Folk biathlon at the Christmas market: Spectacular competitions in Hofgeismar!

Folk biathlon at the Christmas market: Spectacular competitions in Hofgeismar!

The Christmas market in Hofgeismar promises a very special highlight this year: the first popular biathlon will take place on December 7th, 2025, which appeals to both beginners and experienced athletes. The event lasts from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. and is part of a Germany-wide city biathlon tour that extends across 30 cities. The Volksbiathlon in Hofgeismar is considered an incomparable experience that makes the fun of biathlon accessible to everyone – completely free of charge!

Biathlon, which is an exciting combination of cross-country skiing and shooting, has its roots in Scandinavian skiing traditions and dates back to the 18th century, where military training was underpinned by shock and competition. This particular sport finally became Olympic in 1924 and has continued to develop and spread ever since. The competitions usually involve skiing through demarcated routes and carrying out shooting exercises, although missed shots usually result in time penalties that can influence the race result. Further informative details can be found on the Wikipedia page about biathlon.

A varied program for everyone

Participation in the popular biathlon takes place in various disciplines. These include individual and team competitions, in which both individual starters and teams of four from the region can compete. One of the innovations is prone shooting, which puts an exciting twist on the challenges and technique of biathlon. Here participants can demonstrate their skills and endurance.

A special focus is on the CardioBiathlon duel: Participants have to complete two laps of 250 meters on skis, followed by shooting while lying down and standing - with five shots each. Registration is possible on the day of the event and participation is free for everyone, which makes this sporting event particularly attractive for all age groups.

Prizes and exciting competitions

An additional highlight is the day's winner, who can qualify for the grand finale in the renowned Biathlon World Cup location Oberhof in March 2026. The prizes include a travel voucher, training with Olympic champion Michael Rösch, a winner's party and free tickets for the Biathlon World Cup in Oberhof.

For the teams, including clubs, companies, families and school classes, the team challenge will start at 2 p.m. Here men and women can compete against each other: men fight over 2 x 250 meters, while women fight over 2 x 200 meters. Missed shots are punished with a time penalty of 15 seconds. The best three teams can compete for trophies and prizes at the end.

Preparation and registration

For everyone who wants to prepare optimally for the event, a practice shooting will take place on the day of the event from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. An important registration deadline is November 26, 2025. Interest in the Biathlon Germany Tour, which has attracted over 100,000 trial shooters and 20,000 competitors over the last ten years, is extremely high.

This folk biathlon at the Christmas market in Hofgeismar will not only be a big celebration for sports enthusiasts, but also a wonderful opportunity to get together as a community and experience the sport of biathlon up close. Stop by and be there!

Further information can be found in this article from HNA.