A lot of people may be wondering ‘what exactly is biathlon?’ Some ask if it is a cross between running/swimming, biking/running, etc. I also get a lot of James Bond references which are closer to what I actually do. Biathlon is a cross between the high endurance sport of cross country skiing and the focused intensity of riflery. Both sports are extremely demanding on their own.
The biathlete starts by skiing one lap with their ten pound rifle harnessed to their back. The course takes them directly into the shooting range where they must quickly get into firing position. The biathlete’s goal is to calm their rapid heart rate and control their breathing. They are aiming to hit all five targets roughly the size of a golf ball from 150 feet away as quickly and efficiently as possible. When they leave the range they will ski one 150 meter penalty loop per missed target. The cycle repeats one or three more times before skiing their finish lap.