Mass start has been added to the programme for the World Mountain Bike Orienteering Championships ©IOF

Mass start has been added to the programme for the World Mountain Bike Orienteering Championships, it has been confirmed.

The decision has been made due to a growing appetite for more head-to-head racing, organisers the International Orienteering Federation (IOF) have claimed.

It is hoped that the format, which differs from staggered start events, will be easier for fans to understand which could lead to better media coverage.

Last year, the Mountain Bike Orienteering Athletes' Commission held a poll for junior and elite competitors, asking if a fifth format should be added to the World Championships.

The decision has been made due to a growing appetite for more head-to-head racing, organisers claim ©IOF
The decision has been made due to a growing appetite for more head-to-head racing, organisers claim ©IOF

Eight per cent of respondents agreed that the programme should be extended, with mass start and a mixed sprint relay the prefered options for the new discipline.

The IOF has opted for mass start, which joins sprint, middle, long and relay on the World Championship programme.

The next World Mountain Bike Orienteering Championships will take place between August 19 and 27 next year in Lithuania, where mass start will be held for the first time.

Races in mass start will also be added to junior and masters' World Championships.