Lindsay Balkenbush needed a male partner for a pricey Hyrox mixed-doubles race in Las Vegas. <\/p>\n
A newcomer to Boise, Idaho, the paralegal and fitness instructor didn\u2019t exactly have a Rolodex of potential race partners waiting in the wings. <\/p>\n
So Balkenbush, 25, reached out to a local CrossFit gym, where owner Brian Wilkerson did her one better and volunteered himself. After training for and completing the race together, they went their separate ways \u2014 only for their athletic partnership to blossom into a romantic one a few weeks later.<\/p>\n
Lindsay Balkenbush and Brian Wilkerson met as Hyrox partners, but two months of frequently training together turned their athletic partnership into something more. Courtesy of Lindsay Balkenbush<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a good way to get to know Lindsay,\u201d Wilkerson, 26, told The Post. \u201cThere\u2019s a little bit of bonding when you go through some shared suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n
They\u2019re not the only people discovering that Hyrox can double as a relationship litmus test. Across the fast-growing fitness competition, couples are using the grueling global races to strengthen their bonds, while singles are turning to the sport to find someone who can keep up, literally and otherwise.<\/p>\n
When a workout becomes something more<\/p>\n
Hyrox combines eight 1-kilometer runs with functional exercises including sled pushes, burpee broad jumps, farmer carries, lunges and wall balls. <\/p>\n
Think marathon training meets CrossFit, with enough suffering packed into one event to expose whether a teammate is a cheerleader, a critic or a quitter.<\/p>\n
Balkenbush met Wilkerson at a particularly convenient time. His gym, CrossFit Casual, hadn\u2019t opened yet, so \u201cwe had the whole gym to be able to train together and run together,\u201d she recalled. \u201cWe were training together probably two to three times a week.\u201d<\/p>\n
There was, however, a complication.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were very serious about doing this race together, so we didn\u2019t want to jeopardize that,\u201d Wilkerson said. \u201cBut at the same time, there were just some growing feelings.\u201d<\/p>\n
Training together gave Balkenbush and Wilkerson a chance to see how each other handled pressure. Courtesy of Hyrox<\/p>\n
Hyrox offered plenty of opportunities to find out whether those feelings would endure. Those who opt for mixed doubles \u2014 a woman and man duo \u2014 have to divvy up demanding exercises, communicate when one person is fading and trust the other to carry more of the workload when necessary.<\/p>\n
Wilkerson said the demanding format gave him a chance to see how Balkenbush handled challenges.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou see somebody working hard or working out, and it\u2019s like, \u2018Oh, this person wants wants more out of life,\u201d Wilkerson told The Post. \u201cIt\u2019s attractive.\u201d<\/p>\n
They didn\u2019t cross the finish line as an item. Instead, the two spent time together outside the gym, testing their chemistry without a race clock involved. <\/p>\n
About one year after their first Hyrox, they moved in together \u2014 a happy ending to the meet-cute storytime that Balkenbush shared with her followers<\/a> on Instagram.<\/p>\n That kind of viral storytelling is baked into Hyrox culture. The sport has exploded online, where competitors document everything from training triumphs to moments of exhaustion and regret (even crappy ones<\/a> involving international diarrhea drama<\/a>).<\/p>\n \u201cMy wife is pretty beast. She has that dog in her to finish things. I\u2019m attracted to her at all times, but that kind of 10x-ed it.\u201d<\/p>\n Christian Haynes<\/p>\n Til death (or lunges) do us part<\/p>\n These same Hyrox videos found their way to Maha Haynes\u2019 social media feeds for two years before the 27-year-old content creator decided she would join in.<\/p>\n Then came the harder sell: \u201cI somehow coerced, or encouraged, my husband to get us to do a couples race.\u201d<\/p>\n Maha and Christian Clarke have been together for nearly decade. Their Hyrox race gave them a new way to test how well their different strengths work together. Courtesy of Hyrox<\/p>\n A former college football player, Christian Haynes wasn\u2019t phased by the strength aspects of the course, but the endurance portion \u201cintimidated\u201d him.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not a distance running type of guy, plus when you do workouts in between, I think that\u2019s crazy,\u201d Christian, 29, a content creator, told The Post. \u201cI wasn\u2019t too thrilled about doing it, but she really wanted to do it, so I was like, \u2018OK, I\u2019ll just do it.’\u201d<\/p>\n Training for their 2025 Boston race began with plenty of shared gym sessions in their hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina. Maha, who played field hockey in college and for the Bermuda national team, dialed in on her running, while Christian skipped out on that portion.<\/p>\n Race day ultimately exposed that gap when cramping hit him during the running segments. By the time they reached the lunge station, his legs gave out. <\/p>\n That\u2019s when Maha \u201chad to lock in,\u201d he recalled, and finish that portion for the both of them. <\/p>\n \u201cMy wife is pretty beast. She has that dog in her to finish things,\u201d Christian said. \u201cI\u2019m attracted to her at all times, but that kind of 10x-ed it.\u201d<\/p>\n When Christian\u2019s legs gave out during the race, Maha stepped up to finish the section for both of them. Later, he returned the favor by taking on extra wall balls. Courtesy of Maha Clarke<\/p>\n Later, the roles reversed. Christian picked up extra wall balls when she needed help, launching a 13.2-pound ball toward a target about 10 feet high.<\/p>\n For the married college sweethearts coupled for nearly a decade, the experience reinforced that having different strengths and skills makes them stronger.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just a cool reminder to to show how we actually really work well in a team and and when we collaborate,\u201d said Maha. \u201cIt\u2019s not one person\u2019s better than the other, like we really pick each other up when when we need to.\u201d<\/p>\n The ultimate first date : \u2018You\u2019re, like, trauma bonded\u2019<\/p>\n Hyrox also offers a unique opportunity for singles seeking both a mixed doubles partner and a date.<\/p>\n The sport has partnered with the dating app SURF to help users meet others who share their Hyrox interests. At races, single athletes can wear a special wristbands from SURF to signal that they\u2019re open to being approached. <\/p>\n They can even compete in mixed doubles on a hand-selected blind date, where strangers are paired and meet for the first time just before they\u2019re expected to run, lift and suffer together.<\/p>\n \u201cYou want someone that has the same drive, but not everyone wants to be approached at the gym,\u201d said Rob Long, CEO and co-founder of SURF. \u201cThat\u2019s kind of your personal time.\u201d<\/p>\n Feeling \u201cexhausted\u201d from the dating scene, Grace Telepak, a 27-year-old strength coach in Phoenix, Arizona, was ready for something different. The unusual opportunity also intrigued Robert Perez, a private government contractor, running enthusiast and content creator in Washington DC. <\/p>\n