Wisconsin to host first-ever US Biathlon Masters National Championships

A Wisconsin town of less than 2,000 will soon be the central hub for the sport of biathlon for all of North America.

Competitors from across the U.S. and Canada will converge at Ariens Nordic Center in Brillion for the first-ever U.S. Biathlon Masters Nationals and North American Masters Championships Feb. 14-16.

Biathlon is a combination of cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. Competitors race the course on skis, stop to shoot targets with rifles, then continue the race on skis. The less accurately they shoot, the more they have to ski.

The sport is included in the Winter Olympics, but the United States has never medaled in the event.

Biathlon Masters athlete and coach Gregg Pattison of Neenah told WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” he hopes events like this can help grow the sport further and help the U.S. succeed on the international stage.

“Your heart is pounding and you’re trying to calm down, but you still have to shoot really fast and accurate,” Pattison said. “It’s kind of like NASCAR and then stopping in to hit some precise golf shots, and then going back out on the NASCAR lane again.”

Ariens Nordic Center, less than an hour south of Green Bay, opened in 2023 and features over 3 miles of skiing trails and a state-of-the-art biathlon shooting range.

Director of sport operations Sean Becker told “Wisconsin Today” that Ariens sees growing interest each time they host a biathlon race.

“To be able to have our first real international competition happen here is really going to help put us on the map for these types of events,” Becker said. “We’ve got three huge races all happening in one biathlon festival weekend.”

With upwards of 100 athletes hitting the slopes this weekend, Ariens has been manufacturing snow around the clock and preparing dozens of volunteers to help run the events.

The races are divided by age category, from under 30 all the way to 70 and older.

The whole event is open to the public to come check out the sport, with specially designed trails for quality viewing angles.

“It’s going to be a really cool opportunity for people from all over this area to come and watch athletes competing in this sport,” Becker said. “We’ve got a pretty cool underpass system that allows people to see what’s going on in all areas of the course.”

Pattison is helping oversee the events and plans to participate in some races on the last day.

He hopes that having the championships be more visible in Wisconsin will help attract more newcomers to the sport.

“There are a few clubs across Wisconsin, and they all have a way where you can go and try,” Pattison said. “We have lots of people who come just to have fun.”

The first races start at 4:00 p.m. on Feb. 14 and continue through Sunday morning.