FIS Cross-Country Committee reveals new Heat Mass Start format for Tour de Ski, and return of Holmenkollen 50km

The main issue for the FIS Cross-Country Committee at last week’s Spring Meetings in Vilamoura (POR) was the 2025-26 FIS Cross-Country World Cup calendar, which features a mix of new and familiar events.

To mark the 20th edition of the Tour de Ski, there will be a new race format for Stage 3 in Toblach (ITA). Known as the Heat Mass Start, around 20-25 skiers per gender - decided by the general classification and with a maximum of three athletes per team - will compete over a 5km distance in separate heats. As soon as the first heat has finished, the second will start and so on.

Devised by the Polish Ski Association and Swiss Ski, the idea was to create a new competition format and ‘new story’ in the Tour de Ski. This format certainly delivers with essentially 10 races on the day generating great excitement. While times will go towards the overall standings, the athletes are battling to win their own races with speed, tactics and strategy playing their parts.

Returning to the schedule after a one-year absence is the 50km Mass Start in Holmenkollen, Oslo (NOR), one of the highlights of the World Cup campaign with thousands of spectators providing a raucous, party atmosphere. This year, the plan is to hold both men’s and women’s races on Saturday March 14. A feasibility study will be conducted to determine if this can indeed take place.

Also on the program is Oberhof (GER) with the World Cup returning to Germany after a year away. Trondheim (NOR) is also restored after it hosted the 2025 Nordic World Ski Championships.

And the World Cup is back in North America with Lake Placid (USA) hosting the season finale from March 20-22. A stop in the United States has been deemed important for the committee, not least to inspire further interest in that part of the world, with the U.S. boasting one of the strongest teams in the sport.

The season gets underway in Ruka (FIN) with three races - a 10km Interval Start Classic, a Sprint Classic and a 20km Mass Start Freestyle - taking place from November 28-30. Then come the traditional stops in Trondheim and Davos (SUI), before the Tour de Ski.

After the Tour de Ski come Oberhof and Goms (SUI), with the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympic Games just around the corner. These will take place at Val di Fiemme (ITA) with the skiers having already raced there extensively during the Tour de Ski.

After Milano-Cortina 2026, the racers return to action at the end of February in Falun (SWE), before two races in Lahti (FIN), and then a stand-alone midweek Sprint Classic in Drammen (NOR). Two days later is the Holmenkollen 50km followed by the Lake Placid season climax.

Also taking place in the season ahead are the FIS Nordic Junior World Ski Championships, and U23 World Ski Championships Cross-Country, in Trondheim from March 2-8.

FIS Cross-Country Race Director Michal Lamplot hailed a “very good and productive committee meeting” in Vilamoura at the end of “an amazing season”.

“The big highlight was in Trondheim where Cross-Country was really celebrated,” he added. “And it was amazing to see all the people cheering for our athletes in and out of the stands."