Obstacle Mud Runner - issue 15

12 WORLD SERIES OF FITNESS HYROX The World Series of Fitness launches in the UK, but not in the way that it expected HYROX was set to continue its international expansion with its first three UK events in London, Birmingham and Manchester between Autumn 2020 and Spring 2021. The fitness events business founded in Germany and currently operating across 6 countries in Europe and having already hosted a full season in the US, was however denied the possibility to take its events to the UK due to Covid 19 and the national lockdowns it caused. As a result, the events business which typically hosts its fitness competitions in huge indoor arenas with up to 3,000 participants per day, had to pivot its strategy not just in its approach to the UK, but globally as well. Acknowledging not only that everyone was locked in their homes and gyms were closed, but also the fact that health and fitness has become even more important than ever due to the health crisis, HYROX went virtual. Staying true to its mission of providing a goal for people’s training, the first step was its first ever Virtual Championships of Fitness, which took place over a week in July 2020. The competition was a great success, with people from all over the world videoing their workouts and submitting their scores for inclusion on the global leaderboard. As we all know, the lockdowns continued well beyond July 2020 so HYROX sought other ways to stay in touch with its growing UK community throughout the lockdown. The answer was clear- Zoom workouts! The HYROX UK ambassador team, featuring some of the best athletes in the UK across different disciplines, decided to host weekly workouts to stay connected, albeit virtually, throughout lockdown. The workouts consist of broadly accessible functional movements such as burpees, lunges and squats, which are the foundation of the HYROX competition. People from all ages and fitness levels joined in, and even some internationals from the US and Germany managed to sneak in! It wasn’t long before these workouts also had a specific goal, with the second Virtual Championships of Fitness being announced and scheduled for February 20 2021. The results “HYROX for me and for many others has been an incredible tool and focus during the lockdown period. Not only is it an extremely exciting concept as an event, but it has also offered a life-line to so many people. I had personally just competed in my first ever HYROX in Hannover right before lockdown happened. The quick switch in dynamic to a virtual championships last year was incredible. It allowed me to direct many of my clients towards an event when they felt pretty lost with races and events cancelled.” Jade Skillen – UK Hyrox Ambassador, Pro OCR Athlete & Elite Coach