What We do
Principal Stakeholder
The British Biathlon Club - What We Do
One of Biathlon UK's principal partners is the British Biathlon Club, the most active club in the UK for biathletes of all levels from novice to elite, and it's also a focal point for all supporters and lovers of winter biathlon (cross-country ski-shooting). But our task to bring the thrill and magic of biathlon is so much broader than simply participating. For example:
....... we show other clubs how to provide ALL aspects of biathlon, including cross-country ski and rollerski racing in both disciplines, marksmanship on all types of rifle and target systems, and improvised biathlon in all its forms – whether rowing machines and laser rifles, or any other stressed-shooting or fun-biathlon that can be imagined.
...... any club that needs help to move then into real biathlon (ie 0.22in rimfire biathlon shooting at biathlon targets) can rely on our help to initiate, sort and manage the legal and practical complexities. We have a large inventory of biathlon targets and rifles to enable this.
Biathlon is fundamentally competitive, not so obviously recreational: but all sport must have pathways from recreation, and we know how to easily introduce participation in our fundamental skills of skiing and marksmanship. This Club is founded on our passion and experience of highly-quality biathlon competition on snow, in winter, and our mission is to encourage and assist all novices, regardless of age, gender or ability, to take the steps they need on their journey to the start gate with "bib on chest, rifle on back, skis on feet, and ready to go." That journey is not just 'winter sport': we race in winter, but we train (and enjoy) 365..... we are the UK experts in 365 Biathlon, and invite you to join us.
^ Steve Perry, one of the principal athletes of the Royal Air Force Biathlon Team, based mostly at RAF Kinloss, that maximised its advantage of the next-door East Grange Biathlon Centre to redress its minimal time for winter on-snow training. At its historic zenith 2003-2006, while based at East Grange Biathlon Centre, the Team took 5 podium places in the GBR National Championships' biathlon relay and 30km Military Patrol (including a win and 2 runners-up) plus 3 'Best Shot' trophies. Steve raced in every event in those years, even while raising his family and holding a full-time job, and head-torch rollerski combi training late at night was routine after a long day at work. ....living proof of 'biathlon for all' and that quality biathlon is available to all those with the right attitude, aptitude and application.
^ The new GBR Development Courses at EGBC gave opportunities to superb potential international athletes like Ash Allen to be given a chance to train in the UK in the summer to have a fighting chance of selection in the autumn. (Ash Allen, RE).
"Good results start and finish, stand or fall, live and die on the firing point: any aspiring biathlete needs to develop marksmanship and the 'love of shooting....'one-shot, one-hit, every time'."
By sharing resources and reaching out to others, we organise and deliver biathlon training at all levels, from beginners to elite training camps; we organise and run day events at various venues in the UK and Ireland; and we project athletes from our development squads up to the National Squads. Check our staff on 'The Team' page, and you’ll soon have a flavour of the experience, capabilities and capacity that we have. Overall, we try to make the journey into biathlon a whole lot easier than ever before; for everyone, we aim for “Biathlon For All”, and we say “welcome to the Biathlon Family”.
We’re not the national governing body, which of course is the British Biathlon Union (BBU) (www.britishbiathlon.com); however, the BBU is focused solely on international representation and national squad. We do everything that’s routine biathlon business in the UK and Ireland, and in principal and in practice support the BBU's aspirations. We design, build and operate biathlon ranges; we advise and work UK-wide with rifle and rollerski clubs to set up and assist with biathlon training; and we run training camps and biathlon opportunity days for every level, novice to expert, at various venues in GB and Ireland in the summer, and in Scandinavia and Europe over the winter.
The Club’s roots and antecedent clubs date back to the late 1980s, from: the evolution of small-bore rifles which took over from full-bore in 1978; the gestation and development of the clever Fortner System rifle in the mid-80s; the first UK home for biathlon at Glenmore Lodge in 1994; and through several of our own home range venues, including the UK’s first and only ever fully military-certificated biathlon centre at East Grange in 2002, to today’s Club of many facets and capabilities projecting biathlon across the UK and Ireland. In the past year, we have held many events: summer training on 2 of our own home ranges in Scotland, 2 ranges in Ireland (north and south), and 1 in England; and 6 weeks of on-snow training and competitions in Norway, Germany and Italy.
The opening of our East Grange --- > Biathlon Centre (EGBC) was the foremost project that gave energy and credibility to the British Biathlon Union's re-launched GBR National Biathlon Development Squad.
EGBC was the first-ever formal biathlon range in the UK to be recognised by the overlay of a full military certification in addition to its civil registration, which opened even wider use to military teams. This partnership with the UK's military teams, principally the Royal Air Force Biathlon Team, the Army Biathlon Development Squad and the Royal Marines/Royal Navy Biathlon Team, enabled a critical mass that helped to energise the 'biathlon family' and bring in many more 'civilian' biathletes.
Our alumni include every international GBR biathlete since 2002, and our staff are experts: whether it be elite training, fun biathlon days, adapting your local club for biathlon shooting, or even designing and building a small biathlon range of your own..... there is no question too wild or off-the-wall. If you need us, get in touch.
Contact Us:
Chairman/Training Officer: 07811 380438
info@biathlonUK.com
Facebook: ‘British Biathlon Club’; 'Biathlon UK'; 'Biathlon Ireland'.