ErzbergRodeo, Motorcycle endurance race at Erzberg mine, Eisenerz, Austria

ErzbergRodeo is a four-day motorcycle enduro event held each May or June on the Erzberg, an iron ore mountain above Eisenerz in Styria, Austria. Its Iron Road Prologue runs about 13 km up a gravel track toward the summit, while Sunday's Red Bull Hare Scramble covers roughly 35 km of loose stone slopes. In the photograph riders and fallen machines are scattered across a steep field of pale gray and tan stones, with spectators massed along the upper edge.

The Erzberg Rodeo was launched in 1995 by Karl Katoch, who still organises it, on the ore slopes above Eisenerz in Styria. It joined the World Enduro Super Series in 2018, and that series became the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship in 2021. The 2020 and 2021 editions were cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the event has run again since 2022.

The event's name combines the Erzberg, the ore mountain above Eisenerz, with the rodeo format. Since 2008 riders from over 40 nations have started, and the top riders race without starting or prize money, unlike comparable events that pay up to 50,000 dollars. In 2015 four riders helped each other pull their bikes up the Downtown section and reached the finish together.

The four-day event runs in multiple rounds, beginning with a qualifying race that selects the fastest riders for the main competition. Visitors should expect extreme terrain and wear sturdy footwear plus protective gear.

Only a small fraction of participants manage to complete the full course within the time limit, which shows just how extreme this race really is. Many riders consider simply taking part a victory in itself.