Fabian Brunner is looking forward to the new season. © Christian Staffler

Alpine Luge World Cup: This is the race calendar

The FIL Alpine Luge World Cup is kicking off the 2025/2026 season with some interesting new features. The International Luge Federation (FIL) has approved the race calendar, culminating in the 31st European Championships in Laas in mid-January 2026.

August 15, 2025

From: pm/det

The first season under the new name FIL Alpine Luge World Cup (formerly Natural Track Luge, editor's note) begins in Winterleiten shortly before Christmas and concludes in mid-February with the World Cup finals in Jaufental. A total of seven races (six World Cups and one Eliminator) in the women's singles, men's singles, and doubles categories are scheduled.

After two weeks of international training in Kühtai and Winterleiten, the first World Cup points will be awarded at the double World Cup in Winterleiten from December 18th to 21st. The year 2026 begins with a "South Tyrol block," and immediately after the turn of the year, the third World Cup will take place in Passeier from January 2nd to 4th, 2026. The legendary Bergkristall track thus returns to the World Cup after a five-year hiatus. The action then continues from January 16th to 18th in Deutschnofen, before the battle for European Championship medals moves on to Laas from January 23rd to 25th.

New European champions wanted

For the marble village, these are the second European Championships after 2022, when South Tyroleans Alex Gruber and Evelin Lanthaler prevailed. Both have since retired, as has defending champion Patrick Pigneter, who, like Lanthaler, was crowned European Champion in Jaufental in 2024. This means there will be new European champions in the singles, while defending champions Maximilian Pichler/Nico Edlinger are among the favorites in the doubles.

World Cup and Youth Games together

A particularly intense racing weekend awaits athletes in Umhausen from February 5 to 8. The fifth World Cup will be held on the 2021 World Championship track, with the only Eliminator scheduled for Sunday. Parallel to the World Cup, the 2026 FIL Youth Games will be held on the Grantau track.

The World Cup final will take place from February 19 to 21 on the 2023 European Championship track in Jaufental, with the Tonnerboden track hosting the final for the first time.

"After the prominent retirements at the end of last season, the cards are definitely being reshuffled in alpine luge, and a new era is beginning. While the men's event already boasts World Cup winners from the new generation, with Daniel Gruber and Fabian Brunner (both from South Tyrol), there is no World Cup winner competing in the women's event. This makes the situation even more exciting," says Andreas Castiglioni, Director of Sport and Technology for Alpine Luge.

Junior World Championships in Mariazell

The Alpine Luge Junior World Cup begins at the end of December in Winterleiten. After the Passeier Valley and Umhausen at the beginning of January, the 29 Junior World Championships will take place in Mariazell from January 1 to February 2026. The final will take place in Latsch from February 13 to 15.

Test race in Bavaria

Development of the new sports equipment continues, so a test race on the new alpine toboggan will take place next winter. At the end of February, the various race formats and equipment configurations will be tested under racing conditions at the Jenner ski resort in Berchtesgaden.