Individual Women 15 km |
| 06 Mar 2026 | 17:10 | Individual Men 20 km |
| 07 Mar 2026 | 13:40 | Mass Start Women 12,5 km |
| 07 Mar 2026 | 15:40 | Relay Men 4 x 7,5 km |
| 08 Mar 2026 | 13:30 | Relay Women 4 x 6 km |
| 08 Mar 2026 | 16:55 | Mass Start Men 15 km |
(All information is subject to change. Time = CET)
Biathlon World Cup Otepää 12 Mar - 15 Mar 2026
Start times and disciplines in Otepää (Estonia):
| Date | Start | Discipline |
|---|---|---|
| 12 Mar 2026 | 15:15 | Sprint Men 10 km |
| 13 Mar 2026 | 15:15 | Sprint Women 7,5 km |
| 14 Mar 2026 | 13:30 | Pursuit Men 12,5 km |
| 14 Mar 2026 | 16:00 | Pursuit Women 10 km |
| 15 Mar 2026 | 12:35 | Single Mixed Relay |
| 15 Mar 2026 | 14:40 | Team Mixed Relay |
(All information is subject to change. Time = CET)
Biathlon World Cup Oslo 19 Mar - 22 Mar 2026
Start times and disciplines in Oslo (Norway):
| Date | Start | Discipline |
|---|---|---|
| 19 Mar 2026 | 16:15 | Sprint Women 7,5 km |
| 20 Mar 2026 | 16:15 | Sprint Men 10 km |
| 21 Mar 2026 | 13:45 | Pursuit Women 10 km |
| 21 Mar 2026 | 16:15 | Pursuit Men 12,5 km |
| 22 Mar 2026 | 13:45 | Mass Start Women 12,5 km |
| 22 Mar 2026 | 16:30 | Mass Start Men 15 km |
(All information is subject to change. Time = CET)