The next morning, not 24 hours later, I excitedly fire a message to a group chat: \u201cLoved it. I\u2019m going to do another one. Anyone fancy joining me?\u201d<\/p>\n
So what changed? It\u2019s simple. I was bitten by the Hyrox bug, and it sank its teeth in deep.<\/p>\n
For the uninitiated, Hyrox is a fitness<\/a> race comprising eight one-kilometre runs, each followed by a different functional fitness station \u2013 think sled pushes, farmer\u2019s carries, sandbag lunges and the like. It\u2019s hard enough to finish, let alone finish quickly, but this daunting gauntlet has proved irresistible to fitness fans since its 2017 inception in Germany.<\/p>\n As a religious lifter<\/a> and recreational runner<\/a>, Hyrox\u2019s ever-growing stock has been impossible to ignore. It offers a stamina challenge worthy of endurance athletes, and omits the high-skill elements that can deter would-be competitors from other compeitive strength sports, like my beloved CrossFit<\/a>. In the brand\u2019s own words, \u201cHyrox is the sport for everybody\u201d.<\/p>\n I figured it was time to give it a try, so in 2024 I headed up to Manchester, bright-eyed and blissfully ignorant of the hardship ahead of me. By the end of the day, I\u2019d learned several hard lessons, each of which will hopefully help me (and anybody reading this) nail any future Hyrox races.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Arriving at the venue<\/p>\n Hyrox has the uncanny ability to create temporary cathedrals of fitness in the cities that host it, and Manchester is no exception. Making my way from the railway station to the venue, I find myself swept up by a throng of people kitted out with Built For Athletes gym bags<\/a>, Represent 247 gear and Puma shoes \u2013 the unofficial uniform of the Hyrox aficionado. <\/p>\n On the side of a high-rise building, a huge digital billboard beams a video of a woman grinning as she rips at the handles of a SkiErg machine. Not long after, I turn a corner to see the imposing silhouette of the Manchester Central Convention Centre \u2013 a glass-fronted former transport hub, and one of the few venues large enough to hold a Hyrox event.<\/p>\n Inside, the operation is slick. Checking in takes minutes, and I\u2019m soon fielding freebies from Myprotein<\/a> and other sponsors. A few food offerings and a small village of vendors narrowly fail to lure me in, then I\u2019m through to the warm-up area. Here, you have the chance to prime your heart, lungs and muscles pre-race by playing with the torture implements (ie. equipment) you\u2019re about to face.<\/p>\n Chatting to one of the volunteers (all of whom were unfalteringly friendly) I\u2018m told to head down a small walkway five minutes before my heat. I follow these instructions and find myself ushered into a small corral off the side of the venue, alongside roughly 30 other athletic-looking men. T-shirts are few and far between, bulging abdominals are not.<\/p>\n A screen at the front of the corral shows a countdown to my start time, ticking down in seconds. I ask a guy next to me how many laps of the arena we\u2019re meant to complete for each kilometre-long run, but before I\u2019m certain of the answer the screen starts flashing: \u201cThree, two, one, go.\u201d<\/p>\n Read more: Should you use an ice bath? Experts take a deep dive into the pros and cons of cold water therapy<\/a><\/p>\n open image in gallery<\/p>\n The first half of the Hyrox race left its mark, and after the sled pull my legs were in pieces (Sportograf \/ Harry Bullmore)<\/p>\n The race begins<\/p>\n Like a stampede, we\u2019re off. Despite being in the minority I keep my shirt on, and I come to regret it \u2013 more on that later.<\/p>\n The event floor is impressive. A large running track loops around a central \u201cRoxzone\u201d \u2013 a space containing all the functional fitness stations, gates for transitioning to and from the running track, and a couple of tables to pick up water, Red Bull or electrolytes between runs.<\/p>\n The first run whizzes by in no time. I later learn this is because it\u2019s shorter than the other seven, but for now I feel like I\u2019m flying. I also attempt to track the run on my Apple Watch<\/a> so I can stick to my pre-planned race pace, but for whatever reason the numbers it\u2019s giving me don\u2019t feel quite right. A couple of laps in, I abandon it and go by the clock.<\/p>\n After a blistering first run, I enter the Roxzone and settle onto one of the SkiErg machines. As a CrossFit fan, this is a home from home from me, and I\u2019m unbearably smug when my slower, smoother strokes deliver a faster pace than the choppy tugs of the people either side of me.<\/p>\n I\u2019m able to finish the section up in roughly four minutes, then follow another athlete back onto the running track and stay on his heels for the next three laps.<\/p>\n The problem is, my chosen running buddy is exceedingly speedy, and I bite off more than I can chew trying to keep up with him. A glance at my Apple Watch reveals my heart rate has soared to 170bpm, and it doesn\u2019t go much lower for the remainder of the race.<\/p>\n That leads me to the first lesson I learned: run your own race, at your own pace.