Ever since HYROX made its Canadian debut in Toronto in October 2024, this global fitness competition has continued to appeal to local participants of different fitness levels, whether you are a pro-athlete or a regular gym-goer. 1
Canada's strong gym and fitness culture has contributed to HYROX's popularity and hype, as it incorporates running and functional workouts. In this article, we will reflect on the beginnings, structure, and strategies for maximizing the benefits of HYROX communities and competitions.
🔥The Origins and Growth of HYROX
Now, let's review the birth of HYROX and its rapid expansion across Canada and different parts of the world.
🏟️Founding and Concept
It was Moritz Fürste (Olympic hockey champion) and Christian Toetzke (expert race organizer) who brought the vision of HYROX into fruition in Hamburg, Germany.
The duo recognized a gap in terms of accessibility and standardized fitness races, so they came out with a fitness racing concept with the following characteristics:
Indoor race - structured
- Year-round competitions are possible for all seasons
Different categories
- Open to pro athletes and absolute beginners, solo, pairs, and teams
Globally standardized
- Elements of fair competition and official personal records
🌍 Global Expansion
In terms of global expansion, HYROX has shown massive and explosive growth in terms of registration of participants as well as participating countries and cities ever since its launch in 2017. HYROX events are no longer confined to Europe and North America, but also to Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.
2017
HYROX was founded in Hamburg, Germany
2018–2019
Expansion across major European cities + US entry (Miami)
2020-2021
Virtual races + North American market growth (16 events, 4 countries)
2022–2023
Global scale-up to 40+ events, 175,000+ participants in 65+ cities
2024-2025
Canadian debut (Toronto) + Vancouver/Ottawa; 150+ events worldwide
A major contributor to HYROX's seamless expansion is key partnerships with mega brands such as Puma and RedBull. Together, these two brands position HYROX as a premium fitness competition alongside their brands' identity.
Role in HYROX: Delivers race-ready apparel and footwear while reinforcing HYROX’s elite, global brand image.
Role in HYROX: Transforms HYROX into a high-impact spectator sport through media, music, and event production.
🏃♂️ The HYROX Race Format
Now, let's dive deeper into the format of the HYROX competition so that you'll know what to expect and how to prepare ahead of time to achieve the best results.
⏱️ Standardized Structure
The moment you've decided to sign up for a HYROX race (regardless of any city in the world), you're training for the same format: 1km run, followed by a functional workout station (repeated 8 times for 8 different stations). 2
Here are the eight workout stations that participants complete in the following order:
- SkiErg (1000m)
- Sled Push (50m)
- Sled Pull (50m)
- Burpee Broad Jumps (80m)
- Rowing (1000m)
- Farmer’s Carry (200m)
- Sandbag Lunges (100m)
- Wall Balls (100 wall balls)
The structure of a HYROX race highlights the importance of endurance and pacing instead of pure speed, which is why it attracts the participation of many endurance runners and even CrossFit athletes.
🏁 Categories and Divisions
Apart from the regular male and female races, HYROX offers multiple race categories to ensure fairness in terms of fitness levels, variety in terms of engagement, and to appeal to different age groups, too.
The four main categories are as follows:
💪 Preparing for a HYROX Event
After reviewing what a HYROX competition structure entails, it's time to gear up to ensure you're in the best shape to ace the race.
🤸♀️Training Programs
Whether you are a total beginner or an experienced athlete, you'll need to have a comprehensive HYROX training module to enhance your overall strength, stamina, speed, and most importantly, endurance. Your training program must equip you to do the following throughout the race:
Run with a consistent pace for a long distance
- Develop a routine to run, work out, and run without getting too tired
- 8km, 8 rounds endurance
Combine muscle strength & stretch
- Develop the capacity to lift, row, pull, and push heavy weights
- Continuous movement
Effectively transition between stations
- Develop the ability to recover during fatigue between stations
- Good breathing and focus
If you want to have a glimpse of how HYROX training is conducted, you can refer to the 8-week HYROX Training Program guideline under the official HYROX website. Here's an overview:
| Component | Purpose | Example Session |
|---|---|---|
| Aerobic Running | Build endurance for 8 km total | 6–8 km steady Zone 2 run |
| Run-to-Work Transitions | Prepare for fatigue shifts | 1 km run → sled push repeats |
| Strength Endurance | Sustain effort under load | Sandbag lunges + wall balls |
| Grip & Carry Work | Prevent fatigue late in race | Farmer’s carry intervals |
| Recovery & Mobility | Injury prevention | Mobility flows + light cardio |
🧱 Partner Gyms and Affiliates
Doing a HYROX training for the first time doesn't need to be intimidating, and it doesn't need to be done all by yourself. This is when you can look for the nearest HYROX-affiliated gyms to kickstart your training under the right guidance.
