Perton

A man walks as snow and frozen wind billows cross the region, in Roncesvalles, northern Spain, Thursday Feb. 2, 2012. A cold spell has reached Europe with temperatures plummeting far below zero. Protesters demonstrate inside of a tent created by draping a tarp over a statue of Union General James McPherson at the Occupy DC [...]

Billed as "the toughest race in the world," the Tough Guy 2012 competition took place yesterday in Perton, England. Every year, thousands of men and women tackle the course, which is described on the Tough Guy website as eight country miles filled with freezing mud and "barbed wire, cuts, scrapes, burns, dehydration, hypothermia, acrophobia, claustrophobia, electric shocks, sprains, twists, joint dislocation and broken bones." Gathered here are some images of the fun had by the tough competitors in this year's event. [27 photos]

A competitor in fancy dress emerges from muddy water during the Tough Guy Challenge endurance race in Perton, England, on January 29, 2012. Every year thousands of people run the 8 mile assault course which involves freezing temperatures, fire and ice. First staged in 1986, it has been widely described as "the toughest race in the world", with up to one-third of the starters failing to finish in a typical year. (Michael Regan/Getty Images)

The best photos of 2011 from around the globe. Warning: All images in this entry are shown in full, not screened out for graphic content. Some images contain dead bodies, graphic content and tragic events. We consider these images an important part of human history.