2025 B-HARD Recap

The 7th edition of B-HARD Ultra Race & Brevet broke all previous records, with the highest number of riders ever – both men and women – taking on the roads and mountains of Bosnia & Herzegovina. With the 4th and most refined version of the route unveiled this year, tougher and more stunning than ever, the stage was set for an unforgettable adventure.

As always, it was an early start – this time even earlier, at 4:30 AM. A total of 120 riders lined up across various categories, most aiming to conquer the full 1220 km loop. They rolled out of central Banja Luka in a neutralised group ride, kicking off their challenge just outside the city limits.

Let’s Moooove!

With official race timing starting at 5:00 AM sharp, riders set off into what, for many, was a journey into the unknown. First to go were the brevet category riders, followed by race pairs and then solo racers – with the ladies given the honour (and strategic edge) of leading the charge.

As the final rider disappeared down the road, the sun finally rose, bringing warmth to an otherwise chilly morning – and eventually, a challenge of its own. That same sun would go on to claim quite a few DNFs in the days ahead. But in those early hours, adrenaline and anticipation were running high. Many riders went all in toward CP1 at the 50 km mark: a 40 km stretch of mostly flat road followed by a steady 10 km climb through the scenic beauty of Kozara National Park.

The first rider from the 1200 km category to reach the peaceful, tree-lined plateau of CP1 KOZARA — marked by a proud WW2 monument and a morning chorus of birdsong — was Croatia’s Mirko Pribanić, last year’s Young Gun (U30) Champion. Hot on his heels were Sascha Pseiner, Peter Kronberger, and Michael Mayer from Austria, along with Florian Burnotte from Belgium, all arriving within minutes and setting the tone for the fierce battle ahead.

After a quick stop at CP1, the frontrunners wasted no time and charged ahead toward CP2. A fast descent from Kozara Mountain dropped them into a relentless stretch of rolling hills – beautiful but brutal. Misjudge your rhythm here, and you’ll pay the price. The road eventually led down into the lush Vrbas River canyon, where riders followed the river upstream to its dramatic meeting point with the Pliva River – home to a stunning waterfall and the location of CP2 JAJCE, at 169 km of the route.

During this leg, Austria’s Sascha Pseiner – back for his third B-HARD and clearly in peak form – surged into the lead, becoming the first to reach the checkpoint. Meanwhile, Lennart Nap from the Netherlands picked up the pace, posting the fastest segment time and breaking into the top five, while Michael Mayer got bumped down a few spots.

Leaving behind the waterfall and medieval charm of Jajce, riders passed the picturesque watermills and lakes of the Pliva River, tracing its course almost to the very source. From there, the route turned skyward, climbing toward the 1200 m high plateau of Kupres. With both the temperature and gradients rising, the strain started to show – several riders began to crack and would ultimately scratch by nightfall.

CP3 KUPRES at 235 km offered a prime chance for proper refueling, but the front pack didn’t linger. They had their sights set on tailwinds toward CP4. In previous editions, this segment was a rapid descent from 1200 m down to just 40 m of elevation. But not this year. The updated route swapped out a busy motorway for the serenity of Nature Park Blidinje – adding around 500 m of climbing and a majestic 1415 m summit along the way, trading speed for solitude and scenery.

With the mountains finally looming, Peter Kronberger seized his moment. Eager for the big climbs, he pushed hard, overtaking both Sascha and Mirko to take the lead. After a lightning-fast descent onto a high plateau at 1000 m, the new route delivered a wild, winding rollercoaster ride toward Mostar. But the day’s true challenge wasn’t the terrain – it was the heat. Riders dropped from mountain air to near sea-level humidity at CP4 MOSTAR at 365 km, where the mercury hovered around 37°C. The brutal combo took its toll, with several more riders calling it quits on the spot.

For Peter, the heat and high pace led to a costly mistake – he overshot the checkpoint and had to backtrack 7 km, which understandably left him fuming. But as the saying goes, bad things come in threes. Not long after, he had a minor crash that bent his rear derailleur. A few kilometers later, it jammed into the spokes and snapped off completely, forcing him to abandon the race.

