HYROX is a fitness competition that combines 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) of running and eight functional workout stations.[1] It is an indoor hybrid fitness racing event that alternates running with functional exercises. It bills itself as "The World Series of Fitness Racing" and "A sport for Everybody".[2][3]
Current season, competition or edition: 2023–2024 Elite 15 | |
| Sport | HYROX |
|---|---|
| Founded | November 2017 |
| First season | 2019 |
| Owner(s) | Upsolut Sports |
| Director | Mintra Tilly |
| Competitors | 15 men, 15 women |
| Venue(s) | Palais des Congrès Acropolis, Nice, France |
| Most recent champion(s) |
(2023–2024) |
| Most titles |
|
| Qualification | HYROX Pro Event time, HYROX Major, HYROX Elite 15 |
| Sponsor(s) | Red Bull (2020–current) Puma (2019–current) |
| Official website | HYROX |
A HYROX competition is made up of a 1-kilometre (0.62 mi) run followed by a functional exercise station that is repeated eight times for the eight different workout stations.[4][5]
HYROX was launched by Christian Toetzke and Moritz Fürste.[4][5] The first HYROX event was held in Hamburg, Germany in April 2018.[5]
History
editHYROX was founded by Olympic hockey champion Moritz Fürste and Christian Toetzke, and first introduced in Hamburg, Germany in 2017. The first HYROX event had 650 participants.[6] 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".[7]
The competition has since expanded worldwide, with 24,000 people taking part in HYROX events in London alone in 2023.[8][6] In total, 65 races were held around the world in 2023, with 175,000 competitors taking part.[9]
HYROX affiliates
editA network of Hyrox-affiliated gyms has been established,[10] and gyms pay a yearly affiliation fee to become a "HYROX training center".[11] There are around 2,500 HYROX-affiliated gyms in 2024.[12]
Sponsorship and prize money
edit
By season 3 of HYROX (2020–2021) it had already attracted investments from Infront Sports & Media Group and sponsorships with global brands, Red Bull and Puma.[13] 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,[14][15]
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).[citation needed]
Format
editHYROX combines running with functional exercise stations, where participants run 1 km (0.62 mi), followed by one functional exercise station, repeated eight times. Each race is hosted indoors in exhibition halls or convention centers.[16] Occasional events have been hosted outdoors, including Miami in 2023.
This race format remains consistent across the globe, enabling global leaderboards and a cumulative World Championships at the end of each race season.[16][17]
The functional exercise stations are consistent at every event where participants will complete the following:[16]
- 1 kilometer of running into 1 kilometer of SkiErg
- 1 kilometer of running into 50 meters of sled push[18]
- 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 or 75 reps of wall ball
All participants complete the running and stations. Station weights and repetitions can differ based on the division.[16]
HYROX competitions
editMany HYROX competitions are held around the world every year, and no qualification is required for athletes to join these competitions.[19] Competitors may compete as a single, or in doubles as a two-person team, or in team relay. There are four divisions: women, women pro, men, and men pro. For doubles, there are doubles women, doubles men and doubles mixed.[20]
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.[21]
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.[22]
World Championships
editElite qualification system
edit
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.[22]
The first HYROX World Championships was held in Oberhausen, Germany, in 2019, with over 600 participants.[23] 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 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.[24][25]
