SOCIAL MOVEMENT
Test your strength and endurance with Hyrox, the greatest cross-training activity you’ve probably never heard of
A HYBRID RACE of running and strength has taken the world by storm since its launch in Germany in 2017. The brainchild of Olympic hockey player Moritz Fürste and event owner Christian Toetzke, Hyrox aims to bridge the gap between running and functional fitness by testing both strength and endurance.
The event combines 8km of running with eight workouts and can be raced as individuals or relay teams. As any runner knows, strength training is key to injury prevention and can benefit performance, particularly in longer distances.
Hyrox is a great anaerobic and aerobic workout because it combines shorter bursts of running with strength work over an extended period of time. While the elites finish in around an hour, there is no official cut-off time, meaning anyone can take part. ‘What really appealed to me was the fact that they’re very functional movements,’ says Hyrox world champion Kris Rugloski. ‘So any runner could just show up and they could complete it. It’d be very difficult, especially the sleds, but they could do it. It’s not like you’d need years of training.’
During Hyrox races, competitors run eight 1km loops around a large indoor arena, interspersed with eight workouts: SkiErg, sled push, sled pull, burpee broad jumps, rowing, farmer’s carry, sandbag lunges and wall balls. Every race is exactly the same, creating a global ranking system and PB benchmark. Taking part in any Hyrox event earns points towards qualification for the World Championship race, with the top 15 male and female times qualifying for the Elite 15 race.
As an ultrarunner racing in distances from 100 miles to 250 miles, Rugloski says training for Hyrox not only helps her to build strength, but it also fits perfectly with the race calenda
