It’s all systems go as the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship gears up for seven thrilling rounds in 2024. With the season opening Valleys Hard Enduro in Wales fast approaching on May 10-12, excitement is building for the racing year that lies ahead.
New venues, old favourites, and guaranteed spectacular Hard Enduro action await competitors and fans the world over as the 2024 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship is set for fire into life in the coming weeks. Building on a terrific season of racing in 2023, WESS Promotion GmbH have worked tirelessly during the winter months to assemble an incredible line-up of races that are set to test the world’s best Hard Enduro riders.
Starting in Wales in the United Kingdom in early May, and ending in Spain in late October, the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship will visit some epic locations including Austria, Serbia, Romania, the United States and Turkey.
Marking the first arrival of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship to UK soil, the Valleys Hard Enduro will host round one on May 10-12. A new event for all, racing will be held at the prestigious Walters Arena in Wales. A 4,000-acre coal mine, the region has held many high calibre off-road events during the past 20 years, but this will be the first time a FIM World Championship calls it home. Across the three days, riders will compete in a Superenduro prologue, Time Trial and finally a multi-lap Hard Enduro race.
Three weeks later and it’s time for the phenomenal Red Bull Erzbergrodeo in Austria for round two on May 30 – June 2. Synonymous with Hard Enduro, the iconic Eisenerz quarry will celebrate its 28th edition. After the ‘fun’ Thursday evening Mitas Rocket Ride, riders begin two days of qualifying with the Blaklader Iron Road Prologue on Friday and Saturday. The fastest 500 will then take on the infamous Red Bull Erzbergrodeo on Sunday. Broadcast live on Red Bull TV, it’s set to be yet another thrilling spectacle.
Keeping momentum high, competitors head to Serbia’s Xross Hard Enduro Rally 16 days later. The first of two rallye events on the 2024 calendar, the race favours those who excel at GPS navigation and racing unfamiliar terrain. From the day one prologue to the three days of Hard Enduro in the surrounding Zlatibor, Tara and Mokra Gora mountains, it’s fast become a rider favourite since joining the championship in 2021.
Following a well-earned rest, racing resumes one month later with Red Bull Romaniacs for round four on July 23-27. This year marks the 21st edition of the world’s toughest motorcycle Hard Enduro Rallye as it continues to go from strength to strength. From the event’s opening ceremony and city prologue, to the four offroad race days and the spectacular hill climb finale, LEATT LIVEmaniacs will capture daily exhilarating Romaniacs’ action, ensuring fans feel the compelling pulse of the event.
Heading into the second half of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship, round six takes place at the Red Bull TKO in the United States on August 22-25. An event in stark contrast to the previous two rounds, Red Bull TKO culminates with an intense day of racing where competitors must advance through numerous heats to reach the final. With no room for error, it truly is a high-pressure environment for all.
The sixth and penultimate round of the championship will be eagerly awaited by all. Turkey’s Sea to Sky is a long-established Hard Enduro that many regard as the most enjoyable due to its mixed event format and holiday vibes. The final day of racing truly embodies the Hard Enduro spirit. Riders start with their wheels on the shoreline of the Mediterranean Sea, before racing head-to-head to the finish line on the summit of the nearby Olympos Mountain, some 2,365m above sea level. This year marks the 15th edition of the race and the first time it becomes a FIM World Championship event.
Set to bring the 2024 season to a close is Spain’s 24MX Hixpania Hard Enduro for round seven on October 25-27. The event typically takes place over three days. Racing begins with a prologue in the medieval town of Aguilar de Campoo. This is followed by a cross-country qualification race that determines the starting positions for the main race, which is a multi-lap hard enduro event held on the final day.
Junior rider support increase for 2024
While the fight to become this year’s FIM Hard Enduro World Champion will take prime focus, the FIM Hard Enduro Junior World Championship supported by KLIM, and the Women’s Hard Enduro Performance Award supported by 24MX, will undoubtedly help to propel many more riders into the limelight throughout the course of the year.
The FIM Hard Enduro Junior World Championship supported by KLIM will take place across five rounds for 2024. Valleys Hard Enduro, Red Bull Erzbergrodeo, Xross Hard Enduro Rally, Red Bull Romaniacs and 24MX Hixpania Hard Enduro will provide strong tests of skill, with exciting Junior Class battles guaranteed in 2024.
The preseason KLIM Junior Camp will help prepare riders for the year ahead. WESS Promotion GmbH and Red Bull Romaniacs organisers will also extend a generous 50 per cent support towards the entry fee for all FIM Juniors participating in round four. Along with offering daily physiotherapy sessions at a renowned wellness centre in Sibiu for FIM Juniors, the initiative underscores the need to nurture young Hard Enduro talent in 2024.
Highlighting women in Hard Enduro
Building on the integration of the award into the championship in 2023, the Women’s Hard Enduro Performance Award supported by 24MX returns for 2024. Promoting diversity and inclusion in a sport that’s traditionally been seen as male-dominated, the award highlights women in motorsport, along with encouraging others to participate.
2024 championship registration
For all riders who want to score FIM Hard Enduro World Championship points, registration is open. Quick and simple, completion of the online form ensures eligibility to score championship points for each round contested. All individual rounds still require separate registration with the respective event organisers. For more information, email: contact@iridewess.com
Registration information: https://iridehardenduro.com/for-riders
2024 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship Schedule
Round 1: Valleys Hard Enduro – United Kingdom, May 10/11/12*
Round 2: Red Bull Erzbergrodeo – Austria, May 30/31/June 1/2*
Round 3: Xross Hard Enduro Rally – Serbia, June 19/20/21/22*
Round 4: Red Bull Romaniacs – Romania, July 23/24/25/26/27*
Round 5: Red Bull TKO – USA, August 22/23/24/25
Round 6: Sea to Sky – Turkey, October 10/11/12
Round 7: 24MX Hixpania Hard Enduro – Spain, October 25/26/27*
*FIM Hard Enduro JUNIOR World Championship supported by KLIM
Words by FIM – Feature Image by Hard Enduro World Championship
