Biathlon calendar world cup 2025/2026 - Schedule biathlon

The World Cup of Biathlon includes 9 events and World Championships.

• 1st Event – Östersund, Sweden – 29/11/25 – 07/12/25
• 2nd Event – Hochfilzen, Austria – 12/12/25 – 14/12/25
• 3rd Event – Annecy, France – 18/12/25 – 21/12/25
• 4th Event – Oberhof, Germany – 08/01/26 – 11/01/26
• 5th Event – Ruhpolding, Germany – 14/01/26 – 18/01/26
• 6th Event – Nove Mesto, Czech Republic – 22/01/26 – 25/01/26
• 2026 Winter Olympics – Antholz, Italy – 08/02/26 – 21/02/26
• 7th Event – Kontiolahti, Finland – 05/03/26 – 08/03/26
• 8th Event – Otepää, Estonia – 12/03/26 – 15/03/26
• 9th Event – Holmenkollen, Norway – 19/03/26 – 22/03/26

The schedule has Central European Time (CET). If you live in the UK, you have to subtract 1 hour. USA or Canada: Washington, Ottava -5; Chicago, Winnipeg - 6; Denver - 7; LA, Vancouver - 8. 

The season will be opened in Östersund.

The second event will be in Austria.

France hosts the next stage. They missed the previous season.

Double German events in Oberhof and Ruhpolding. We can confider Ruhpolding calm and stability track, but Oberhof looks like a pinata with a lot of surprises. Excess snow, lack of snow, mist, high temperature, low temperature - everything, except normal conditions.

Ruhpolding

Nove Mesto hosted the 6th stage

Two weeks' holidays and the Olympic Games in Italy

The next event will be in Kontiolahti.

Cameback Otepää

And the last event, traditionally, Holmenkollen, Norway, is the closing of the season

And we didn't see this year Oestersund! The last time Ostersund was not on the calendar was exactly 20 years ago, in the 2004-2005 season.

This is a complete calendar of the biathlon 2025-26. The schedule includes 9 World Cup events and a world championship.

Information about disciplines:

Sprint - the shortest race. It consists of three laps and two shootings. For women one lap - 2,5km, for men 3,3km. If a biathlete misses a shoot, he should run a penalty loop (50m). Sprint - the most common race of the season. Only Canmore and Ruhpolding haven't it. By results of the sprint are formed next race - pursuit.

Pursuit - all biathletes started at the same lag and positions, they finished the previous sprint. In pursuit take part just top-60 from the sprint. The race includes 5 laps (2,5km for men and 2km for women) and 4 shooting. If a biathlete misses, he also should run a penalty loop.

Individual race - oldest biathlon discipline. It's a very difficult race, because has the longest length - 20km for men, and 15 for women. It also has 5 laps and 4 shooting, but the main difference - no penalty loops. If a biathlete misses, he gets a penalty of 1 min, which is added to his time on the track.

Mass-start - one of the most popular races. There take part top-25 from the total score list. And the best 5 biathletes of this event. There at the same rules as in the pursuit. But all sportsmen starting at the same time. Usually, the decisive moment - it's the last 4th shooting. If someone misses on the last shooting, very difficult to regain lost time. 

Relay. Take part four biathlete from each county. There is a short distance, only 6km for women and 7,5 for men. Have to close all 5 targets. If biathlete misses one or more targets, he has an additional 3 cartridges for non-closed targets. If after it is non-closed targets, biathlete has to run penalty loops.

Mixed Relay. It has at the same rules as in the classic relay, but there take part two women and two men.

Single Mixed Relay. Similarly rules, but has a bit different. Take part only 1 man and 1 woman for each county. The order of performances is: Woman 2 laps - Men 2 laps - Women 2 laps - Men 3 laps (finishing). The penalty loop is two times shorter - 25m. It's the best race for "snipers".