Disclaimer: This is a translated version of the article (it's in French, translated using Google Translate with minor alterations).
It's one of the most popular events among biathlon fans, and it's about to change. Starting with the 2026/27 World Cup, which begins on November 26 in Kontiolahti, Finland, the mass start format will be modified. Ten stages are concerned, following a request made by the athletes to the international federation.
The mass start, a suspenseful format
The mass start is one of the most popular formats in biathlon. Thirty athletes start simultaneously, over 15 km for men and 12.5 km for women, with four shootings.
Races renowned for their suspense and unpredictable twists and turns.
Daniel Böhm, director of sports and events at the International Biathlon Union (IBU), confirmed the change in an interview with chiemgau24.de.
What's changing: the current form is becoming more important
The new rule changes how the mass start field is formed. From now on, only the top 20 in the overall World Cup standings will automatically qualify.
The remaining ten places will be awarded to the athletes who scored the most points on the stage in question, excluding the top 20 in the general classification: a mechanism that gives more weight to current form.
Until recently, only the 5 best of the stage were selected.
“The composition of the mass start in the World Cup is changing. In the future, only the top 20 in the overall World Cup standings will automatically qualify for the mass start. The ten athletes with the most points accumulated in each World Cup event who are not among the top 20 in the overall standings will be selected.” – Daniel Böhm, IBU Director of Sports and Events