how far is biathlon shooting

Biathlon shooting is done at a distance of 50 meters from the firing line to the targets.

Basic Shooting Distance

In standard winter biathlon, all competitors shoot at metal targets placed 50 meters away on the range, regardless of race format (sprint, pursuit, mass start, individual, relay). This 50 m distance is used in World Cup and Olympic competitions and is considered the international norm for the sport.

Target Size And Positions

Biathletes shoot in two positions: prone (lying down) and standing. In prone, the targets are about 4.5 cm (45 mm) in diameter, while in standing they are larger, about 11.5 cm (115 mm), because it is harder to hold the rifle steady upright.

Summer Or Training Variations

In some summer biathlon or training formats, reduced-distance ranges (for example 25 meters) can be used with different target systems, but these are adaptations rather than the standard competition setup. At top-level winter events, spectators can assume the shooting is always done at 50 meters, with five targets per bout and penalties for each miss.

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