As I write this, every single muscle in my body aches, and yet I have never felt more alive.
A few days ago, I joined an army of everyday Sydneysiders to take on the BYD HYROX Sydney event at the Sydney Showground.
It was bloody tough, I can’t lie. I felt like I was dying.
It was a brutal mix of high-intensity functional movements and running, but crossing that finish line felt absolutely amazing. There really isn’t a feeling quite like it.
Fortunately, this wasn’t my first rodeo.
I trained consistently for six months for this, marking my second time tackling the global fitness phenomenon.
Yet, despite knowing exactly what was waiting for me inside the exhibition halls, the sheer scale, energy, and physical demand of the race still managed to catch me off guard.
You really can never truly prepare for a competition like this.
What actually is HYROX?
For the non-gym addicts, HYROX is often dubbed the ‘marathon of fitness’.
It fills an untapped gap in the health world, bridging the gap between traditional endurance races and functional fitness.
The concept, which was founded by mass participation race veteran Christian Toetzke and three-time Olympic Medallist Moritz Furste, is uniquely repeatable, measurable, and identical across the globe.
The race currently operates in 34 countries and hosts over 120 events globally, which makes it the fastest-growing fitness sport in the world.
Every single competitor takes on the exact same gruelling format: a 1km run, followed by one functional workout station, repeated eight times.
The stations feature everything from heavy sled pushes, sled pulls, weighted lunges, and the dreaded 100 wall balls to finish.
But you don’t have to go at it alone.
The sport features multiple divisions designed to make it accessible to everyone.
They have different tiers for athletes to compete in, including singles, doubles, relays, and a race for adaptive athletes.
Exploding in growth
While onlookers often view it as an intimidating cult reserved for the ultra-fit and make fun of those who are what HYROX stands for, a ‘hybrid rock star’, those on the inside say the reality is completely different.
“A big misconception about HYROX is that people think it’s not for them or that they won’t be able to finish it,” Daniel Simone, a run coach at Shadow Fitness Club, told news.com.au.
“I hear it all the time, but once people give it a go, they’re so proud of themselves for completing it.
“What makes HYROX so addictive is the community, the energy, and everyone supporting each other.”
Mr Simone, who runs 40km a week alongside strength and HYROX-specific training to prepare, admits there can be a stigma around the event, but believes it simply comes from a lack of understanding.
“It’s everyday athletes, just like you and me, trying to improve, challenge themselves, and do something they never thought they could,” he shared.
The numbers speak for themselves, because far from a passing fitness fad, the sport has absolutely exploded in Australia.
When HYROX debuted locally in 2023, it featured just two races and 5,423 participants.
By 2024, that skyrocketed by 464 per cent to 30,595 participants.
Last year, a staggering 61,191 participants competed across the country.
The 2026 Sydney event, running from July 1 to 5, officially marked Australia’s largest HYROX race to date, and the biggest in the entire APAC region, welcoming 28,600 participants. That is a massive jump from last year’s 20,832.
Chasing the clock
Mat Lock, Director of Sports for HYROX, says the “addictive” nature of the sport comes down to having a definitive, measurable target to chase, with every competitor wearing a timing chip to secure a global ranking.
“In a regular gym routine there’s no definitive finish line … HYROX gives you a clear target and a time to beat, and once people have their time, a lot of them want to race again and beat it,” Mr Lock told news.com.au.
“The race was built so anybody can finish it, whatever their age or fitness level … It rewards all-round fitness more than being amazing at one thing.”
The elite side of the sport is also reaching a fever pitch.
Australia recently won the Relay at the 2026 HYROX World Championships in Stockholm, Sweden.
HYROX also recently announced that next year’s World Championships will take place in the APAC region for the very first time, locked in for Hong Kong.
The experience
This year’s Sydney event also marked the debut of ‘HYROX House’ — a massive festival-style space featuring live music, food, and the rebel ‘Recovery Lounge’ packed with massage, compression, and stretching areas.
I used it after my race, and it was exactly what I needed.
“That post-race wind-down is a nice part of the day, and it’s usually where people start talking about the next one,” Mr Lock said.
For anyone looking at the viral videos and wondering if they could ever manage it, Mr Lock’s advice is simple: just sign up.
“People wait until they feel ready, when really the entry is what makes you ready,” he said.
“And for your first one, don’t worry about the clock. Getting to the finish line is the goal.”
And as for me, my body might be broken today and for the next few days, but my mind is already plotting how to shave minutes off my time at the next one.
It does become kind of addictive.
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