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.[citation needed]
Champions by year
editThe World Champions of each season are listed here:[26][27]
| Season | Year | Location | Female Champion | Female Winning Time (h:mm:ss) | Male Champion | Male Winning time (h:mm:ss) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2018–2019 | Oberhausen, Germany |  Imke Salander
|
1:08:08 (WR) | Lukas Storath
|
0:59:07 |
| 2 | 2019–2020* | Hamburg, Germany |  Lauren Weeks
|
1:09:47 | Hunter McIntyre
|
1:00:04 |
| 3 | 2021 | Leipzig, Germany | Lauren Weeks (x2)
|
1:03:43 (WR) | Tobias Lautwein
|
1:00:00 |
| 4 | 2021–2022 | Las Vegas, U.S. | Kris Rugloski
|
1:07:21 | Hunter McIntyre (x2)
|
0:58:05 |
| 5 | 2022–2023 | Manchester, UK | Lauren Weeks (x3)
|
0:59:51 | Hunter McIntyre (x3)
|
0:56:40 |
| 6 | 2023–2024 | Nice, France | Megan Jacoby
|
0:59:59 |  Alexander Roncevic
|
0:56:21 |
- 2020 was run on Assault Fitness AirRunners due to COVID-19 restrictions
| Season | Year | Location | Female Champion | Female Winning Time (h:mm:ss) | Male Champion | Male Winning Time (h:mm:ss) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2021 | Chicago, U.S. | Lauren Weeks
|
1:05:18 (WR) | Hunter McIntyre
|
1:01:01 |
| 4 | 2022 | Chicago, U.S. | Lauren Weeks
|
1:07:03 | Ryan Kent
|
0:57:45 |
| 5 | 2023 | Chicago, U.S. |  Mikaela Norman
|
1:02:04 | David Magida
|
0:59:11 |
| 6 | 2024 | Washington, D.C., U.S. | Lauren Weeks
|
1:01:20 | Dylan Scott
|
0:56:37 |
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.
| Season | Year | Location | Female Champion | Female Winning Time (h:mm:ss) | Male Champion | Male Winning Time (h:mm:ss) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2021 | Hamburg, Germany | Viola Oberlander
|
1:07:58 | Tobias Lautwein
|
0:59:29 |
| 4 | 2022 | Maastricht, Netherlands |  Mirjam Von Rohr
|
1:04:20 | Tobias Lautwein
|
0:56:52 |
| 5 | 2023 | Maastricht, Netherlands | Lauren Weeks
|
1:01:12 | Alexander Roncevic
|
0:57:26 |
| 6 | 2024 | Vienna, Austria | Lauren Weeks
|
0:58:03 (WR) | Alexander Roncevic
|
0:54:28 |
The European Championships did not officially start until season 3.
World records
editPrior 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.
- Female world records (Pro/Elite division)[28]
| Season | Year | Female WR holder | WR time | Event Location | Date | Days Record Stood (Total for athlete) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2019 | Imke Salander
|
1:08:08 | Oberhausen, Germany | May 2019 | 200 days (200 days) |
| 2 | 2019 | Elisabeth Sarah Kholti
|
1:05:33 | Essen, Germany | November 16, 2019 | 587 days (587 days) |
| 3 | 2021 | Lauren Weeks
|
1:05:18 | Chicago, U.S. | June 26, 2021 | 76 days (76 days) |
| 3 | 2021 | Lauren Weeks
|
1:03:43 | Leipzig, Germany | September 10, 2021 | 365 days (443 days) |
| 5 | 2022 | Linda Meier
|
1:03:29 | Basel, Germany | September 11, 2022 | 41 days (41 days) |
| 5 | 2022 | Linda Meier
|
1:02:23 | Amsterdam, Netherlands | October 22, 2022 | 14 days (54 days) |
| 5 | 2022 | Megan Jacoby
|
1:01:56 | Chicago, U.S. | November 5, 2022 | 21 days (21 days) |
| 5 | 2022 | Mikaela Norman
|
1:00:45 | Hamburg, Germany | November 26, 2022 | 147 days (147 days) |
| 5 | 2023 | Megan Jacoby
|
0:58:58 | Anaheim, U.S. | April 22, 2023 | 229 days (250 days) |
| 6 | 2023 | Megan Jacoby
|
0:58:52 | Stockholm, Sweden | December 7, 2023 | 64 days (314 days) |
| 6 | 2024 | Lauren Weeks
|
0:58:03 | Vienna, Austria | February 9, 2024 | Current WR |
- Male world records (Pro/Elite division)[29]
| Season | Year | Male WR holder | WR time | Event Location | Date | Days Record Stood (Total for athlete) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2018 | Lukas Storath
|
59:07 | Stuttgart, Germany | November 2018 | 451 days (451 days) |
| 2 | 2020 | Hunter McIntyre
|
57:34 | Chicago, U.S. | January 25, 2020 | 816 days (816 days) |
| 4 | 2022 | Tobias Lautwein
|
56:52 | Maastricht, Netherlands | March 26, 2022 | 14 days (14 days) |