While the fastest riders were already chasing down the next checkpoint, those at the back of the pack were still grinding their way toward CP3. As a result, CP4 in Mostar stayed busy from afternoon well into the night. The darkness also brought a major shake-up in the standings – several riders, mostly randonneurs, opted for an overnight rest in the city, while most of the racers pushed on through the night.

With varying stop times and Peter Kronberger out of the race, the new top five emerged: Mirko Pribanić reclaimed the lead, followed by Lennart Nap, with Jakob Schultz from Denmark climbing into third. Sascha Pseiner held fourth, while Austria’s Elena Roch – the leading female rider – broke into the top five with a strong and steady push.

The stretch between CP4 and CP5 may be stunning by daylight, but at night it turns into a lonely, unforgiving ride with little chance for resupply. For Mirko, now leading the race and riding B-HARD for the second time, this wasn’t a problem. He reached CP5 TREBINJE at 502 km as the first rider on the leaderboard. The city was buzzing with energy thanks to a motorbike festival, but Mirko wasn’t sticking around – he had his eyes set on CP6.

The road ahead was no gift. Two-thirds of the route to CP6 was a slow, punishing grind – 60 km of steady climbing, made worse by headwinds. For those who didn’t ride through the night, the rising sun brought another round of challenges: scorching heat and the constant roar of motorbikes flying past. But for the frontrunners, it was a cooler, quieter push into the soul of B-HARD – the majestic Sutjeska National Park.

With riders now 24 hours deep into the race, powernaps began playing a key role in the standings. One such well-timed pause allowed young Björn Wirsching to sneak into the top five. In the women’s category, the picture was also becoming clear: Elena Roch was leading the charge, with Latvia’s Marija Baranovska holding strong in second, and Sarah Bosslet from Germany securing third.

In the pairs category, Malte Oberkirsch and Lars Hilgenkamp from Germany had carved out a solid lead, but close behind were the determined Dutch brothers, Rik and Arjen Veldhuizen, keeping the pressure on.

The Second Sunrise

Surrounded by primeval forests, towering peaks, and echoes of a historic WWII battle, riders reached CP6 SUTJESKA at 609 km – a symbolic halfway mark in terms of distance, but far from the psychological midpoint. Mirko continued to lead the charge, with Lennart close behind and Sascha following. Many used the checkpoint for resupply and a well-earned rest, but the frontrunners barely paused before pushing onward.

The road to CP7 was deceptively peaceful – a scenic cruise through the Drina River canyon and its 39 tunnels. But it was the calm before the storm. CP7 marked the gateway to the truly hard part of B-HARD. Leading the way up the brutal Sjemeć Mountain – 50 hairpin bends and 1,000 meters of climbing – was Mirko once again. But disaster struck. One inner tube after another failed, refusing to hold air. Suspecting a hidden issue with the tire, Mirko had no choice but to step aside and watch Lennart pass him to take the lead.

After a short loop back to the city of Goražde, two massive climbs still stood in the riders’ way – one 22 km long, the other 20 km – before reaching CP8 JAHORINA at 850 km. Perched at 1,670 meters on the Olympic mountain of Jahorina, this was the highest point of the entire route.

First to summit and descend toward Sarajevo – with a solid hour and a half lead – was Lennart Nap. Sascha followed close behind, while Elena, gaining momentum, moved into third place as both Björn and Jakob paused for quick powernaps.

After weaving through the urban core of downtown Sarajevo, riders were thrown straight into the raw wilderness of Visočica Mountain – the most spectacular, yet most demanding section of the entire route. This segment features the highest asphalted mountain pass in Bosnia & Herzegovina, topping out at 1,610 meters.

Those lucky enough to pass through in daylight were treated to jaw-dropping views worthy of a postcard. But for the night riders… it was pure sufferfest. Just before reaching CP9, the route throws in one more surprise – a climb that barely registers on the elevation profile but hits hard in reality – 10 km long with a brutal ramp right at the start.

CP9 KONJIC at 990 km felt like an oasis – and once again, Lennart was the first to arrive. He said he needed a bit of rest, which in his case meant quickly refilling water bottles, grabbing a snack, casually mentioning he still had plenty of food thanks to the generous checkpoint resupplies – and then jumping back on the bike without missing a beat.

