2026 Hard Enduro World Championship
Round Three – Silver Kings Hard Enduro
2026 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship – Third Round
The Silver Kings delivered one of the tightest Hard Enduro World Championship finishes of recent seasons, with Mitch Brightmore defeating Tristan Hart and Manuel Lettenbichler in a three-way battle that lasted until the final climb at Silver Mountain Resort in Kellogg, Idaho.
Brightmore completed the six-lap Thunder Bowl finale on his GasGas in 2 hours 16 minutes 41.47 minutes, just 5.55 seconds off Hart’s KTM, with Lettenbichler finishing third, 1 minute 04.42 seconds off the win.
That front margin tells only part of the story. Teodor Kabachev was fourth for Sherco, but nearly 13 minutes behind Brightmore, while Ashton Brightmore rounded out the top five for GASGAS. The leading trio were in their own races.
For Mitch Brightmore it was turning pressure into victory. He showed serious speed early in the season, pushing Lettenbichler to the line at Extreme XL Lagares, but he went one better at Idaho. This time the last meters fell his way.
Hart starts fast, Lettenbichler leads the way
Hart was fast from the beginning of the American era. The Canadian qualified third in the Super Kings Prologue, then established himself as one of the major threats by winning the off-road Day 1 on a tough mountain course.
Lettenbichler had a less straightforward start to the weekend. The Red Bull KTM rider was only 10th fastest in the prologue, but he made progress on the long hilly stages and brought himself back into the main battle by the time of the finale.
Fresh from a record-equalling fifth consecutive win at the Red Bull Erzberg Rodeo earlier this month, Lettenbichler wasn’t able to impose himself in the same fashion at the Silver Kings, but he again showed why he remains the championship benchmark. Even in a weekend where he didn’t win, he still left Idaho with a podium and a red plate.
Three-way battle with the King Slayer
The Thunder Bowl finale became a flat contest between Brightmore, Hart and Lettenbichler. In the two-hour race three tradesmen moved away from the field, and the final King Slayer reached the hill still fighting for the win.
Hart was right in contention until the end and briefly got himself back into the lead near the end, but Brightmoor had a lot to answer for. The British rider’s final effort delivered the victory, and also maximum main-race points over the weekend, with 33 points available across three stages.
Despite the disappointment of coming so close, Hart’s runner-up result was still a strong weekend in terms of the championship. He won Off-Road Day 1 and finished second in the final, confirming once again that he remains one of the most powerful riders in North American hard enduro terrain.
“It was a really good race and a great battle all weekend long,” Hart said. “The three of us were fighting for the front almost the entire race, trading position and pushing each other the whole time.”
Lettenbichler was also satisfied with the bigger picture, even though victory escaped him.
“It was probably one of the closest races we’ve had in the last few years,” Lettenbichler said. “These types of battles are what make racing so much fun.”
Lettenbichler still ahead, Brightmore in last
The championship picture tightens in Idaho. Lettenbichler still leads with 88 points, but Brightmoor’s win and strong points move them to second in the standings with 75 points, reducing the gap at the top to 13 points.
tristan hart
“It was a really good race and a great battle the entire weekend. The three of us were fighting almost the entire race, trading positions and pushing each other the whole time. I felt strong all day and was able to keep myself in the competition until the end. Coming away with a win on off-road Day 1 and finishing second in the final is something I can be proud of. Of course, it’s a little disappointing to miss the win so close to the line, but it was an amazing race and had a lot of fun. We “Take the positives and move on to the next one.”
manuel lettenbichler
“I’m very happy with how the weekend went. I think Tristan (Hart), Mitch (Brightmore) and myself showed how fast the pace was because we were able to pull away from the rest of the field. It was probably one of the closest races we’ve had in the last few years, and battles like that are what make racing so enjoyable. The course was really good and I felt like I gave it my all. I couldn’t have done anything else, so I Happy about this, get points and maintain the lead in the championship in the next round.
Kabakchiev remains third on 68 points after another consecutive finish, while Ashton Brightmore moves up to fourth on 49 points, one point ahead of Mario Roman.
Billy Bolt, who was third in the standings behind Lagarre, remains on 44 points and has dropped to sixth. Eddie Carlson is seventh on 31 points, with the stark rider also in eighth place, two points down in the Silver Kings results.
Ryder Leblond was sixth in the final for the Silver Kings, while Matthew Green finished seventh for KTM. Carlsen moves Starc into top eight.
With the Silver Kings now complete, the championship heads into its second half, with what will be a far tighter title battle than Lettenbichler expected after his maximum points weekend in Portugal. Brightmoor has transformed from contender to genuine challenger, Kabakchiev continues to bank points, and the arrival of Forza Orza in Sweden adds a new change to the season.
For Lettenbichler, Idaho was still a successful damage-limitation weekend. For Hart, it was another gaffe in front of a North American crowd. However, for Brightmoor, the Silver Kings were a definitive victory.
2026 Silver Kings Hard Enduro Results
| Situation | rider | Bike | time/interval |
| 1 | Brightmoor, Mich | gasgas | 2h16m41.47 |
| 2 | Hart, Tristan | ktm | +5.55 |
| 3 | Lettenbichler, Manuel | ktm | +1m04.42 |
| 4 | Kabachiv, Teodor | Sherko | +12m53.40 |
| 5 | Brightmoor, Ashton | gasgas | +15m01.53 |
| 6 | LeBlond, Ryder | headquarters | +22m26.77 |
| 7 | Green, Matthew | ktm | +24m25.68 |
| 8 | Carlson, Eddy | stark | -2 CP |
2026 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship standings
| Situation | rider | net. | score |
| 1 | manuel lettenbichler | Jar | 88 |
| 2 | mitch brightmore | GBR | 75 |
| 3 | Teodor Kabachiv | bull | 68 |
| 4 | ashton brightmore | GBR | 49 |
| 5 | mario roman | ESP | 48 |
| 6 | billy bolt | GBR | 44 |
| 7 | eddie carlson | Unfortunately | 31 |
| 8 | wade young | RSA | 30 |
| 9 | james moore | RSA | 29 |
| 10 | Lorenzo Gondola | ita | 28 |
| 10 | Matthew Green | RSA | 28 |
| 12 | alfredo gomez cantero | ESP | 17 |
| 13 | toby martin | GBR | 16 |
| 14 | lenny geretzky | Jar | 8 |
| 15 | Francesc Moret Clota | ESP | 7 |
| 16 | Thomas Scales | RSA | 3 |
| 17 | Graham Jarvis | GBR | 2 |
| 18 | David Cyprian | CZE | 1 |
| 18 | eric mikel | ESP | 1 |
2026 FIM HEWC Calendar
The 2026 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship is set to run for eight rounds across Europe, North America and Africa, reduced from nine following the cancellation of the Wildwoods event.
- Round 1 – 24mx Elestrem Hard Enduro
April 17–19 – Alsace, France - Round 2 – Extreme XL Lagares
1-3 May – Porto, Portugal - Round 3 – Silver Kings Hard Enduro
June 18–20 – Idaho/Silver Mountain Resort, United States - Round 4 – Forza Orza
20–22 August – Orsa, Sweden - Round 5 – Abstone Hard Enduro
4–6 September – Arezzo, Italy - Round 6 – Roof of Africa
23-26 September – Maseru, Lesotho - Round 7 – From Sea to Sky
8–10 October – Kemer, Türkiye - Round 8 – 24mx Hixpania Hard Enduro
23–25 October – Aguilar de Campu, Spain
