LOTTO Thuringia ARENA am Rennsteig

Oberhof opened its doors to international competitions in 1983 with the inauguration of the then Biathlon Stadium on the occasion of the Army Spartakiade. The World Cup stadium, which has regularly hosted biathlon World Cup races since 1984, was extensively remodeled for the 2004 Biathlon World Championships between 2001 and 2003. With the completion of the arena, the appeal of skiing competitions in and around Oberhof has greatly increased. Since then, World Cup competitions in cross-country skiing and Nordic combined have also been held here. The enthusiasm of the fans and the unique atmosphere in the "cauldron" at the Grenzadler made Oberhof a mecca of biathlon sports. This is one of the reasons why Oberhof was awarded the 2023 Biathlon World Championships in September 2018. For this highlight and with a view to future competitions and events, the LOTTO Thüringen ARENA am Rennsteig is being sustainably remodeled and modernized.

 

Technical data

  • Start/finish, penalty loop and shooting range are located at 814 meters above sea level.
  • Courses range between 774 and 839 meters above sea level.
  • Shooting range with 30 stands; distance to targets: 50 meters
  • electronic targets system
  • penalty round: 5 meters wide, 150 meters long
  • 3-storey functional building with roof terraces
  • snack bar on the top floor all year round
  • indoor functional areas are reached via underground tunnels
  • approx. 25,000 spectator seats (13,000 in the stadium, 12,000 along the tracks),
  • block access for spectators from parking lot, grandstand, track
  • visibility between the spectators and the track: 55-160 meters
  • average snow depth is 35 centimeters
  • tracks can be artificially snowed
  • connection to the LOTTO Thüringen Skisport-HALLE
  • new multipurpose building at the Grenzadler

Sporting highlights

  • World Championships: 2004, (2023)
  • Junior World Championships: 1979, 1993
  • World Cups: 1984, 1985, 1986, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, since 1999 annually
  • (except 2004 - World Cup and cancellation 2016 due to lack of snow)