Hey there, mud-loving folks! The 2025 World’s Toughest Mudder, held June 28-29 at Belvoir Castle in Grantham, UK, was a 24-hour obstacle course epic that brought mud and the heat! Over 1,500 solo, team and pit crew participants from 20+ countries tackled a brutal 5-mile loop packed with hills, evolving obstacles, and enough mud to make a pig jealous. This was the first time the event left U.S. soil, and Belvoir Castle’s rolling hills and dense woods set the stage for a showdown of grit and heart.
Let’s take a look at the triumphs, twists, results and at how our prediction contest shook out.
The Setup: A Muddy Castle Gauntlet
Picture this: a 5-mile loop with ~200 meters of elevation per lap, featuring the infamous “Hills of Belvoir” and obstacles that changed faster than a weather forecast in spring. From Saturday morning to Sunday’s finish, runners—solo or in team relays—pushed through 24 hours of pure endurance. Pit crews and spectators kept the vibes high with food, music, and announcers turning the pit area into a muddy festival. A post-race brunch on June 30 gave everyone a chance to refuel and swap war stories. The course was no joke, with muddy descents and water features testing every ounce of resolve.
The Champions: Nikki & Joe Take the Crown
Nikki Caromba from South Africa was a force of nature, defending her women’s title with 19 laps—95 miles—in 24 hours and 59 minutes. She powered through like she was born in the mud.
On the men’s side, Joseph Rucco from the USA crushed it with 22 laps—110 miles—in 24 hours and 52 minutes, running like he had a personal vendetta against the course.
These two set the bar sky-high, leaving the rest of the field chasing their muddy tails.
The Drama: Twists, Turns & Underdogs
Nicole Coccia was leading the women’s race for over half the event, looking like a lock for first. But blisters and “trench foot” hit like a bad Monday, forcing her to stop after 16 laps (80 miles), paving the way for Nikki Caromba to snag the win.
In the men’s race, last year’s champ, Michael Schjott, who ran 115 miles in 2024, showed up but was derailed by ongoing foot issues after six’ish hours, knocking him out early.
Josh Fiore kept his streak alive, hitting 105 miles for his fourth straight year of 100+ miles, but the top spot slipped away again.
Mike Strobel continued his climb, going from 60 miles four years ago to 75, 90, and now 95 miles for fifth place, eyeing that 100-mile orange jacket next year.
Kris Rugloski, a two-time winner (2022, 2023) and the first woman to hit 100 miles at WTM, had fans buzzing when she started the race. Many expected her to dominate, but she ran just one lap before switching to pit crew duty for her partner, Austin Azar, who nabbed third with 105 miles. That move showed heart bigger than a Texas sunrise.
Another no-show, Mark Gaudet, had folks thinking he’d compete but never made it to the start line. So we had two big curveballs with Mark & Kris when it comes to ya’ll making those predictions!
The Prediction Game: Hits & Misses
Over on our Predictions! Page we had 17 fans picking who’d hit the podium and how many men and women would snag the 100-mile orange jacket.
Shoutout to Hannah Franciosa, who crushed it with the best picks!
Many nailed Nikki Caromba for first, given her champ status last year, and Jill Heller for third, matching her 2024 vibe with 85 miles this time.
But Joseph Rucco? Only one person picked him to win the men’s race (Nicole Coccia!) making him the underdog who stole the show.
Josh Fiore and Austin Azar were popular top-three picks, and for good reason—they’ve been delivering 100miles+ pretty consistently!
However, Michael Schjott, Kris Rugloski, and Mark Gaudet tripped up some predictions, with Schjott and Rugloski bowing out early and Gaudet a no-show. The orange jacket count for the men was spot-on for some, with four men (Rucco, Fiore, Azar & Thompson) and no women hitting 100 miles, though expectations for Rugloski, Coccia and Caromba had folks hoping for more.
Below you can see a breakdown of our Prediction Submissions and how everyone did.
(The Math is hidden, this chart is large enough already)
Green highlight represents a perfect match, gray highlight is a near match and what was used for the scoring.
Best 4 of 6 scores counted, so outliers like Schjott, Rugloski and Gaudet could be forgiven.
You’re welcome.
Only Nicole Coccia picked Joe for first! And Paul Massey with the perfect guess on how many 100milers we’d see this year.
The Top 10 List:
We’ve mentioned the winners and few others, but here’s the top 10 list.
And to find the FULL List of ALL Athletes check out myraceresult here.
The Vibe: A Global Mud Fest
The energy at Belvoir Castle was electric, like a community barbecue with extra mud. Pit crews, spectators, and athletes from Poland, Germany, Canada, and beyond created a global party vibe. Matthew Brooke, Tough Mudder’s Managing Director, called it a game-changer for UK endurance racing, and the castle’s dramatic hills and woods made every lap feel like a quest. Being 40 minutes from Nottingham and 140 from London helped draw a big crowd!
Looking Ahead
The post-race brunch on June 30 was a hit, letting mudders and crews celebrate. Mark your calendars for the 2026 World’s Toughest Mudder, set for June 27-28 at Belvoir Castle—registration’s already up at Tough Mudder USA. Start training, because this ain’t your average backyard jog!
Wrap-Up
The 2025 World’s Toughest Mudder was a testament to grit and heart. Nikki Caromba and Joseph Rucco led the charge, while Josh Fiore, Mike Strobel, Grant Thompson and Austin Azar showed what dedication looks like. From Nicole Coccia’s tough break to Kris Rugloski’s selfless move, and the prediction contest surprises at OCRDirectory.com, this event was about pushing limits and embracing the mud. Here’s to the athletes who gave it all and the fans who called their shots—see y’all next year for more muddy madness!
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