Hyrox

HYROX was founded by Olympic field hockey champion Moritz Fürste and Christian Toetzke, and first introduced in Hamburg, Germany in 2017. The first HYROX event had 650 participants.{{Cite news |date=2024-02-27 |title=Hyrox: The new fitness trend sweeping the capital |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-68300338 |access-date=2024-04-29 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}} According to Fürste, the original brief was "to create an event that is a 200,000-euro (about $214,000) production that looks like a 2,000,000-euro ($2,144,000) production".{{Cite news |last=Marsh |first=Calum |date=2024-04-28 |title=A New Fitness Craze With Big Drama |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/28/style/hyrox-workout-anaheim-germany.html |access-date=2024-04-28 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} The name "HYROX" is a portmanteau of "hybrid" and "rockstar."{{Cite news |last=Beveridge |first=Anthea |title="Hybrid training is a healthy trend, when done correctly" |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-16/hyrox-social-media-trend/104915770 |url-status=live |work=ABC News (Australia)}}

The competition has since expanded worldwide, with 24,000 people taking part in HYROX events in London alone in 2023.{{Cite web |url=https://www.abendblatt.de/sport/article234888933/laufen-und-crossfit-vereint-hyrox-entwickelt-sich-rasant-moritz-fuerste-fitnesssportart.html |title=Laufen und CrossFit vereint Hyrox entwickelt sich rasant |first=Björn |last=Jensen |work=Hamburger Abendblatt}} In total, 65 races were held around the world in 2023, with 175,000 competitors taking part.{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/timnewcomb/2024/06/03/puma-partners-with-hyrox-creating-new-footwear-category/ |title=Puma Partners with Hyrox, Targeting New Footwear Niche |work=Forbes |first=Tim |last=Newcomb |date=3 June 2024}}

A network of Hyrox-affiliated gyms has been established,{{cite web |last=Connor |first=Liz |date=22 October 2022 |title=Why It's Worth Joining A HYROX Gym |url=https://www.coachmag.co.uk/fitness/why-its-worth-joining-a-hyrox-gym |work=Coach Mag}} and gyms pay a yearly affiliation fee to become a HYROX affiliate.{{Cite web |date=2022-03-16 |title=Gym Partners {{!}} HYROX |url=https://hyrox.com/gym-partners/ |access-date=2024-02-21 |language=en-US}} There are three tiers of affiliation: HYROX Performance Centers, HYROX Training Clubs, and HYROX Performance Academy.{{cite web |url=https://morningchalkup.barbend.com/p/hyrox-hits-5000-training-clubs-reports-260-percent-growth-in-2024 |title=HYROX Hits 5000 Training Clubs, Reports 260-Percent Growth in 2024 |date=December 13, 2024|work=Morning Chalk Up }} HYROX365 is responsible for the training and education side of HYROX.{{cite web |url=https://hyrox.com/hyrox365-training-education/ |title=HYROX365 Training and Education |work=HYROX }} The number of HYROX-affiliated gyms grew rapidly,{{Cite web |last=Ostertag |first=Elizabeth |date=2024-02-12 |title=Hyrox Enters Canada Amid Rapid Global Expansion |url=https://athletechnews.com/hyrox-enters-canada-amid-rapid-global-expansion/ |access-date=2024-02-21 |website=Athletech News |language=en-US}} and reached 5,000 by the end of 2024.

File:Entire_field_at_2021_World_Championships.png, Germany.]]

By season 3 of HYROX (2020–2021) it had attracted investments from Infront Sports & Media Group and sponsorships with global brands, Red Bull and Puma.{{Cite web |title=Christian Toetzke, Co-Founder of HYROX On: The Return Of Mass Participation Fitness Events {{!}} Welltodo |url=https://www.welltodoglobal.com/christian-toetzke-co-founder-of-hyrox-on-the-return-of-mass-participation-fitness-events-welltodo/ |access-date=2024-02-20 |website=welltodoglobal.com}} Prize money for the elite event has grown year on year. Other major events have received prize payouts in addition to the World Championships. For the 2023–2024 HYROX World Championship, the total prize purse was $150,000 split between the male and female elite fields, with the winner receiving $25,000.{{Cite web |date=2023-09-04 |title=HYROX Prize Money + Payouts in 2024 & Previous Years |url=https://fitnessexperiment.co/hyrox-prize-money/ |access-date=2024-02-20 |website=fitnessexperiment.co |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Greg |date=2023-09-01 |title=2024 HYROX World Championships |url=https://roxlyfe.com/2024-hyrox-world-championships/ |access-date=2024-02-20 |website=Rox Lyfe |language=en-GB}}

