The FIL World Luge Natural Track Championships, part of the International Luge Federation (FIL) have taken place on an almost biennial basis in non-Winter Olympics years since 1979.
Background
[edit]These championships are held for and upon naturbahn or natural tracks, runs packed with snow and ice but featuring no artificial banking or artificial refrigeration as would be found on artificial and refrigerated tracks used in the mainstream Luge competitions. (See FIL World Luge Championships for all artificial track events that have taken place since 1955.)
The natural track discipline is an ancient and somewhat more organic form of the sport, requiring more rider intervention and hard braking over rougher tracks made across natural undulations of the path. That intervention, in turn, breaks the track up more for later riders and makes it more unpredictable. As a result, the discipline is often not as fast, but more physical and technical than luge on kunstbahn on the artificial, refrigerated tracks that are shared with bobsleigh and skeleton races.[1] The concept of natural track can be compared with the cross-country discipline in athletics or skiing, or the cyclo-cross and mountain bike disciplines in cycling.
Although natural track luge is not an Olympic event, and venues are limited by climate and topology, FIL remains committed to supporting its inclusion in future Winter Games.
Host cities
[edit]
1979: Inzing, Austria
1980: Moos in Passeier, Italy- 1982: Feld am See, Austria
1984: Kreuth, West Germany- 1986: Fénis-Aosta, Italy
1988: Montreux, Switzerland (cancelled)- 1990: Gsies, Italy
- 1992: Bad Goisern, Austria
- 1994: Gsies, Italy
- 1996: Oberperfuss, Austria
1998: Rautavaara, Finland- 2000: Olang, Italy
- 2001: Stein an der Enns, Austria
2003: Železniki, Slovenia
2005: Latsch, Italy
2007: Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada- 2009: Moos in Passeier, Italy
- 2011: Umhausen, Austria
- 2013: Deutschnofen, Italy
- 2015: Sankt Sebastian, Styria, Austria
2017 : Vatra Dornei, Romania- 2019: Latzfons, Italy
- 2021: Umhausen, Austria
- 2023: Deutschnofen, Italy
- 2025: Tyrol, Austria
Men's singles
[edit]Debuted: 1979.
Women's singles
[edit]Debuted: 1979.
Men's doubles
[edit]Debuted: 1979.
Mixed team
[edit]Debuted: 2001.
Medal table
[edit]Updated as of the 2025 FIL World Luge Natural Track Championships.
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Italy | 50 | 40 | 38 | 128 |
| 2 |  Austria | 24 | 31 | 30 | 85 |
| 3 |  Russia | 8 | 11 | 6 | 25 |
| 4 |  CIS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 5 | Russian Luge Federation | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 6 |  Poland | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| 7 |  Germany | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 8 |  Slovenia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
 Soviet Union | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Totals (9 entries) | 83 | 83 | 83 | 249 | |