<\/p>\n Next came the sled push, and while I\u2019m a tad apprehensive about this section, it winds up being one of my favourite bits. I had only touched a sled for the first time two days prior, but it moves surprisingly well, and there\u2019s something enjoyably primal about throwing all of my weight into its two metal handles.<\/p>\n I expect my quads to take a beating from this exercise, but it\u2019s my calf muscles that feel worse for wear when I set off on the next run. <\/p>\n Read more: I\u2019ve walked 10,000 steps a day for two years \u2013 these five benefits have persuaded me to keep it up<\/a><\/p>\n open image in gallery<\/p>\n The rowing portion of the Hyrox race was among my favourites, but I was flagging by the time I got there (Sportograf)<\/p>\n Things start to go wrong<\/p>\n The second run feels a lot longer than the first, so I double check with a fellow competitor how many laps I\u2019m meant to do each round.<\/p>\n \u201cTwo,\u201d he responds, so that\u2019s what I do. If I\u2019d read the Manchester event guide and not just the general race rules, I\u2019d know I was meant to do 2-and-a-bit laps for the first round and 2.8 for the remaining seven, but I managed to miss the email. This is how I end up coming in a lap early on the third and fourth rounds, and incurring a time penalty for doing so.<\/p>\n Lesson two: read the race day guide for your specific venue and event \u2013 twice.<\/p>\n The third station is the sled pull \u2013 something I\u2019ve never done before, which I\u2019m hoping I can learn on the fly. I grab the rope and start by pulling it hand over hand. To my surprise, it moves pretty quickly, but after 25 of the 50 metres my biceps are fried. Knowing rowing is still to come, I shift the emphasis to my legs and employ a slightly awkward straight-armed backwards shuffle to finish it off. It\u2019s slower, but it gives my arms a break.<\/p>\n Before I know it, I\u2019m running again, and after another two laps I enter the Roxzone and prepare to start my burpee broad jumps. But the lap situation is still bugging me, so I check again with a judge.<\/p>\n \u201cYou enter the \u2018in\u2019 gate of the Roxzone on the third time you see it,\u201d he says. Oh dear. Having been burpee-ready, I realise my mistake, so I peel myself off my belly and head out for another lap.<\/p>\n Read more: Stanley Tucci got into the \u2018best shape of his life\u2019 at 63 with this training method<\/a><\/p>\n No man\u2019s land<\/p>\n By the time I get back to the burpee broad jump station, I\u2019ve worked myself up into a bit of a tizzy about my error. The burpees do not help with this.<\/p>\n I\u2019m half-way through the event, I can\u2019t see the light at the end of the tunnel, and from the rulebook I know I\u2019ve incurred at least one time penalty. My body feels heavy as I let it slump to the ground then lift it back up to standing, and each broad jump lights my calf muscles on fire.<\/p>\n This is when the \u201cnever again\u201d thoughts take hold, making what happens next even more surprising.<\/p>\n open image in gallery<\/p>\n I found my gym background stood me in good stead for the sandbag lunges and farmer\u2019s carries (Sportograf \/ Harry Bullmore)<\/p>\n Zen out of 10<\/p>\n I set out on the fifth run feeling a little deflated. I\u2019d been working fairly hard on my running for the last few months, and came into the event with a target time of 1hr 20min in mind. With the mistakes I\u2019d made, that feels pretty far-fetched now.<\/p>\n Yet, as has always been the case for me, the more I keep moving the better I feel. For the first time in the race, I allow myself to glance around, and I\u2019m buoyed by the wide range of ilks and ages taking part. The crowd is electric too, with people cheering on friends, family and loved ones with high-fives and signs.<\/p>\n I smile. This is the side of exercise I love the most: people supporting people, and having fun doing it. And thus comes lesson four: it\u2019s meant to be fun, so whatever happens, just enjoy yourself.<\/p>\n Read more: Adam Peaty reveals the training and mindset shift that got him to Paris 2024 \u2013 and what he plans to do next<\/a><\/p>\n From here, I settle into an almost meditative state. The DJ\u2019s thumping music muffles into the background, my vision blinkers and my feet seem to carry me autonomously. For the first time, my runs settle into a consistent pace, and I begin to have fun with it.<\/p>\n The rowing machine brings me back to life even more. As with the SkiErg, slow-yet-powerful strokes serve me well, and I\u2019m able to catch up with a few of the people ahead of me while bringing my breathing back under control.<\/p>\n A shout of \u201cimagine you\u2019re doing the big shop\u201d from my girlfriend in the crowd allows me to giggle through the farmer\u2019s carry, and my CrossFit background makes the sandbag lunges a surprising highlight.<\/p>\n However, all is not entirely well. It\u2019s during this seventh station that I realise my meagre serving of pre-race porridge was poorly thought through. Running in the 11.30am heat, the fuel from this modest meal has all but run out. Papering over this crack, I make the most of the electrolyte drinks dished out after every station, but a bigger breakfast<\/a> would undoubtedly have served me better.<\/p>\n Lesson five: prepare well and fuel properly.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/httpswww.inov8.comf-fly-mens-cardio-gym-shoes-(24).jpg\")
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