The Hard Enduro World Ranking, jointly initiated by Red Bull Erzbergrodeo and Red Bull Romaniacs, is entering its final phase—and will offer a transparent and comprehensible scoring system for Hard Enduro Sports from 2026 onwards!
The Hard Enduro World Ranking (HEWR) is the first globally standardized points system for Extreme and Hard Enduro sports. It evaluates rider performance across all major international races - including the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo and Red Bull Romaniacs - and creates a fair world ranking for athletes.
Preparations for the launch of the new Hard Enduro World Ranking (HEWR) in the 2026 season are almost complete. The ranking system, which is based on the ATP/WTA world rankings in tennis, was created in a joint effort by Karl Katoch (race promotor Red Bull Erzbergrodeo) and Martin Freinademetz (race promotor Red Bull Romaniacs) and is intended to enable transparent, global comparability of the performances of international Hard Enduro athletes throughout the entire racing season.
Similar to the tennis system, riders can participate in any number of races per season and collect HEWR ranking points - provided the events are listed in the Hard Enduro World Ranking race calendar. After each event, the rankings are automatically updated and published online. Participating racing events are divided into four rating categories according to clearly defined criteria – sporting standards, organization, safety and international reach: Supreme, Premium, Pro and Challenger. This classification is reviewed annually, whereby events can be upgraded, downgraded,or even temporarily suspended. A working group (ARGE) consisting of fellow race promotors, rider representatives and partners from the motorcycle industry decides on any cases of doubt that may arise during classification.
The number of points a participant can earn at each race event varies depending on the category - more points are awarded at a Supreme race than at a Challenger event.
The system also offers a unique opportunity for events worldwide to participate in the ranking with clearly defined standards, award their own HEWR points and gradually work their way up to the most successful international events such as Red Bull Erzbergrodeo or Red Bull Romaniacs. This also gives national riders the opportunity to measure themselves directly against the world's best and position themselves internationally - regardless of their affiliation with various associations, championships or series.
Race organizers from around the world can register for the HEWR race calendar for a small registration fee. Here, too, registration is completely independent of membership in various associations, championships or race series. The proceeds are used exclusively for the transparent financing of the administration and further development of the system. On the annual cut-off date, the three highest-ranked riders will receive direct prizes from a prize fund fed by industry partners.
The Hard Enduro World Ranking will be officially launched on January 1, 2026. Event organizers can already contact the HEWR by email at office@redbullerzbergrodeo.com. The official registration website will go live on December 1, 2025.
The first official HEWR race calendar with all recognized events will be available on January 1, 2026.
The Hard Enduro World Ranking stands for an open, independent, and forward-looking system that promotes the comparability and further development of extreme and Hard Enduro sports worldwide in collaboration with riders, organizers, and the industry.
