Battle Cancer vs Toughest: distance, stations, price & difficulty compared (2026-27)

Battle Cancer is a fitness fundraising event series in which athletes raise money for cancer charities and compete in hybrid fitness challenges. Since 2019, the organisers say, more than 100,000 athletes have taken part in events across over 15 cities, including London, Glasgow, Dublin, Paris, Berlin, Barcelona, Dubai, Singapore and Miami.

The main Battle Cancer Challenge is a 90-minute event for teams of four (male, female or mixed). Teams rotate through nine stations in three zones, Endurance, Burn and Power, working five minutes of maximum reps followed by four minutes of rest at each. Hybrid 3|20 is a format for individuals or pairs: three minutes of work per station across nine stations, then a 20-minute maximum-distance run. Both formats have a Challenge division that allows movement modifications and a stricter Compete division. Money raised counts as points on the leaderboard, so it suits groups who want a sociable team event with a charity goal.

Toughest is an obstacle course race series held in Sweden and Norway. The organisers report more than 220,000 runners since 2013, and the race has repeatedly been voted the best obstacle course race in Europe in runner polls.

Each event weekend offers several formats. The Main Race covers about 8 km with the full set of obstacles, and Double Distance is two laps of that course, about 16 km. Xplore is a 4 km version with the hardest obstacles removed and no timing, aimed at first-timers, and Toughest Family is a 2 km course for children and adults together. An Elite class runs the 8 km course for competitive athletes, with the Toughest Tour and OCR World Championship qualification. Courses mix grass, sand, gravel, mud and water, with signature obstacles such as the Ramp and the Holmenkollen. Current venues are Gothenburg, Malmö, Stockholm, Oslo and Sälen. Every finisher receives a medal.