Championship Heads North: Forza Orza Brings the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship to Sweden for the First Time
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 in its history, 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.
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 purpose-built outdoor 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 more than a calendar entry. It 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 distinct 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 bonus 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 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-threatening 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 blend of speed and racecraft 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 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, Senior and 4-Stroke — 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 open on 17 July and 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, Senior (40+) and 4-Stroke 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 is the world stage for the toughest discipline in off-road motorcycling. Eight rounds. Four continents. One champion.
About the FIM
The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) is the global governing body of motorcycle sport, representing 116 national federations across six continental unions.
Media contact: Adam Nunn, Media Manager, adam@fim-hardenduro.com