In 2024, HYROX announced a relay event with representatives from 20 different countries as captains, with the freedom to pick their teams from any athlete of that country. At the World Championships in Nice, France, the relay will take place as the final event with the winning team taking home $20,000 in prize money ($5,000 per athlete).{{CN|date=June 2024}}

HYROX combines running with functional exercise stations, where participants run {{cvt|1|km}}, followed by one functional exercise station, repeated eight times. Each race is hosted indoors in exhibition halls or convention centers.{{Cite web |date=2023-04-26 |title=The Fitness Race {{!}} HYROX |url=https://hyrox.com/the-fitness-race/ |access-date=2024-02-20 |language=en-US}} Occasional events have been hosted outdoors, including Miami in 2023.{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}}

This race format remains consistent across the globe, enabling global leaderboards and a cumulative World Championships at the end of each race season.{{Cite web |date=2023-10-12 |title=Spice Up Your Training With Hyrox Competitions, Which Mix Running and Strength |url=https://www.runnersworld.com/training/a45509224/everything-to-know-about-hyrox/ |access-date=2024-02-21 |website=Runner's World |language=en-US}} At the event's functional exercise stations, participants are required to complete the following:

• 1 kilometer of running into 1 kilometer of SkiErg
• 1 kilometer of running into 50 meters of sled push{{Cite web |date=2023-10-24 |title=Centr Enters Competitive Fitness Space as Official Equipment Provider of HYROX |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231023422267/en/Centr-Enters-Competitive-Fitness-Space-as-Official-Equipment-Provider-of-HYROX |access-date=2024-02-21 |website=businesswire.com |language=en}}
• 1 kilometer of running into 50 meters of sled pull
• 1 kilometer of running into 80 meters of burpee broad jump
• 1 kilometer of running into 1 kilometer of rowing
• 1 kilometer of running into 200 meters of kettlebell farmer carry
• 1 kilometer of running into 100 meters of sandbag walking lunge
• 1 kilometer of running into 100 wall balls

All participants complete the running and stations. Station weights and repetitions can differ based on the division.

Many HYROX competitions are held around the world every year, and no qualification is required for athletes to join these competitions.{{Cite web |title=Hyrox is aiming for a million participants a year {{!}} Sports Management |url=http://www.sportsmanagement.co.uk/Sports-news/latest/Hyrox-founder-aims-for-one-million-participants-a-year/352328 |access-date=2024-02-21 |website=Sports Management}} Competitors may compete as a single, or in doubles as a two-person team, or in a team relay. There are four divisions: women, women pro, men, and men pro. For doubles, there are doubles women, doubles men and doubles mixed.{{Cite web |title=Rule Book |url=https://hyrox.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/SINGLE_RULEBOOK_EN_23_24.pdf |work=HYROX}}

Some of the larger weekend events are extended to two- or three-day affairs. The largest single day event took place in Birmingham, UK, with 5,032 total finishers. The only event with more participants was the two-day event in London in 2022 that had 6,270 participants.{{Cite web |last=Davis |first=Matt B. |date=2023-10-23 |title=HYROX Birmingham – Fall 2023 Results |url=https://hybridfitnessmedia.com/2023/10/23/hyrox-birmingham-fall-2023-results/ |access-date=2024-02-21 |website=Hybrid Fitness Media |language=en-US}}

A number of important championships are held every year, including the European Championships and the North America Championships, but the most important one is the HYROX World Championships.

