Biathlon World Cup opener in Kontiolahti: Between the trails and the shooting range

Kontiolahti opens the Biathlon World Cup from 26 to 29 November 2026 with individual races, both mixed formats and sprints. The weekend begins on Thursday and shows how running performance and shooting come together after the preparation phase. Start times, TV coverage and results are available on the Kontiolahti venue page.

The organiser has published the programme. All times are in Finnish local time; CET is one hour behind. For the individual races and the women's sprint, the organiser and the international federation currently give slightly different start times; check the venue page shortly before the race for the latest information.

• Thursday, 26 November: Men's 20-kilometre individual, 17:10 / 16:10 CET.
• Friday, 27 November: Women's 15-kilometre individual, 17:10 / 16:10 CET.
• Saturday, 28 November: Single mixed relay, 14:10 / 13:10 CET; mixed relay, 16:15 / 15:15 CET.
• Sunday, 29 November: Men's 10-kilometre sprint, 14:00 / 13:00 CET; women's 7.5-kilometre sprint, 17:55 / 16:55 CET.

In the individual races, longer running loops alternate with shooting. On Saturday, the focus turns to teamwork. The single mixed relay is the format with one man and one woman. In the mixed relay, two women and two men compete for each team. Which athletes the teams select for these races has not yet been confirmed in this preview.

The biathlon stadium is located at around 120 metres above sea level, while the trail network ranges from 88 to 128 metres. The low altitude does not make the loops flat.

The climb known as “The Wall” is particularly demanding. It requires another burst of strength, especially towards the end of a race. For you at the side of the course, it offers a good view of the athletes' running technique; in the stadium, you can follow the changes at the shooting range more closely. It is difficult to see both from one fixed position.

For the men's individual, Éric Perrot, Sturla Holm Lægreid and Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen are obvious candidates. In March 2026, they formed the podium here in that order. For the men's sprint, Lægreid, Émilien Jacquelin and Perrot stand out: they took the top three places in the final World Cup sprint of last season in Oslo.

In the women's individual, Elvira Öberg and Hanna Öberg are among the names to watch after their one-two finish in Kontiolahti in March. Lou Jeanmonnot won the individual standings in 2025/26. For the women's sprint, the result in Otepää points to Julia Simon, Lisa Vittozzi and Jeanmonnot, who made up that sprint podium. Vittozzi also finished ahead of Simon at Loop One in Munich on 18 October. This offers a fresh indication, but does not replace a World Cup race on snow.

For the single mixed relay, Sebastian Samuelsson and Ella Halvarsson are worth watching after their win at the 2025 season opener in Östersund. Lægreid and Maren Kirkeeide finished behind them. For the mixed relay, Perrot, Jacquelin and Jeanmonnot from the French winning quartet at the time provide some pointers. This does not indicate the Kontiolahti line-up.

The selection is based on the position as at 22 October. Confirmed starters from Germany, Austria and Switzerland will only be included after the federations have announced their nominations. A name from last season is not confirmation of participation; form can change before the opener.

The organiser sells tickets for the main stand (from 20 euros for adults) and the course areas (from 15 euros); children under twelve accompanied by an adult are admitted to the course areas free of charge. A main-stand ticket also gives you access to the course; the stand areas are standing areas. Tickets are available online and at the sales container near the main entrance. Choose your access point depending on whether you mainly want to see the shooting or a section of the race.

From Germany and Austria, you can plan your journey via Helsinki to Joensuu. VisitKarelia lists both the train connection and flights between Helsinki and Joensuu. On race days, the organiser provides free spectator buses from Joensuu, Kontiolahti and Lehmo to the stadium. The exact departure windows will follow. The buses stop near the main gate.

By car, the signposted routes lead from Kajaanintie via Lehmo or Uuro to the venue. Racing operations may change the usual routes. Check the spectator routing before relying on a parking option from a general mapping service.

The Kontiolahti competition course is closed to other users during World Cup week. The portrait of the Chiemgau-Arena helps distinguish the public loop from the competition venue.

Compare accommodation based on the route to the right trail access point and spectator entrance. The current trail report determines which loop is actually open.