Let’s be honest: when an event heads into its second year at the same venue, it can go one of two ways. It either suffers from an awkward slump, or it cements itself as an all-time classic. World’s Toughest Mudder at Belvoir Castle absolutely chose the latter.
We dragged 650 participants to Grantham to tackle a quintessentially English estate. This was a truly international showdown, drawing in people from 29 different countries, spanning all the way from the Ivory Coast to New Zealand. Heck and nearly a third of the entire field flew in from the US just to see if the British mud tasted any different.
The course meandered through historic castle grounds, dipped into dense woodland, and opened up into massive fields that offered zero hiding places from the elements. Throw in a sneaky 178m of elevation gain per loop and a literal British heatwave (we’re talking a relentless 35°C on Friday and Saturday), and the stage was set for absolute drama. It wasn’t just a weekend in the mud; it was an instant masterpiece. View the highlights on Youtube.
Innovation, Upgrades, and the Ultimate Nemesis: Mega Mile
If you thought you knew our obstacles, the course designers came out swinging with some brand-new builds. We debuted The Hangover, a technical overhang wall climb that forced you to hunt for impossible handholds just to summit the platform. Then there was Shaft It, a giant rope swing over water straight into a cargo net, and Swing Low, a low rig twist guaranteed to cook your forearms and generate constant cramp.
We didn’t just build new stuff; we ruined perfectly good classics. Arctic Enema got a literal glow-up with actual fire added to the mix, naturally dubbed ‘Fire ’n’ Ice’. Meanwhile, Augustus Gloop went full rave mode with laser lights, re-christened as ‘Augustus Glow-Up’.
But the undisputed soul-crusher of the weekend? Mega Mile. Overnight, this turned into the most brutal mud obstacle of all time. Deep trenches and a ridiculously stretched-out layout meant tackling this alone with a tired body was a non-starter. If you didn’t have a team to haul you through, you weren’t getting out. Simple as that.
New Rules Establishing this Year as the Toughest Event Yet.
This year, we shifted the finish time from the traditional 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM. Sounds nice on paper, right? Two extra hours to play? Absolute deception. By Sunday morning, people were completely broken. The traditional “one more lap” chant went from a motivational rally to a psychological weapon.
To make matters even more beautifully devastating, we introduced Morning Glory between 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM. This little twist forced participants to tackle a selection of the course’s heaviest obstacles twice on their final laps. The collective eye rolls and sheer exhaustion were a work of art.
The Community Moments
You can’t survive 24 hours of this without a seriously strong backbone, and the community delivered. The Orphan Tent was in full swing, supporting solo athletes so nobody had to face the dark hours alone. The Community Chest saved countless laps with last-minute gear essentials, whilst the Mudder Knights patrolled the course looking out for anyone hitting a wall.
Our volunteers deserve a medal just for the mid-lap pep talks, and the pit support teams were the real MVPs, providing everything from quick nutrition and a shoulder to weep on, to aggressive encouragement for just one more loop.
The real magic happened on course. Athletes sacrificed their run by parking themselves at Mudderhorn and Hero Walls all day and night just to hoist others onto the cargo netting. Over at Everest, the teamwork was unmatched with a special call out to last year’s champion, Joe Rucco. After being forced to pull out mid-event due to an injury, he didn’t pack up and go home. Instead, he spent his weekend at the top of the ramp, pulling other athletes to the summit. That is what this is all about.
The Podium
The elite field absolutely flew, completely unfazed by the heat or the extra two hours on the clock. On the women’s side, Nikki Caromba took the top spot with a massive 90 miles, followed closely by Robyn Koszta and Jillian Heller, who both locked in incredible 85-mile shifts to round out the podium.
FEMALE PODIUM
1st: Nikki Caromba (RSA) | 90 Miles
2nd: Robyn Koszta (AUS) | 85 Miles
3rd: Jillian Heller (USA) | 85 Miles
For the men, Dasos Gonnella put on a clinic for Great Britain, tying the all-time record with a staggering 115 miles. Scotland’s Grant Thompson secured second with 105 miles, and Canada’s Austin Azar took third, also hitting the 105-mile mark.
MALE PODIUM
1st: Dasos Gonnella (GBR) | 115 Miles (Record Tying)
2nd: Grant Thompson (SCO) | 105 Miles
3rd: Austin Azar (CAN) | 105 Miles
Importantly, this year also marked the debut of our brand-new competitive podium for adaptive athletes, showcasing some of the most genuinely impressive, grit-driven performances ever seen on a course.
Missed Out?
If you spent your weekend scrolling through the updates from the comfort of your couch feeling a profound sense of FOMO, let this be your wake-up call. Watching it is great, but being in the thick of it is entirely different. See you on the start line next year? Let’s see what you’ve got. Book now.
