Getting Tough - The Race vs HYROX: distance, stations, price & difficulty compared (2026-27)

Getting Tough - The Race is a German extreme obstacle race brand that has run since 2011, organised by GETTINGTOUGH GmbH. It became known for its winter race in Rudolstadt, Thuringia, a 24 km course with around 900 m of climbing and obstacle parcours where failing an obstacle leads to disqualification.

The current event is Getting Tough 5Elements in Oberhof, Thuringia, held in late June in the Thuringian Forest winter-sports town. Adults choose a 9 km run or a 17 km run, or combine both as the 5Elements eXtreme ticket (9 km + 17 km); there is also a 'Legend of Speed' format. The YOKI AHORN Kidsrun offers 2 km and 5 km courses for children aged 6 to 16. The event is aimed at runners who want a demanding obstacle course with real elevation, while the 9 km option is the more accessible entry point.

HYROX is an indoor fitness race in which athletes run 1 km and then complete one functional workout station, repeated eight times. The stations and their order are fixed: 1,000 m SkiErg, 50 m sled push, 50 m sled pull, 80 m burpee broad jumps, 1,000 m row, 200 m farmers carry, 100 m sandbag lunges and 100 wall balls. Because the format is the same worldwide, results feed global leaderboards and a World Championship at the end of each season.

HYROX launched in Hamburg, Germany, in 2017 and is run by HYROX World GmbH. It was created by race organiser Christian Toetzke with Olympic medallist Moritz Fürste and marketing expert Michael Trautmann. Races take place in large exhibition halls, with start waves throughout the day. Divisions include Open, Pro (heavier weights), Doubles and a four-person Relay. There is no time cap and no qualification needed for age-group entry, so HYROX suits first-time racers as well as competitive hybrid athletes.