Gruelling British Army endurance challenge won by visiting French infantry soldier

A 22-year-old French infantryman has won a gruelling 10-mile race, finishing ahead of 700 British soldiers.

Corporal Pol, a member of the 27th Mountain Infantry Battalion – 27e Bataillon de Chasseurs Alpins – was the first to cross the finish line in Catterick, Britain's largest military garrison, where the 2026 Bismarck Challenge took place.

The challenge requires troops to complete a best-effort run over 10 miles while carrying 18kg of kit.

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Finishing with a time of 1 hour, 14 minutes and 50 seconds, Corporal Pol said he was "very proud" to have won the competition.

"We are the only team of French people here, so it is really good for us," Cpl Pol said.

Asked if it felt good to beat so many British soldiers, the Frenchman said it did, but added that his feelings were "entente" – a nod to the 1904 Entente Cordiale agreement, which has underpinned Anglo-French relations for more than 120 years.

Cpl Pol added: "I didn't know about the British level [of fitness], but we don't do a lot of races like this in France, so it was my first time.

"It was not easy. The second [placed soldier] came really fast at the end, so I had to sprint."

The German connection

The Bismarck Challenge is primarily an event for 1st (United Kingdom) Division – the British Army's light, high-readiness global response force – although teams from across the wider military and allied nations also took part.

"Historically, the Bismarck Challenge was done in Germany back in the day," explained Major Carl "Burny" Burnett, Head of the Physical Training Branch across 1 (UK) Division.

"It was all about running up to the Bismarck monument in Germany, a four-mile best effort, back down again. And it's stayed with 1 Div ever since.

"A year ago though, especially with the division looking at a warfighting campaign and 'first to the fight' and all that kind of good stuff, the [General Officer Commanding] gave me a spin and said 'Can we not change the Bismarck slightly this year to make it more arduous and a bit more challenging?'.

"So essentially, the event is more akin to what the division is all about – warfighting and the ethos of being first to the fight."

No second place in the business of combat

Reflecting the prestige of the event, the competition drew the head of the British Army, Chief of the General Staff General Sir Roly Walker, who fired the starting gun and presented prizes to the winning soldiers and units.

"I take my hat off to you for what you have done today," Gen Sir Roly said. "And for what you are doing in your units, your brigade and in your division, to think deeply about the business of fighting, to think importantly about what it takes to fight and win.

"How you take someone who is inclined to serve in uniform, teach them the business of fighting as we do today and to the business of fighting tomorrow.

"But most importantly, instilling an unquenchable desire to do what it takes, with whomever it takes, wherever, to win."

The general added: "There's no second place when it comes to the business of combat."

While Cpl Pol took individual honours, 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment secured the overall team prize.