Any soreness lingering after Hafþór Björnsson’s record-breaking deadlift just a few weeks ago must have been shaken off quickly, because the man they call Thor just won his twelfth Iceland’s Strongest Man event.
36-year-old Björnsson is having an incredible year. In late July he created a new all-time world deadlift record by raising 1,113 pounds (505 kilograms), and on August 9 was crowned 2025 Iceland’s Strongest Man. Incredibly, this marks the twelfth time that Thor has earned the title of strongest man in his homeland. Born in Reykjavík, Björnsson’s boasts include 10 consecutive wins from 2011 to 2020 before taking a break to concentrate on his health and family.
While Björnsson, who won the World’s Strongest Man trophy in 2018, did use his hiatus from strongman to engage in events like “The Heaviest Boxing Match in History,” defeating Hall by unanimous decision after six-rounds, he also concentrated on powerlifting and earned the deadlift world record before returning to the 2025 Iceland’s Strongest Man event, where he would be required to tackle events like the log lift, max farmers walk distance, deadlift for reps, and the sand bag medley. In the end, Thor prevailed with 49 points, well clear of the UK’s Paddy Haynes who came second with 44.5 points and Ghana’s Evans Aryee who took third with 39 points.
Hafþór ‘Thor’ Björnsson Comments on his 2025 Iceland’s Strongest Man victory
“Huge respect to every single competitor at this year’s Iceland’s Strongest Man,” wrote the man-mountain in a celebratory Instagram post for his 4.3 million followers. “The grit, the heart, and the fight on display made this one of the toughest ISM battles we’ve ever seen. What a weekend! Massive thanks to everyone involved and to all of ours sponsors who helped make this show possible.”
Hafþór Björnsson’s next challenge will see his travel to Birmingham, England, for the World Deadlift Championships on September 6, 2025. Can anyone stop him? To follow Thor on Instagram, click here.
