What is the format of Olympic cross-country skiing races?

Cross-country skiing events vary by distance, start method (mass start vs. interval start), technique (classical vs. freestyle), and competition format. For the first time at the 2026 Games, men and women will compete in the same distances for each event.

What are the events in Olympic cross-country skiing?

Here are the events that men and women will compete in at the 2026 Olympic Games:

  • Skiathlon (10km + 10 km)
  • Individual Sprint (Classical)
  • 10km (Freestyle)
  • 4x7.5km Relay
  • Team Sprint (Freestyle)
  • 50km (Classical) 

How is timing and scoring done in cross-country skiing?

  • Individual: Skiers race 10km (6.2 miles) against the clock. They start one at a time in 30 second intervals. The athlete with the fastest time wins.
  • Sprint: In 2026, the sprint course is 1,585 meters (just less than a mile long). The men's and women's individual sprints will use a knockout progression format. In the qualifying round, the fastest-30 skiers progress to elimination rounds. Times do not carry over. There are five quarterfinal heats, each of which includes six athletes. The two-fastest skiers in each quarterfinal heat advance to the semifinals, in addition to two “lucky losers” (athletes with the fastest time from any quarterfinal heat who already aren’t qualified). There are two semifinal heats, each with six skiers. The fastest-two athletes in each semifinal advance to the final, in addition to two “lucky losers” from the entire semifinal field. The winner is the first athlete to cross the finish line in the final.
  • Team sprint: In 2026, the sprint course is 1,585 meters (just less than a mile long). The men's and women's team sprints will use a knockout progression format. Teams consist of two athletes, who alternate skiing one leg at a time. In qualification, there are two laps (one for each team member), with teams going off at an interval of 30 seconds. The final round consists of one heat of 15 teams. There are six laps in the final (three for each team member). The team whose anchor leg crosses the finish line first in the final is the winner
  • Skiathlon: Skiers race 10km (6.2 miles) using the classic technique and then 10km (6.2 miles) in freestyle. All of the skiers start the race at the same time. The first athlete to cross the finish line wins the gold medal.
  • Relay: Each skier races a 7.5km (4.6 miles) leg. All athletes skiing the first leg of the relay for their respective teams start together. The team whose anchor leg skier crosses the finish line first wins the gold medal.
  • Mass Start: Skiers race 50km to the finish, which converts to about 31 miles. The entire field starts together. The first athlete to cross the finish line wins.

How do athletes qualify for Olympic cross-country skiing?

The maximum team size is 16 athletes for each country, made up of eight men and eight women. However, the final team size depends on the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) quota. A maximum of four athletes per discipline in each gender are permitted to start each competition.

Teams for each country are selected based on FIS Cross-Country World Cup results as well as discretionary selection.

The first selection method designates the top-eight individual final World Cup finishers to the team; however, this method cannot exceed more than 75% of the total team quota. The second method is discretionary selection and cannot exceed 25% of the total team quota.

What are the rules of Olympic cross-country skiing?

1. Competitors must follow the marked course in correct sequence from start to finish and must pass all control points

2. If a competitor skis on a wrong section or leaves the marked course, (s)he should return to the point where the error was made. In order to do so, the competitor may have to ski against the correct ski direction and shall be totally responsible for ensuring there is no obstruction and for ensuring the other competitors are not endangered.

3. Competitors must cover the whole distance on their skis using only their own means of propulsion. Help from outside pacemakers is not allowed.

4. In classical technique competitions, the competitors must use classical technique only

5. In Interval Start competitions, any violation of classical technique (for example skating strides to maintain or increase the speed) will be considered to affect the results (due to improved time), and the jury will apply the appropriate sanction regardless of the time difference between skiers, even for a winning athlete

6. Obstruction is not allowed in any competition. Obstruction is defined as deliberately impeding, blocking, charging or pushing any competitor with any part of the body or ski equipment.

7. Waxing, scraping or cleaning of the skis during competition is forbidden in freestyle technique competitions, but allowed in classical technique competitions, where the athletes may scrape their skis to remove snow and ice and add wax, if necessary. Competitors may be handed tools or materials, but the athletes, themselves, must do everything else outside the track without further assistance.

8. Competitors must wear and use all means of identification (bibs, leg numbers, timing chips) provided

What is the difference between classic and freestyle techniques?

There are two styles of cross-country skiing: classic and freestyle. In classic races, skiers use the traditional striding technique. It can be compared to running on skis. The freestyle technique, which also often os referred to as skating, is more of a push out and glide motion where the skier makes lateral movements relative to the direction they are traveling.
 

How are interval starts and mass starts structured in Olympic cross-country skiing?

Interval vs. mass starts:

Cross-country skiing events at the Olympics begin with either an interval start or a mass start. In interval start races, skiers begin racing one at a time. In mass start races, all skiers are required to begin together. Seeded skiers are given the most favorable start position.

Specific interval start race details:

In the qualification sprint round, skiers start every 15 seconds. The start order alternates between the top-15 athletes on the Sprint World Cup ranking list (plus the overall World Cup leader if already not included) and athletes ranked 15-30, followed by the rest of the field. 

In the 10km, skiers start every 30 seconds. The start order begins with athletes ranked 15-30 for the women’s event and athletes ranked 15-40 for the men’s event. Then, the order alternates between the top-15 skiers on the Distance World Cup ranking list (if the overall World Cup leader is not in the top 15, only the top-14 skiers) and skiers ranked 30-45 for the women’s event and 40-55 in the men’s event. The rest of the field follows.

How do weather and snow conditions impact cross-country skiing races?

Weather and snow conditions can vary at each Olympic games depending on the location and climate. Typically, elite athletes train in a variety of locations and climates and are prepared for whatever they may face on race day.

Wax is a tool that many cross-country skiers use to manage race day conditions, including snow condition, snow temperature, air temperature and air humidity. There are two wax types commonly used on cross-country skis: kick wax and glide wax. Kick wax, also known as grip wax, is used on skis during classical technique races. It helps increase the friction between the skis and snow in order to improve traction. Glide wax is used on the tips and tails of skis during classical races and on the entire length of the skis in freestyle races. It is used to decrease the friction between the skis and the snow.