Overview
- Individual race payouts rise to €20,000 for a win, €16,000 for second and €13,000 for third, with the per‑race pool increasing to €130,950.
- Season awards also climb, including €45,000 for the overall crystal globe, as total athlete payouts remain about €9.3 million with World Cup prizes up by roughly €1.6 million.
- The new IBU Loop One Festival debuts October 18–19 in Munich’s Olympiapark as the official opener, featuring a supersprint format with 60 top athletes.
- Participation is required for top nations, drawing objections from stars Sturla Holm Lægreid and Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold who say the date clashes with mid‑October altitude camps; the IBU says it consulted stakeholders and chose a time that suits most.
- The World Cup begins November 29 in Östersund, pauses for the Milan‑Cortina 2026 Olympics, and resumes in March in Kontiolahti.