What do you get when you combine running, strength training, functional fitness and a community-driven competition that welcomes all levels of ability? The answer is HYROX, the rapidly growing global fitness race that’s turning everyday gym-lovers into hybrid athletes, and in the process literally revolutionizing how we train.
HYROX was founded in 2017 in Germany by Christian Toetzke and Moritz Fürste (a two-time Olympic gold medalist in field hockey), with a clear vision of building a sport that combines endurance, strength and functionality into one standardized format. But unlike many competitive fitness events, HYROX wasn’t built exclusively for elite athletes. In fact quite the opposite, it was designed to be inclusive, scalable and empowering.
Since then, HYROX has exploded across Europe and North America with races now held in over 15 countries, and thousands of competitors in each race. It’s being nicknamed “the marathon of functional fitness.”
So, what is HYROX?
Each HYROX event follows the same format. Competitors run 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) then complete one functional fitness movement, repeating that cycle eight times. That sounds simple! Is it easy? Definitely not!
The workouts include ones that you may not have heard of before:
1. SkiErg: A cardio machine simulating Nordic skiing using a double-pole motion.
2. Sled Push: Driving a weighted sled across a turf surface, testing lower-body strength and grit.
3. Sled Pull: Pulling the sled back over the same distance, often using a rope or strap.
4. Burpee Broad Jumps: A hybrid movement combining a burpee and long jump across a set distance.
5. RowErg: Mimics a rowing movement, challenging your full-body endurance and pacing.
6. Farmer’s Carry: Carrying kettlebells or dumbbells over a distance to test grip, core and stamina.
7. Sandbag Walking Lunges: Unilateral strength and balance under fatigue.
8. Wall Balls: Performing a squat while throwing a medicine ball to a high target — an ultimate test of endurance.
These exercises may sound intimidating, but they’re completely scalable. Each station was chosen to mimic real-life movements and test both mental toughness and full-body capability.
But here’s the best part. HYROX really is for everyone, first-time competitors to world-class athletes compete on the same course. There are different categories, including individual Open, Pro, Doubles and Relay formats, allowing friends to take on the challenge together. But for most it isn’t about who finishes first, it’s about setting goals, facing physical challenges, and experiencing the satisfaction of crossing the finish line, no matter your background or pace.
There are no limits to the finishing time, which opens the door to people with disabilities and challenges too. It’s challenging but achievable, and you can always scale down. You can see people of any age group competing in HYROX events, and it’s not just the race day atmosphere, it’s the training that brings community together.
At its core, HYROX is a celebration of functional fitness. That means movements that translate directly to everyday life: pushing, pulling, squatting, carrying and running. Training for HYROX helps improve mobility, stability, cardiovascular endurance and muscular strength, making you more capable in daily tasks, sports and even injury prevention.
It appeals to a growing group of fitness enthusiasts known as hybrid athletes, people who blend strength and endurance training into their routines. But it’s a break from the regular routine, going to the gym and doing the same treadmill, weights, stretching etc. HYROX offers structure and variety and you get measurable progress, like beating your previous time or carrying load. You get purpose in your workouts. And again, most importantly, you have fun!
So whether you’re chasing a new challenge or just trying to find joy in your workouts again, HYROX offers a refreshing path forward and it just might be the motivation you’ve been looking for.
You probably guessed by now that I love HYROX workouts! I fell in love with it so much that I became a HYROX Performance Coach, along with my other nutrition and fitness work. I am actually prepping for my first HYROX competition right now.
Don’t worry, you don’t need to sign up for a race to get started. Try pushing a sled, pick up a pair of dumbbells for a carry, mix running intervals into your walk, or add functional movements into your gym routine. You might surprise yourself!
You can read more about how HYROX works on my website at hyroxwarrior.com or the official HYROX website at hyrox.com.
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Ayda Ersoy is a nutritionist (Dip.C.N., Dip.S.N.); master trainer (CPT ACE, NCSF, CanfitPro); registered yoga teacher; founder, Health Angel Nutrition, Fitness and Wellness; and founder, SMS (Stability, Mobility Strength) Intuitive Training System.
