Braveheart Battle vs Mud Masters : distance, stations, prix et difficulté comparés (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.

Mud Masters is an obstacle run organised by Mud Masters B.V. of Utrecht, held since 2012 at venues in the Netherlands and Germany. Current events include Haarlemmermeer and Biddinghuizen in the Netherlands and Airport Weeze in Germany, each running over a weekend. The organiser reports around 60,000 finishers per year.

The course is inspired by military training courses and built around teamwork. Distances run from 6 km (13+ obstacles, average finish time about 1 h 15 min) through 12 km (23+ obstacles, about 2 h 30 min) and 16 km (30+ obstacles, about 3 h 15 min) to a 42 km option at selected events. Obstacles include walls, monkey bars, rope climbs, tyre flips, mud crawls and ice-water baths, and routes change every season. Each weekend also has a Family Edition, and there is a finish festival after the race. The shorter distances suit first-timers and groups; the 16 and 42 km courses are for well-prepared runners.