An hour and 45 minutes later, Sascha rolled in. He looked alright on the outside, but admitted he was running on empty and couldn’t wait to crash in a hotel room for some proper rest.

Meanwhile, Elena – no stranger to the ultracycling grind – knew this race was all about endurance and perseverance. She had overtaken Jakob and Björn earlier in the day and reached CP9 in third place. And while Sascha slept, she quietly moved into second – a position she would hold all the way to the finish.

A Long Day Ahead

The leading pair Malte and Lars ran into trouble with multiple punctures, costing them valuable time as the second-placed duo closed the gap fast. Meanwhile, a steady stream of riders continued to roll into CP9 from morning all the way through to the next dawn.

But at the sharp end of the race, things were far from settled. The climb to CP10 – perched at 1,500 meters and starting from the town of Travnik – was the final test. Before even reaching it, riders had to conquer a series of long, draining ascents. With stunning early morning views to keep him company, Lennart powered up the final climb like a true champion, then flew toward Banja Luka to seal the win in the 7th edition of B-HARD Ultra Race & Brevet – clocking an impressive official time of 57 hours and 23 minutes.

As mentioned earlier, Elena Roch held onto 2nd place overall – and claimed victory in the Female Riders category – with an outstanding time of 59 hours and 35 minutes. Sascha Pseiner rounded out the podium in 3rd, matching last year’s result but improving his personal best with a finish time of 60 hours and 23 minutes.

Björn Wirsching secured 5th place and claimed the Young Gun title, while Luka Gajić from Bosnia & Herzegovina earned the OLX Balkan King crown by finishing 8th – pushing through a downpour of torrential rain that hit the Banja Luka region on the second night. Germany’s Gernot Stenz took the Gentleman Category win with a strong 12th-place finish. In the pairs category, Malte Oberkirsch and Lars Hilgenkamp held firm and successfully defended their lead to take the top spot.

It’s Not Over Yet

For most riders finishing after the 70-hour mark, there was still one more long day on the road. Thankfully, the weather turned kinder – overcast skies and cooler temperatures made the final climbs more manageable.

The last rider to beat the 84-hour cutoff for Race Across America qualification was Jochem Van den Berge from Belgium. And securing the final official B-HARD Challenge finisher spot within the 90-hour limit was Serbia’s Igor Nikolić, crossing the line in 29th place.

In total, 33 solo racers and 4 pairs completed the race. In the 1200 km brevet category, 11 riders completed the ride, with 8 of them successfully finishing within the 91-hour and 30-minute limit required for LRM homologation. A special shoutout goes to Minja Đorojević from Bosnia & Herzegovina – the first rider ever to complete B-HARD an incredible four times! We also tip our helmets to the riders in the 600, 300 and 200 km brevet categories finishers – and to the determined B-WOMEN 120 km finisher, who proudly joined the ranks this year.

While the final run-in toward Banja Luka might seem tame compared to the rest of the route, it proved that the devil never sleeps. Several riders faced mechanical issues in this seemingly easier stretch, with the most heartbreaking DNF belonging to Belgium’s Gert Cox – forced to abandon just 60 km from the finish line.

 

B-HARD 2025 – What a Ride!

The 7th edition of B-HARD Ultra Race & Brevet delivered everything we hoped for and more – record-breaking numbers, fierce competition, brutal climbs and breathtaking scenery. From the calm start in Banja Luka to the unforgiving switchbacks of Sjemeć and the epic showdown on Visočica, the race tested every ounce of grit, endurance, and spirit. Every finisher, no matter the time, has earned serious bragging rights.

And now, the road points to the future…

Mark your calendars!
The 8th edition of B-HARD Ultra Race & Brevet is set for 12–17 June 2026.
New stories, new challenges, new memories await.

See you out there!

 

Complete results list: https://www.bhardultrarace.com/2025-b-hard-results

Media gallery: https://www.bhardultrarace.com/2025-media

Photos by Jadran Čilić & Josip Barišić