A competitor at the BYD HYROX Bangkok 2026 fitness competition collapsed and lost consciousness during the event on August 13, was resuscitated and taken to hospital, before dying a short time later. The event ran from August 13 to 16 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre in Bangkok.

The man was later identified as Leroy Saunders, a fitness coach well known in Thailand’s CrossFit scene. The 41 year old died after the incident, according to a statement posted to his Instagram account, @iamcoachleroy, today, August 18.

The statement was addressed to everyone Saunders had inspired during his life. It said that while the reasons behind his death were still being fully understood, Saunders had lived without regret or hesitation, and had inspired hundreds, if not thousands, of people to do the same throughout his life.

The post thanked the fitness community for its messages of support, describing Saunders as a pillar of the community. It said this reflected his daily commitment to making a positive impact on others.

The statement asked official bodies such as HYROX, along with the media, to hold off on any statements until the family and team were fully certain of what had happened. It acknowledged that people wanted clarity, and said more information would be shared once it was appropriate to do so.

Further updates on plans to celebrate Saunders’ life would follow, the statement added, and future posts on the account would be handled by IRONSPRT, his social media team, in consultation with his family and closest friends.

Saunders was a significant figure in Thailand’s fitness industry. He owned IAOT CrossFit and specialised in sports science for strength and conditioning, with a particular focus on developing the performance of combat athletes.

He also founded Fight by Design, which built training programmes for Muay Thai fighters, MMA athletes, boxers, and others looking to improve their physical performance.

Last year, Saunders competed in the HYROX Doubles category alongside Annika Saunders, finishing with a time of 1 hour, 17 minutes and 51 seconds.

The 2026 edition of HYROX Bangkok has seen other incidents. A Thai athlete was treated for heatstroke during the March event, while the August event drew complaints over unclean equipment.

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