Canmore Set To Welcome Biathlon World: IBU Cups 7 & 8 Canmore 

CANMORE AB – Hosting its seventh international biathlon competition in the past eleven years, the Alberta Event Hosting Society for Biathlon is organizing the IBU Cup Biathlon 2023 Canmore from Feb. 20 - Mar 4, 2023. More than 125 athletes from 23 nations will compete on 6 Biathlon race days while in Canmore, capping off their 2022/2023 IBU Cup season.

The races are FREE to attend, with free shuttle transportation to and from downtown Canmore on race days (Feb 23, 25 , 26 and Mar 1, 3, 4). In conjunction with the Canmore Winter Carnival, the opening ceremonies will be held February 21st 2023 at the Canmore Civic Centre Plaza from 5:30-6:30pm. Daily medal and season long winners being awarded at the Canmore Nordic Centre after each day of racing.

A complete schedule and more information can be found on the event website. For those that are unable to attend in person, catch all the action through the online livestream on CBC Sports.

Biathlon is an Olympic sport combining cross-country skiing and precision rifle shooting. The combination of the two events adds to the unpredictability, suspense, and excitement! After skiing the course, athletes arrive at the shooting range with a racing heartbeat, heaving chest, and ticking clock. Targets are 4.5cm (the size of a Timbit) for prone and 11.5cm (the size of a CD) for standing shooting, at a 50m distance on the shooting range.

This year’s event features athletes from Mexico and Denmark, with both nations making their Canmore biathlon debut. It also marks the first international event to be held at the Canmore Nordic Centre while extensive work is underway to renovate the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics Legacy site, following the Government of Alberta’s $17.5M investment in the facility.

Due to ongoing construction and event set-up at the Nordic Centre, parking will extremely limited. Users are encouraged to utilize the free shuttle transportation, walk, or bike to the Nordic Centre.

The 2023 IBU Cups are estimated to deliver an economic impact of $2M in the Town of Canmore. The races are proudly supported by presenting sponsors Tourism Canmore Kananaskis, the Government of Alberta, and Sport Canada, along with the help of 200+ volunteers and countless community partners.

We hope to see you in Canmore!