Sprint Orienteering has developed a great deal in Belgium, and this year is the first time the country has ever hosted a World Cup. We expect some excitement around this event after Belgian runner Yannick Michiels has become newly crowned World Games sprint champion. Yannick lives in the area around the World cup events and was interviewed in the latest IOF podcast with fellow orienteer, 21-year-old Tille de Smul. Yannick thinks the World Cup courses maybe less about barriers but more about opening up new private land. He likes being surprised by course setting in sprint events. 

Wednesday 27 August  |  Sprint Relay  – Hasselt
You will have seen runners in typical Flemish urban areas with regular patterned city streets in a beautiful old town. The terrain is flat and has mostly 100% hard surface with the arena close to the harbour.

Thursday 28 August  |  KO Sprint Qualification – Geel
The athletes would have been seen running around the city centre with wide squares, walls and a busy shopping street, with numerous schools with fenced playgrounds, as well many small parks. All qualification courses are evenly split — about 50% grass and 50% paved surfaces. Qualification race is divided into 3 different heats: 1, 2  & 3.  36 women and 36 men will qualify for the finals.  

Friday 29 August  |  KO Sprint Finals – Geel
Again in Geel, so the course will weave around Gothic to Renaissance architecture and perhaps the main market square, church parishes or past the 17th-century town hall.  13:20 – 14:40 QF broadcast (exclusively for IOF TV and Eurovision Sport), 13:25 QF first start, 15:30 – 17:30 TV Broadcast, 15:40 SF first start, 17:00 Finals start

Sunday, August 31 | Sprint-  Lier
15–20 km southeast of the city of Antwerp, Lier a called “Little Bruges” because of its canal views and features cobbled streets. The sprint qualification race with three heats for each gender. 45 women and 45 men will qualify for the finals in the afternoon. 15 athletes are qualified from each heat. The start interval is 1 minute. In case of a tie for a place in the final. All these tied competitors will qualify for the final.
9:30 Qualification, First start Men. 10:35 Qualification, First start Women, 15:15 Final, First start Men, 15:30 – 18:00 TV Broadcast, 16:30 Final, First start Women

Watch live: Start lists, live results and GPS-tracking are available at IOF LIVE:
Athletes- feel free to tag @ioforienteering & @orienteeringNZ in your Instagram-stories, so we can share them. Price (IOF TV):9 EUR per race, 25 EUR for all. Followers can purchase tickets in advance and the purchase is done on https://tv.orienteering.sport/.

Photos: from the races will be made available at the organiser homepage soon after the competition. They will be free and open for you to use. Please remember to mention the photographer stated:
https://eoc2025.be/photos/
World of O – all you need to know has previous maps and favourites