Braveheart Battle vs. Toughest: Distanz, Stationen, Preis & Schwierigkeit im Vergleich (2026-27)

The Braveheart Battle is an old-school obstacle race held each March on the slopes around the Skiarena Silbersattel in Steinach, Thuringia. It is organised by Be Brave Go Hard GmbH, based in Steinach. The event moved from the Rhön to the Thuringian Forest in 2019.

The main challenge is the natural terrain: a hilly cross-country course with steep climbs in wintry conditions, plus added obstacles that need no complicated rulebook. The race starts with a mass start and the 'KillHill' sprint from the valley station to the middle station. Runners choose between the Rookie distance of about 10 km and the Original distance of about 20 km. The organiser requires participants to be able to swim, to wear trail shoes with good grip and gloves, and to be at least 16 years old, and sets a time limit of five hours. Awards go to the fastest women, men and teams. It suits fit trail runners and experienced obstacle racers.

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.