Biathlon targets are very small: at 50 meters, the hit circles are about the size of a lime for prone and an orange for standing.

Exact target sizes

  • Prone shooting target diameter: 45 mm (about 1.8 inches), roughly a small lime or plum.
  • Standing shooting target diameter: 115 mm (about 4.5 inches), roughly an average apple or orange.
  • Distance to targets: 50 meters for standard biathlon competition.
  • Targets per lane: 5 circular targets arranged in a horizontal row at each shooting bout.

Put simply, when you watch biathlon on TV, those “tiny black circles” athletes are trying to hit are 4.5 cm across when prone and 11.5 cm across when standing, all from 50 m away.

Quick size reference (for feel)

  • Prone target (45 mm): like aiming at a small lime at the far end of a 25‑story building’s length.
  • Standing target (115 mm): like an apple at the same distance.

These dimensions are standardized by international biathlon regulations, so they’re the same at World Cups and the Winter Olympics.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.