May 11, 2026

The HYROX landscape is shifting rapidly as we head into the final stretch before the Stockholm World Championships. We are breaking down the major changes to the Elite license system, the expansion of the Youngstars series, and the record-breaking prize money on the line in Sweden.

Race Recap

2 races this past week with 24,022+ athletes.

🇭🇰 HYROX Hong Kong — Hong Kong saw a massive turnout of 17,031 athletes across the weekend. In the PRO MEN division, Gabe Heck took top honors in 55:17, followed by Daniel Hoy and Jakob Cerneka. The PRO WOMEN field was tightly contested, with Olivia Vareille edging out Emily Fell by mere seconds to finish in 1:06:14. In the PRO DOUBLES, David Kelly, Jeremy Mcconnell secured the men's victory with a swift 52:30, while Clare Cheung, Sara Gandola claimed the women's title in 58:31. The OPEN divisions were also highly active, with Rayda Kezaz winning the OPEN MEN in 58:46 and Kevalyn Wongvivatchai dominating the OPEN WOMEN with an impressive 42:46.

🇫🇮 HYROX Helsinki — With 6,991 athletes competing in Helsinki, the PRO divisions delivered high-intensity performances. Sebastian Ifversen claimed the PRO MEN win in 54:44, while Annie Emilsson led the PRO WOMEN to victory with a time of 57:59. In the PRO DOUBLES, Maarten Enthoven, Cem Ter Burg clocked an exceptional 49:19 to win the men's side, and Michaela Disseldorp, Iza Tulkens took the women's category in 56:55. Rounding out the field, Tyler Spence finished the OPEN MEN in 56:37, and Suvi Miettinen secured the OPEN WOMEN top spot in 1:03:09.

View full results →

News & Updates

The HYROX Elite license is undergoing a significant transformation for the 2026/27 season, with the fee increasing to 499 Euro. This new license includes two Pro race entries and transitions management to a new myHYROX (lite) platform. Starting next season, the Top 50 athletes in Singles and Doubles will receive weekly email invitations for races within a 45 to 30 day registration window. Notably, Doubles eligibility is now tied to the specific partnership; switching partners resets rankings. Additionally, the refund policy has been tightened: athletes pay upfront and receive an automatic refund only after crossing the start line, with no refunds provided for DNS situations. Full details via Hybrid Fitness Media.

Following successful pilot events in Amsterdam and London, HYROX Youngstars is now a permanent global series for children aged 8 to 15. The program scales the standard HYROX format to be developmentally appropriate, with confirmed stops in cities including Berlin, Maastricht, Salt Lake City, and Paris. Co-Founder Moritz Fürste stated the initiative aims to encourage physical activity outside of screen time while building a pipeline for future elite competitors. More info on the HYROX Youngstars page.

The prize purse for the Elite 15 Individual division at the Stockholm World Championships has been confirmed at over 304,000 USD, significantly exceeding the 2025 total. The podium will be awarded 40,000 USD for first, 30,000 USD for second, and 20,000 USD for third, with payouts extending down to 15th place. This substantial increase highlights the continued professionalization of the sport, though details regarding Elite Doubles and Relay prize money remain forthcoming.

Podcasts

🎙️ RMR Training Podcast — Rich Ryan, Meg Jacoby, and Ryan Kent share essential strategies for travel, recovery, and maintaining performance across time zones ahead of Worlds.

🎙️ Rox Lyfe Podcast — Coach Chris Bayens breaks down the feasibility of a sub-50 minute Men's Pro race, the industry shift toward endurance, and how to utilize heart rate and HRV data.

🎙️ ENDUROX Podcast — Dr. Dan Plews and Dr. Adam Storey debut their performance science show with a deep dive into force-velocity profiling and demand-driven training.

🎙️ Spanish Run Lift Repeat Podcast — Eric and Mariana discuss training adaptations and the growth of the adaptive category with Mexican athletes Aldo and Tony. (Spanish)

🎙️ Spanish Susafly — Susana provides a granular, workout-by-workout analysis of her performance and strategic choices during her Pro races in Málaga and Lisbon. (Spanish)