Held at its now traditional home of the Nantmawr Quarry in Wales, the UK’s premier hard enduro race boasts a world class entry of competitors eager to take the spoils of victory at the ninth running of the event.

As defending champion of the 2012 race, Husaberg’s Graham Jarvis returns to the Nantmawr Quarry as favourite. Now affirmed as Husaberg’s official hard enduro rider, Jarvis will be keen to get his new season off to a winning start. But with no less than 22 pro riders entered the world’s best hard enduro rider won’t have an easy time of things.

Heading his list of challengers is KTM’s Jonny Walker. Although yet to compete in the Tough One, Walker won the recent Tough One’s Little Brother (TOLB) that was held in the same venue. Catching and passing Jarvis during the shorter two-hour race, the 21-year old Cumbrian clearly demonstrated that winning will be the only thing on his mind when the Tough One begins in earnest on January 12th.

Also figuring highly at the TOLB event was fellow KTM competitor Paul Bolton. Easily matching the leading duo’s pace, Bolton looked certain of ending the race second overall until he was forced to stop when the tyre came off his rim. Now armed with a KTM 250 EXC-f for the coming season, Bolton won’t allow that mistake to happen twice.

Although the veteran of the class, Sherco’s Wayne Braybrook is still one of the fastest. No slouch around the Nantmawr Quarry, Braybrook handled the infamous Root of Evil hill climb with ease to finish as runner up to the charging Jarvis.


Regarded as the toughest siblings in hard enduro, the Hemingway brothers, Ben and Dan, will make their first official ride on Beta machinery at the race. Benefitting from a world-class pedigree in trials, the Hemingway’s are some of the best riders in the world when the going gets tough. Ben, who placed third overall in last year’s race before going on to finish third overall at the Erzbergrodeo will be a rider everyone will need to watch out for.

But while the British contingent enter the Tough One as favourites; they’ll face fierce competition from a host of world-class competitors. Spain’s Alfredo Gomez, teammate to Jarvis, is Husaberg’s rising hard enduro talent. With both the skill and speed to match his rivals, Gomez is more than capable of preventing an all-out British podium.

Add in the experienced Xavier Gallindo (Husaberg), teenage sensation Wade Young (Husaberg) – who beat Jarvis to win the 2012 Roof of Africa – Fabien Planet (Sherco) and KTM’s Melcior Faja along with the Gas Gas pairing of Alex Wigg and Danny McCanney and the stage is set for an explosive start to the 2013 season.

For details on admission prices to the Tough One visit HERE