The FIM Hard Enduro World Championship is about to write a new chapter. On 20–22 August, the world’s toughest off-road racing series arrives in Sweden for the first time, as the inaugural Forza Orza hosts Round 4 of the 2026 season at Orsa Grönklitt in the heart of Dalarna.
New country. New venue. New race. And with the title fight tightening at the top of the standings, the timing could hardly be better.
Download SRs→Sweden Joins the World Championship Map
Scandinavia has long produced hard enduro talent. Now it gets a world championship round of its own.
Organised by KONG AIF on behalf of SVEMO, the Swedish federation, Forza Orza takes the championship into raw Scandinavian terrain, deep forest, unforgiving rock and the kind of endurance-focused racing that rewards patience as much as pace. Orsa Grönklitt, a venue in the Dalarna region, provides the stage, with the Mountain Arena hosting the start and finish of the weekend’s biggest moments.
For a championship that spans four continents in 2026, the first Swedish round is a statement about where this sport is going.
How the Weekend Works
The Forza Orza format demands the complete hard enduro rider, with 33 championship points on offer across three races tests, and a schedule built for spectators, with the headline racing running into the long Scandinavian evenings.
Thursday — Prologue under the northern sky. After administrative and technical control, a 16:00 press conference and an autograph session in the Paddock Arena, the racing begins at 18:00 with the HEWC Prologue. Every rider gets two single timed laps, with the better one counting, setting off at 30-second intervals in championship order from the Mountain Arena. The stakes are twofold: 3-2-1 points for the top three, and a place in the top 40, which earns Gold class status for the rest of the weekend. Everyone else races Silver. The first podium ceremony follows at 20:00.
Friday — Sprint day. The Silver class owns the daytime, with its one-hour Sprint Race at 12:30 and two-hour Main Race at 15:00 from the Paddock Arena. Then, at 18:30, the Gold class takes centre stage: one hour, multi-lap, checkpoints counting all the way, with the start order set by prologue results. Ten points for the win, down to one for tenth and, just as importantly, your grid position for Saturday.
Saturday — The Main Race. At 16:00, the Gold class lines up in the Mountain Arena for the main event: two hours plus one lap, start order from Friday’s sprint. Twenty points for the winner, scaling down to a single point for 15th. By the time the prize giving ceremony begins at 19:30, the shape of the 2026 championship could look very different.
No Help Out There
Two details from the regulations underline the purity of this contest. Outside assistance is forbidden on track, no tools, parts or food from spectators or crew (water excepted). Riders may help each other, sharing tools and unmarked spares, but otherwise what they carry into the forest, they manage in the forest.
Service areas are strictly refuel-only, with supervised battery exchange for electric machines, no wrenching allowed. And tyre choice matters: trial tyres are forbidden, and replacements are only permitted at the end of each race day. Pick wrong on Saturday morning and you live with it for two hours plus a lap.
Home Soil for Karlsson
Every HEWC rider on the entry list will want to win in Sweden. Only one of them gets to do it at home.
Eddie Karlsson has been a fixture at the sharp end of the world championship, and for the first time in his career the Swede will race a world championship round in front of a home crowd. Currently seventh in the standings, Karlsson has shown flashes of podium speed all season and there are few forces in sport quite like a home fans’ roar echoing through the trees.
Dalarna will be loud. Karlsson will be ready.
The Title Fight Tightens
At the top of the table, Manuel Lettenbichler still sets the standard. The Red Bull KTM rider leads on 88 points after three rounds, and his experience remains the benchmark of the class.
But the gap is shrinking. Mitch Brightmore’s breakthrough victory at Silver Kings in Idaho hauled him to within 13 points of the German. The momentum, right now, belongs to the Briton.
Teodor Kabakchiev sits third on 68 points, the Bulgarian’s relentless consistency keeping him firmly in the conversation. He has scored at every round, in almost every session, and championships have been won on less glamorous foundations than that.
And keep an eye on the family business: Ashton Brightmore holds fourth on 49 points, putting both Brightmore brothers inside the championship top four at the halfway mark. Mario Roman rounds out the top five on 48, a single point behind, and the Spaniard knows Scandinavian-style terrain will suit his methodical, technical approach.
The Second Half Starts Here
Forza Orza opens the business end of the 2026 season. After Sweden, the championship heads to Abestone in Italy, the legendary Roof of Africa in Lesotho, Sea to Sky in Turkey, and the Hixpania finale in Spain.
For the World Cup categories, Youth, Women and Senior, the calculations get strategic from here, with the best six of eight results counting toward the final classification. For the World Championship contenders, it is simpler. Every point counts, every weekend matters, and there are five rounds left to settle it.
Racing in Orsa
Entries close on 7 August, with a €350 entry fee (late entries €500, 8–14 August) via forzaorza.com. Alongside the World Championship and Junior World Championship (16–24) classes, the weekend features the Youth (max 20), Women’s and Senior (40+) World Cups.
Getting there is easy: Orsa Grönklitt sits above the town of Orsa, with Stockholm Arlanda the closest international airport and accommodation available at the venue itself. Live timing, riders’ briefings and results will run through the Sportity app (event password: FIMHEWC) and ForzaOrza.com.
Championship Standings After Round 3
- Manuel Lettenbichler (GER) – 88 pts
- Mitch Brightmore (GBR) – 75 pts
- Teodor Kabakchiev (BUL) – 68 pts
- Ashton Brightmore (GBR) – 49 pts
- Mario Roman (ESP) – 48 pts
View Full Championship Standings →
Event Information
Event: Forza Orza
Venue: Orsa Grönklitt, Orsa, Sweden
Dates: 20–22 August 2026
Race Schedule (Key Sessions)
Thursday 20 Aug: Press conference 16:00 · Autograph session 16:30 · HEWC Prologue 18:00 · Podium 20:00
Friday 21 Aug: Silver Sprint 12:30 · Silver Main 15:00 · Gold Sprint 18:30 · Podium 20:00
Saturday 22 Aug: Gold Main Race 16:00 · Prize Giving 19:30
Championship Points Available
Thursday Prologue: 3 pts
Friday Sprint Race: 10 pts
Saturday Main Race: 20 pts
Total: 33 pts
ABOUT HEWC
The FIM Hard Enduro World Championship unites the world’s toughest off-road motorcycle races into one global series. Born from legendary events like the Roof of Africa and other iconic hard enduros, it brings together professional and amateur riders on the same demanding terrain, celebrating endurance, camaraderie, and adventure. Sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) and promoted by Hard Enduro Promotions Marketing Management LLC, HEWC showcases the full potential of hard enduro as a modern, global motorsport platform.
ABOUT THE FIM
The FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme), founded in 1904, is the global governing body for motorcycle sport and the worldwide advocate for motorcycling. Recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the FIM oversees a wide range of world championships including MotoGP, Superbike, Motocross, Trial, Enduro, Cross-Country Rallies, Speedway, and Hard Enduro, while also working in areas such as public affairs, road safety, and touring.
Media Contact
Adam Nunn
Media Manager, FIM Hard Enduro World Championship
📧 adam@fim-hardenduro.com