File:Lauren at EU Championships 2023 Wall Balls.png

Competitors can qualify for the World Championships by becoming one of the Elite 15 in Individual Pro races. Those with the best time in the Pro division in a global leaderboard receive an invitation to the Elite race series such as the European Championships and the North America Championships. The podium finishers in these competitions qualify for the elite races in the World Championship.{{Cite web |title=Everything you need to know about the HYROX World Championships 2023 |url=https://www.redbull.com/gb-en/hyrox-world-championships-all-you-need-to-know |work=RedBull}}

The first HYROX World Championships was held in Oberhausen, Germany, in 2019, with over 600 participants.{{Cite news |url=https://www.zak.de/Nachrichten/Michael-Gomeringer-ist-Weltmeister-im-Hyrox-128288.html |title=Nach Kopf-an-Kopf-Rennen: Michael Gomeringer und Andreas Klauser sind Weltmeister im Hyrox |first= Rüdiger |last=Wysotzki |work=Zollern-Alb-Kurier |date=16 April 2019}} For season 1 in 2019, the World Championships Elite race was determined solely by the fastest times of the season up to that point.

The season 2 races in 2020 were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The official World Championships for that season had a condensed field that included the top 5 times of each gender plus one wild card invite of each gender. The wild card invites were from sport adjacent athletes and included Samantha Briggs (2013 CrossFit Games Champion) and Adam Klink (first male to squat 500-lbs and run a sub-5 minute mile in the same day).

For seasons 3, 4, and 5 (2021–2023), athletes qualified by placing top 3 at either the U.S. Championships or the European Championships. The remaining slots were filled in by the top times of the season.

In season 6 (2023–2024), in order to qualify for the World Championships, athletes needed to place top 3 in one of four "Major Championships" where roll down slots would happen for athletes who already qualified but never passed 5th place. All remaining spots are filled in by two "Last Chance Qualifier" events, where the first one chronologically will have less available spots than the later one. Qualification for the four major events is based on automatic qualifiers from previous seasons (U.S. Champion, European Champion, Top 3 at World Championships) and the remaining spots are filled in based on time from Pro Division events.{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Greg |date=2022-08-19 |title=How to Qualify for the HYROX World Championships |url=https://roxlyfe.com/how-to-qualify-for-the-hyrox-world-championships/ |access-date=2024-02-20 |website=Rox Lyfe |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |title=HYROX: The ultimate fitness race that combines running and functional fitness |url=https://www.fibo.com/en-gb/blog/fibo/hyrox-ultimative-fitnessrace.html |access-date=2024-02-21 |website=Fibo |language=en-GB}}

Average finishing times for the elite women's field range from 58 minutes to 65 minutes, while the elite men's field times range from 53 minutes to 59 minutes. The general populace finish the race in the Pro division between 60 minutes to 120 minutes.{{CN|date=June 2024}}

The World Champions of each season are listed here:{{Cite web |date=2021-01-04 |title=McIntyre, Weeks Win HYROX World Championships of Fitness |url=https://morningchalkup.com/2021/01/03/mcintyre-weeks-win-hyrox-world-championships-of-fitness/ |access-date=2024-02-20 |website=Morning Chalk Up |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=HYROX - For Every Body |url=https://results.hyrox.com/season-1/?pid=list&pidp=ranking_nav |access-date=2024-02-20 |website=results.hyrox.com}}

• 2020 was run on Assault Fitness AirRunners due to COVID-19 restrictions

• 2020 was canceled for doubles due to COVID-19 Restrictions

*The North American Championships in 2025 was an Open division race and not Pro/Elite division like previous years.

The U.S. and North American Championships did not officially start until season 3. The male winner of the U.S./North American Championships has never gone on to win the World Championships title in the same year.

*The European Championships in 2025 was an Open division race and not Pro/Elite division like previous years.

The European Championships did not officially start until season 3.

Prior to the start of the 2022–2023 season, the sled weights were adjusted to include the weight of the sled in an attempt to more readily standardize the courses throughout the world. This change effectively reduced the men's and women's push and pull sleds by about 10kg each, which is reflected in the slew of record breaking times during that season.

{{reflist}}

Category:Recurring sporting events established in 2017

Category:Physical exercise

Category:Sports competitions

Category:Hyrox