One arena to host all 4 competitions of Orienteering World Cup in Czechia

15. 1. 2026

The Orienteering World Cup in Czechia will take place on August 5–9 in Vyšší Brod. And with the new year comes the time to reveal where the competition arena will be located, which has been kept secret until now.

Previous world events held in Czechia were characterized by the fact that they took place in multiple locations, with races held in different terrains and the competition center located in different arenas. But this year, there will be a change – for the 2026 World Cup, a concept was devised whereby all races would take place in a single arena. However, the courses will definitely not suffer as a result, as revealed by the Sport Director Radim Hošek: “The arena is surrounded by forests that gives enough space to conduct four races in various types of terrain.”

One arena means a number of advantages for both competitors and organizers, as Matěj Burda explains on behalf of the organizers: “I see a big advantage in the fact that everything we build in the arena will remain there until the last race. We won’t have to tear anything down, transport it, and rebuild it. Thanks to this, we will be able to offer all participants greater comfort and introduce new features that they might not otherwise experience during the races.”

The arena for all the 2026 World Cup and GAPP Czech O-Tour races will be located on a meadow near the former village of Martínkov, which is just 3 km south of the center of Vyšší Brod. This convenient location not only offers an excellent space for spreading the races across the wider area, but also a great opportunity for spectators to cycle to the arena directly from Vyšší Brod.