Hyrox: the new fitness competition sweeping across the world

Hyrox is one of the world’s most popular and fastest growing fitness trends. Cigna Healthcare Hong Kong is renewing its title partnership of the HYROX race for the second consecutive year, supporting the global fitness race for two seasons until 2026. The partnership also reflects Cigna Healthcare’s commitment to initiatives that promote a preventive approach to health.

Jonathan Spiers, Chief Executive Officer of Cigna Healthcare Hong Kong said, “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with HYROX after the success of last year. This collaboration reflects our core focus on health, offering a fantastic opportunity to engage with our customers, partners, and the communities we serve to promote health and vitality. The partnership also reflects our commitment to initiatives that promote a preventive approach to health. We look forward to participating in Cigna Healthcare HYROX race alongside our clients and partners, and joining them in their health journey.”

So, what is Hyrox?

Hyrox is one of the world’s most popular and fastest growing fitness trends. Combining running with functional gym exercises, the sport has bridged the gap between conventional long-distance endurance events and gym-based exercise fitness, while also incorporating team competition. First established in 2017, the sport has seen an explosion in popularity in recent times with a 1 000% increase in global participation in five years, and participation is set to double again from 2024 to 2025. 

How did it come about?

The roots of Hyrox have evolved out of CrossFit, an intense form of exercise that involves performing functional movements in high-intensity sessions. Hyrox cofounder and CEO Christian Toetzke, an endurance- racing enthusiast and mass participation race organiser, believed he could create a version of CrossFit with a broader, more accessible appeal. After teaming up with Moritz Furste, a former German Olympic field hockey champion, they held the first Hyrox event in Hamburg in 2017.

So how exactly does it work?

Primarily an indoor discipline, Hyrox sees athletes take part in eight legs, each involving a one-kilometre run followed by a fitness exercise. The exercises are one kilometre on a standing ski machine, 50m of sled push, 50m sled pull, 80m burpee jumps, one-kilometre indoor rowing, carrying a kettlebell 200m, 100 metre lunges carrying a sandbag, and finally 100 throws and catches of a medicine ball off a wall. A typical Hyrox race takes around 60 minutes to an hour and a half.

The actual movements don’t require a lot of skill, so the barrier for entry is very low, and athletes can choose between four categories, each with different rules of competition.

1. Open - Billed as the standard Hyrox race, where the emphasis is on completion rather than overall time; indeed, Hyrox claims 99% of their athletes reach the finish line.
2. Pro - For more experienced athletes, the ‘Pro’ events involve heavier weights for a more challenging experience. 
3. Doubles - If you find a partner, you can take on a Hyrox race as a pair. You both have to do the required 8 kilometre run, but you can split each workout station as you choose, so long as they are all eventually completed.
4. Relay - This race splits the Hyrox challenge between a team of four, with each teammate completing 2 x 1km of running, each followed by a workout station.

Why is Hyrox so popular?

Hyrox was designed to go viral - with DJ’s at events playing upbeat dance music and participants encouraged to post about their workout, it seems as though every last detail has been considered with the intention of building the visibility and profile of the sport. They even give contestants patches instead of medals to wear on their gym bags. Now, Hyrox’s international Instagram account (@hyroxworld) has over 450k followers and the fitness community has latched on to its innately shareable quality.

Sounds great. Can I enter?

Yes, but it’s not easy! Events in the UK have grown so popular that they have had to introduce ticket lotteries; but this doesn’t stop athletes from the UK who were unsuccessful in the lottery from travelling to participate in events in other European countries like Germany and Italy. In 2025, Hyrox is set to host 45 events for 425 000 athletes worldwide. What’s more, Cigna Healthcare Singapore and Cigna Healthcare Hong Kong have sponsored Hyrox in Asia, where events have taken place in Abu Dhabi, Beijing, Hong Kong, Yokohama, and more. 

Is there a World Championship?

Yes, there has been since 2019. The pinnacle of each season sees the best athletes converge on a host city – previous locations include Oberhausen, Leipzig, Las Vegas, Manchester, Nice and Chicago – to battle it out to be the champion of their age group. The qualification process is straightforward: athletes qualify by securing a top placement in their age group and division at any Hyrox global race during the season. The number of qualifying spots at each race depends on the total number of participants.