Mitch Brightmore made the perfect start to Round 7 of the 2026 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship, winning the Beach Race at Sea to Sky in Kemer, Türkiye, on Thursday 8 October. The British rider was fastest in qualifying, won all three of his heats and took the superfinal, earning first place on the start line for tomorrow's Forest Race.
Unbeaten on Kındıl Beach
The day opened with two qualifying runs on Kındıl Beach, and Brightmore set the benchmark immediately with a 1:32.61 lap, nearly six seconds clear of the next fastest rider. He went on to win all three of his heat races, the only rider in the field to do so.
In the superfinal he stopped the clock at 8:50.02, more than 11 seconds ahead of Teodor Kabakchiev (9:01.36). James Moore took third in 9:02.56, with Ashton Brightmore fourth (9:05.45), completing a standout day for the British brothers. Championship leader Manuel Lettenbichler finished fifth in 9:06.77.
Juniors Shine, Román Eighth
The Junior World Championship contenders were prominent throughout. Moore and Ashton Brightmore were the top two Juniors in the superfinal, and Toby Shaw's seventh place put three Junior riders inside the top seven. Alfredo Gómez finished sixth, while Mario Román, runner-up at Sea to Sky last year, was eighth in 9:37.17.
Dieter Rudolf, David Cyprian, Ott Kornel and Danila Chernyaev completed the top 12. Graham Jarvis made it through to the semi-finals and placed 21st overall.
Forest Race Next, With Points on the Line
The Beach Race sets the starting order for Friday's Forest Race, the first championship points day of the weekend. Riders face 42km of extreme GPS-navigated terrain within a four-hour window, starting from the Ovacık Plateau at 09:00, with Brightmore first onto the trail. Saturday's Mountain Race then climbs towards the 2,365-metre summit of Mount Tahtalı. Lettenbichler, winner here in 2024 and 2025, starts fifth as he chases a Sea to Sky hat-trick.
Soft sand and back-to-back heats made for a demanding opener for machinery as well as riders. Plews Tyres, the championship's exclusive tyre partner, supports riders including James Moore and Mario Román, while Factory Links bearing kits and S3 Parts components face their own test as the racing moves from the beach into the forest and up the mountain.
What's at Stake
Lettenbichler arrived in Kemer leading the 2026 championship standings, with Kabakchiev and Mitch Brightmore his closest challengers, and Ashton Brightmore leading the Junior classification. After Sea to Sky, only the 24MX Hixpania Hard Enduro in northern Spain (23–25 October) remains, so every minute gained or lost in the forest and on the mountain counts.
Follow the Forest Race on live timing, find event information at seatosky.com.tr, and browse 92 photos from the Beach Race by @alkimsaracphotography.