Hobby Biathlon
From passive spectator to active beginner
Try out the popular combination sport for yourself
Biathlon is one of the most popular sports on television and is hard to beat in terms of drama. Professional biathletes push their heart rate to the maximum in this extreme sport - at over 200 bpm. Only to completely control their heart rate a few seconds later and hit a small target 50 metres away. The right tactics at the shooting range can make the difference between victory, a penalty round or defeat.
If you would like to try out this unique combination sport of endurance and precision for yourself on a cross-country skiing holiday, you will find the perfect conditions in selected top cross-country skiing regions in Austria, Germany and Italy. From taster sessions and workshops lasting several days to team building - under professional supervision, even amateur athletes can put their accuracy at the shooting range and their endurance on the cross-country ski trail to the test. The necessary rental equipment is available on site - the only question that remains is: Are you ready for the hobby biathlon adventure?
Biathlon for beginners in your favourite cross-country skiing region
From Hochfilzen to Seefeld, from Oberstdorf to Livignio - discover the top biathlon regions in the Alps on your cross-country skiing holiday and test your own marksmanship alongside the pros in a taster biathlon.
Cross-country skiing & ski touring in Filzmoos: Panorama, sun, top trails & routes - free use of trails, ideal for beginners & pros.
Enjoy 138 km of trails through the Allgäu winter landscape on a cross-country skiing holiday in Oberstdorf - with world championship trails and Nordic infrastructure.
Livigno - the "Little Tibet" of the Alps: 30 km of trails, altitude up to 2,000 metres and biathlon arena. A dream setting for pure cross-country skiing.
Cross-country skiing on the glacier & across secluded valley trails: experience your Styrian winter dream on a cross-country skiing holiday in Schladming-Dachstein.
400 kilometres of cross-country trails, sunny winter days and a world-class biathlon centre await you in East Tyrol - simply Nordic through and through.
Cross-country skiing & ski tours in 3 countries: 232 km of trails & 22 tours in 8 regions - nordic³ stands for variety in the border triangle.
Experience a unique 245 km of cross-country skiing trails at a sunny 1,200 m above sea level on a cross-country skiing holiday in the Seefeld region - Tyrol's high plateau.
Discover the largest network of cross-country ski trails in Austria: in Tyrol's Kaiserwinkl region, you can glide through up to 253.5 km of pure nature on a cross-country skiing holiday.
Cross-country skiing at Kronplatz: 172 kilometres of trails with a view of the Dolomites and Olympic flair in the South Tyrol Arena Antholz.
Biathlon - a unique combination of endurance and precision
Biathlon is one of the most demanding sports in the world - after all, the Nordic discipline is a unique combination of two fundamentally different requirements: Endurance and precision. The combination of cross-country skiing and shooting is unique, as biathletes have to calm their heartbeat in just a few seconds after a demanding run in order to shoot precisely at targets, either lying down or standing up. Missed shots are punished with penalties or time penalties, which provide extra excitement - and have cost many a favourite their victory. The trick is to remain calm and focussed, control your pulse and aim precisely at the moment of maximum physical and mental stress.
Biathlon taster courses: At the start with the pros
When the best ski hunters compete, millions regularly watch on television. On German television, biathlon is by far the most popular winter sport with an average of 3.45 million viewers watching live broadcasts. If you fancy trying your hand at biathlon on holiday, you will find the perfect infrastructure in selected cross-country skiing regions in Austria, Germany and Italy.
Where top athletes usually train and achieve top performances in international races, amateur and recreational athletes can also put their marksmanship to the test all year round in state-of-the-art biathlon centres. For example, at the Hochfilzen training centre, which has produced Austria's most successful biathlete in Dominik Landertinger.
Under the professional guidance of top trainers, you will learn the optimum dynamic running style, efficient pulse control and the correct breathing and shooting technique. Take on the unique challenge of the hobby biathlon - and demonstrate a steady hand at the shooting range with a racing pulse. It's more difficult than you might imagine in front of the TV at home - but a unique experience for the whole family. And perhaps soon your new favourite hobby.
How the biathlon taster session works
- Dynamic, short running units with a professional trainer
- Handling laser, air rifle or small-calibre rifle; shooting prone & standing
- brief material & rules
- Breathing & shooting techniques - for the optimum pulse and rhythm under pressure
- final relay competition (alternative) - incl. penalty round in the event of a miss
From ski hunters to top athletes: where does biathlon come from?
The roots of biathlon lie in the military and hunting on skis. The popular combination sport has its origins in Norway: Swedish and Norwegian soldiers organised the first competitions on the border between the two countries - which is why biathlon was also known as the military patrol race until the Second World War.
Biathlon Funfacts - good to know
- The toilet roll comparison: in the World Cup, the targets are 50 m apart - you can imagine the target size to be as big as the inside of a toilet roll: Prone shooting: 45 mm; standing shooting: 115 mm
- No lightweight: In competition, a biathlon rifle must weigh between 3.5 - 7.5 kg (without ammunition/magazine)
- A miss in the individual race is penalised by a 150 metre penalty loop or 1 minute time penalty
- There are 7 different competition disciplines in the biathlon
- Biathlon has been an Olympic sport since 1960; women only made their Olympic debut in 1992
- Gender pioneer in prize money: since biathlon has been represented in the World Cup, men and women have earned the same amount internationally for victories
- The Norwegian Ole Einar Bjørndalen is regarded as the best biathlete of all time: The "King of Biathlon" won 8 Olympic gold medals in his more than 20-year professional career and became world champion 20 times in different disciplines.
- The 2017 Biathlon World Championships in Hochfilzen generated a TV advertising value in Austria and Germany totalling EUR 10,257,862; highest viewer rating for the men's sprint with 541,000 viewers; in Germany an average of 4.66 million viewers for the men's mass start
- Since 1996, summer biathlon on rollers has been its own form of competition, including the World Championships
Events 2026 - Olympic Games & World Cup as guests
2026 is THE super biathlon year! In addition to numerous high-calibre World Cup events, the 2026 Winter Olympics will also create real biathlon hype in our cross-country skiing regions. For example, with eleven biathlon events such as the sprint, pursuit, individual, relay and mixed relay in Antholz in South Tyrol. Here are just a few highlights of the 2026 Nordic event calendar:
- BMW IBU World Cup in Hochfilzen, 4 Dec - 07 Dec 2025
- IBU CUP in Obertilliach, 4 Dec - 07 Dec 2025
- IBU Junior Cup in Martell (highest league for young biathletes), 15 Dec - 21 Dec 2025
- Nordic combined in Ramsau, 18 Dec - 20 Dec 2025
- Nordic Combined Triple 2026, Nordic combined in Seefeld, 30 Jan - 1 Feb 2026
- 2026 Winter Olympics, biathlon competitions in Antholz, 06 Feb - 22 Feb 2026
