In a landmark decision, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced the approved event formats for the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics to be held in Italy, specifically in Milano/Cortina. 

The IOC ‘s Executive Board (EB) confirmed changes to the cross-country skiing program, focusing on gender equality in competition distances.

According to a press release, the decision comes after consideration of proposals put forth by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), along with recommendations from the Olympic Programme Commission (OPC). In line with these suggestions, the IOC EB has mandated aligning all cross-country skiing competition distances for both men and women.

Read More: FIS World Cup calendar and approved cross-country skiing distances

Starting from the next Winter Games, the Olympics will introduce the same distances for women and men, adopting the format from the World Cup and FIS World Championships. This means that the men’s and women’s relay events, which previously featured 4×10 kilometers and 4×5 kilometers races, respectively, will now be contested over a distance of 4×7.5 kilometers.

Additionally, modifications will be made to the skiathlon event, where men previously raced over 30 kilometers and women over 15 kilometers. Moving forward, both genders will compete in a 20 kilometers race, consisting of 10 kilometers classic technique and 10 kilometers freestyle.

And last but not least, women and men will compete for the same distance in the 50 kilometers mass start race.

Official Cross-Country Skiing Program for the 2026 Winter Olympics

• Skiathlon: 10 kilometers Classic + 10 kilometers Freestyle Women and Men
• Sprint: Classic Women and Men 
• Team Sprint: Freestyle Women and Men 
• Relay: 4×7.5 kilometers Women and Men
• 10 kilometers: Freestyle Women and Men
• 50 kilometers: Mass Start Classic Women and Men

For more information on traditional cross-country skiing and to stay updated on the latest news and developments, click here.