| 4 | 2022 | Hunter McIntyre
|
55:09 | Dallas, U.S. | April 9, 2022 | 343 days (1,159 days) |
| 5 | 2023 | Hunter McIntyre
|
54:07 | Barcelona, Spain | March 18, 2023 | 264 days (1,423 days) |
| 6 | 2023 | Hunter McIntyre
|
53:22 | Stockholm, Sweden | December 7, 2023 | Current WR |
References
edit- ^ Snape, Joel (2024-03-18). "How to enjoy Hyrox: I tried the gruelling, thrilling, hugely popular race – and discovered 11 ways to tackle it". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
- ^ "The Fitness Race | HYROX". 2023-04-26. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
- ^ suzanne (2024-01-28). "HYROX—A Sport for Everybody". Concept2. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
- ^ a b "The History | HYROX". 2023-04-26. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
- ^ a b c Williams, Greg (2022-04-04). "A Beginner's Guide to HYROX". Rox Lyfe. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
- ^ a b "Hyrox: The new fitness trend sweeping the capital". BBC News. 2024-02-27. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
- ^ Marsh, Calum (2024-04-28). "A New Fitness Craze With Big Drama". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
- ^ Jensen, Björn. "Laufen und CrossFit vereint Hyrox entwickelt sich rasant". Hamburger Abendblatt.
- ^ Newcomb, Tim (3 June 2024). "Puma Partners with Hyrox, Targeting New Footwear Niche". Forbes.
- ^ Connor, Liz (22 October 2022). "Why It's Worth Joining A HYROX Gym". Coach Mag.
- ^ "Gym Partners | HYROX". 2022-03-16. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
- ^ Ostertag, Elizabeth (2024-02-12). "Hyrox Enters Canada Amid Rapid Global Expansion". Athletech News. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
- ^ "Christian Toetzke, Co-Founder of HYROX On: The Return Of Mass Participation Fitness Events | Welltodo". welltodoglobal.com. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
- ^ "HYROX Prize Money + Payouts in 2024 & Previous Years". fitnessexperiment.co. 2023-09-04. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
- ^ Williams, Greg (2023-09-01). "2024 HYROX World Championships". Rox Lyfe. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
- ^ a b c d "The Fitness Race | HYROX". 2023-04-26. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
- ^ "Spice Up Your Training With Hyrox Competitions, Which Mix Running and Strength". Runner's World. 2023-10-12. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
- ^ "Centr Enters Competitive Fitness Space as Official Equipment Provider of HYROX". businesswire.com. 2023-10-24. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
- ^ "Hyrox is aiming for a million participants a year | Sports Management". Sports Management. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
- ^ "Rule Book" (PDF). HYROX.
- ^ Davis, Matt B. (2023-10-23). "HYROX Birmingham – Fall 2023 Results". Hybrid Fitness Media. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
- ^ a b "Everything you need to know about the HYROX World Championships 2023". RedBull.
- ^ Wysotzki, Rüdiger (16 April 2019). "Nach Kopf-an-Kopf-Rennen: Michael Gomeringer und Andreas Klauser sind Weltmeister im Hyrox". Zollern-Alb-Kurier.
- ^ Williams, Greg (2022-08-19). "How to Qualify for the HYROX World Championships". Rox Lyfe. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
- ^ "HYROX: The ultimate fitness race that combines running and functional fitness". Fibo. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
- ^ "McIntyre, Weeks Win HYROX World Championships of Fitness". Morning Chalk Up. 2021-01-04. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
- ^ "HYROX - For Every Body". results.hyrox.com. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
- ^ "HYROX - For Every Body". results.hyrox.com. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
- ^ "HYROX - For Every Body". results.hyrox.com. Retrieved 2024-02-20.