The local weather forecast for Thursday (Long) predicts heavy storms in the early morning, heavy storms in the evening and minor and uncertain storms and showers during the day.
In order to mitigate risks on the athletes health, the organizers after thorough discussions with IOF representatives and TV production decided to squeeze the programme followingly:
The first start is at 10:00, the quarantine deadline is at 11:00, the Women A final run between 10-12, Men A final between 12-14.
Today the teams took part in model events and we all enjoyed the opening ceremony. Tomorrow, the real show starts. Good news is the photo galleries are now open and active – thousands of photos to come. Bookmark the photo page and keep coming back.
Photo: Petr Kadeřávek
The World Cup Has Quietly Arrived
It began, as big things often do, with small steps. A minibus with foreign plates easing across the town square. A flag-carrying backpack leaning against the monastery wall. Somebody asking, in careful English, where the accreditation office might be.
Today was the first official day of the Orienteering World Cup in Vyšší Brod, and it looked exactly the way a first day should. Teams strolled in from all corners of the orienteering world, collected their accreditation cards, and immediately set off again — this time into the forest, where the model event offered a first, polite handshake with the Czech terrain. The forest, we are told, shook hands firmly.
The organisers strolled in too, though “strolled” may be generous — they mostly hurried, carrying banners, cables and clipboards, turning a quiet corner of South Bohemia into a World Cup venue one box at a time.
And the locals noticed. Of course they noticed. There are suddenly more languages on the square than usual, more lean people in running tights studying maps over coffee, more curious glances exchanged in both directions. Vyšší Brod is sizing up its guests, and the guests are sizing up Vyšší Brod. So far, both sides seem pleased.
The atmosphere is building slowly but surely, like a runner settling into pace. Tomorrow brings the Opening Ceremony on the town square; the day after, the racing begins. Tonight, the town hums quietly, one accreditation card at a time.
The World Cup is here. It just hasn’t raised its voice yet.
Spectators info updated!
All the info regarding you arrival, arena entry, parking, transportation, side programme, spectators races, and other important aspects of your visit to World Cup Czechia 2026 has been updated.
Only a few days are left until this year’s most significant orienteering event to be held in the Czech Republic: the Orienteering World Cup. We hope there will be many supporters cheering for the world’s top O-runners. In addition to competing in the accompanying Czech O-Tour Event, you can also use your free time to explore the surrounding area—and why not with a new application developed by Czech orienteers known as “Venku.app”.
What is Venku.app?
Venku.app is a modern app inspired by the Swedish project Hittaut. It combines outdoor activity with a game-based approach to develop map-reading and navigation skills. It’s a great way to spend more time outdoors, make your family walks more interesting, discover new corners of the country, or even see familiar places in a new light. All you have to do is download the app to your phone, find the nearest location, and you’re ready to set out in search of checkpoints. You can start right in the area around the OWC arena, where a temporary location will be set up during the World Cup. It’s the perfect opportunity to get acquainted with the app.
Two New Locations in the vicinity of OWC
Should you wish to explore the app a little bit more, there are two more locations available close to OWC venue. Furthermore, both are situated in attractive spots – so why not combine a small trip with a Venku.app game?
Vyšší Brod Town Centre
A completely new location that you can explore on your way to or back from the arena. Vyšší Brod is often the starting point where kayakers set out to sail the Vltava River, hikers begin their trails, and history lovers head straight to the Cistercian monastery. Discover the beauty of Vyšší Brod with Venku.app and explore places you might not otherwise visit. There are 14 locations of all difficulty levels in the town centre and its surroundings.
Lipno nad Vltavou Surroundings
Lipno nad Vltavou – popular destination for day trips and all-seasons vacations – is just a few kilometers from the arena. The area around Lipno nad Vltavou has something for everyone. The new Venku.app location is situated right at the summit of Kramolín, where the famous Treetop Walk is located. Come explore the area around this popular place with Venku.app! A beautiful mountain forest awaits you, and there’s no shortage of views of the surrounding countryside. A total of 19 checkpoints are available here.
More Locations Throughout the Country
Should you stay in our country for a bit longer, you are warmly welcome to visit other Venku.app locations. They are spread all across the Czech Republic. Just open the map of locations in your app or on the Venku.app website and choose from more than 30 places throughout the country where you can play.
The World Orienteering Championships wrapped up on July 11 in Genoa, Italy, this time in the sprint disciplines. After a year, the orienteering elite is saying goodbye to twisting alleyways and full-contact knock-out sprints and everybody is heading back into the forest. The first major stop on the world orienteering calendar will be the third round of the World Cup, held in Czechia, in Vyšší Brod.
The Czech team would be among the favorites on home soil no matter what. But the World Championships showed that the Czechs are in exceptional form.
Just remember the bronze medal in the individual sprint won by Lucie Dittrichová, who ended a fourteen-year Czech wait for a World Championships medal. On top of that, Tereza Rauturier finished fourth in the same race and Jakub Glonek eighth.
The highlight of the championships came in the knock-out sprint. Tereza Rauturier turned her spot in the final into a world title. She paced herself perfectly in the highly physical race, and in a pack that stayed together all the way to the finish, she showed that nobody does the final corner and the finishing kick better than her.
The closing sprint relays brought the Czechs sixth place and a spot on the big podium. This solidified the most successful World Championships appearance in many years.
In Vyšší Brod, spectators can look forward to the full Czech team. The exact lineup isn’t known yet, but the participation of the World Championships medalists and other stars is practically a sure thing. The team will also be reinforced by several national team members who focus mainly on forest racing, giving it an extra push toward top results.
Orienteering is now heading into a “year in the forest” – a year that will culminate in the 2027 Forest World Championships in Hungary, and one during which the World Cup will visit the Czech Republic twice: in 2027, racing will take place around Česká Třebová.
Come see with your own eyes how the Czechs kick off this new chapter.