There is an increasing growth of HYROX partner gyms and affiliates to cater to the demands of the race participation, and we highly recommend that you do so, so that you can experience the following:
- Avoid unnecessary injuries and receive personalised feedback
- Master the foundational movements of every station
- Gain access to all the necessary training equipments
- Mock race with other HYROX participants
🤝 The HYROX Community and Culture
Most importantly, training for HYROX fosters a sense of community and accountability, which acts as a motivation booster when the going gets tough. This plays a significant role for first-timers so that you are not just physically but also psychologically equipped before the actual race day.
🧑🤝🧑 Inclusivity and Accessibility
The culture of training together for HYROX has allowed many to enjoy HYROX as a sport regardless of their fitness level. That's because HYROX has multiple categories and is open to various age groups. 3 Most importantly, you don't have to "qualify" to participate. You just need to start training at the nearest HYROX gym or with an experienced personal trainer.
Hyrox, you see, has a little bit of something for everyone: there’s no upper time limit on finishing, and age group categories let you choose your own level of competitiveness.
Joel Snape, The Guardian Online
🎽 Events and Spectatorship
One of the best parts of HYROX events is that they are always indoors, but never with a dull moment. The races are held at wide and spacious locations with enthusiastic spectators (who sometimes have to brace rough ticket-buying like Taylor Swift's concerts), surrounded by live DJ-ing music and interactive kiosks from official partners.
How to Get Involved with HYROX
So what's the next step you're thinking of right now? Before committing to a HYROX gym or registering, you might want to know what the upcoming HYROX events are in Canada.
🥇 Finding a Race Near You
Head to the official HYROX website to have an overview of the timeline according to your desired country and city. For example, if you want to register for a race in Ottawa, just click the link of the event to indicate your particulars and finalize the payment. Once the registration is finalized, the organizer will email you about what to prepare ahead of time before the race.
🏋️♂️ Joining the HYROX Community
Of course, the HYROX community goes beyond the race participation. You can still enrol for HYROX training at your local gym even if you did not register for the event. The key is to build a camaraderie that this sport is accessible for anyone and everyone, regardless of their age group and fitness level.
Additionally, connections can be built in person, as well as through online engagements, where you can share fitness tips or the latest updates about HYROX events to encourage one another.
The best part of the HYROX community is that you can even volunteer or spectate at the HYROX events. You can be a part of the races according to your capacity and availability as long as you are above 16 years old. Some examples of volunteering opportunities include:
- Aid Station
- Registration Assistant
- Supporting the Head Judges in the Roxzone
- Motivating athletes through the exercises
If you are currently considering training for an upcoming HYROX race, it's best to look for a qualified and experienced trainer to kickstart your journey.
Feel free to connect with an experienced personal trainer on Superprof to boost your strength, stamina, speed, and endurance, regardless of your age and fitness level.
Head to the Superprof homepage to start browsing a wide selection of tutors, review their essential information, and book your first lesson with ease. 97% of Superprof tutors offer their first lesson, so be sure to seize this amazing opportunity!
We hope this article has offered you some insights into the popularity of HYROX. All the best if you're planning to join one because it is certainly worth the hype! 4
The constant and dynamic movements of the eight stations, for us, are certainly much more entertaining and engaging than a monotonous endurance race.
Romeo Moran, Lifestyle Inq
References
- Williams, G. (2024, February 14). HYROX expands to Canada. Rox Lyfe. https://roxlyfe.com/hyrox-canada-announcement/
- Elbnetz.Ahoi. (2024, November 4). The Fitness Race | HYROX. HYROX. https://hyrox.com/the-fitness-race/
- Snape, J. (2024, March 18). How to enjoy Hyrox: I tried the gruelling, thrilling, hugely popular race – and discovered 11 ways to tackle it. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/mar/18/how-to-enjoy-hyrox-i-tried-the-gruelling-thrilling-hugely-popular-race-and-discovered-11-ways-to-tackle-it
- NewsPublish. (2025, December 2). I finally tried a Hyrox workout, and I totally get the hype now. Lifestyle.INQ. https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/556731/i-tried-hyrox-and-i-get-the-hype/
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