Hyrox Archives - Wharf Life

Dedicated studio created along with five discipline-focused classes to help members train for the popular fitness events

The Hyrox Training Space at Third Space Canary Wharf has facilities for members to train all the challenges they will face in a full race - image by John Payne — The Hyrox Training Space at Third Space Canary Wharf has facilities for members to train all the challenges they will face in a full race – image by John Payne

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Hyrox is a juggernaut.

When the German-founded fitness race first took place at Excel London in 2021 – its UK debut – just 613 people took part.

In 2023, that was 24,000 and, for this year’s December event, the number of athletes competing is expected to be around 40,000.

For the first time, contestants will use a 1km indoor course at the Royal Docks venue, running a total of 8km while completing eight fitness challenges between the laps.

It’s a discipline that’s caught the minds of gym-goers and, with its finger on the pulse, an opportunity for Third Space Canary Wharf.

Europe’s largest luxury health club recently unveiled its Hyrox Training Space, a studio facility specifically tailored to those following the discipline, complete with a six-lane sled track, SkiErgs, rowing machines, treadmills, and a full suite of functional equipment.

As an official training partner, the club’s timetable has seen five classes brought in for members aimed at honing different aspects of fitness for those preparing for events or working their way to taking part in future.

Third Space sport and performance master trainer, Chris Stanton - image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life — Third Space sport and performance master trainer, Chris Stanton – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life

bringing Hyrox to Third Space Canary Wharf

“We saw that people training in the gym were increasingly adhering to Hyrox protocols,” said Chris Stanton, sport and performance master trainer at Third Space.

“We wanted to provide the best environment for those individuals to train, all together in one space.

“We know people want to be part of something as it grows and it’s great we’re able to stay at the forefront of innovation and trends for our members at Third Space.

“Everyone leading the business is immersed in fitness and wellbeing and that allows us to rapidly make decisions to put in new facilities in response to what’s happening – responding to member feedback.

“With Hyrox, we were one of the first affiliate clubs.

“That gives us access to their courses for our coaches and the partnership is very strong.

“They’ve already expressed an interest in filming in the studio and some of their staff have come down to visit.

“It’s a thriving collaboration and they see us as an organic part of their event.

“It allows us to tap into what they’re doing and to get early access codes for our members who want to attend their events to compete.”

The partnership is about more than sexy neon lights.

Third Space’s suite of classes is laser-focused on resulting in a positive performance.

That’s something that taps into Chris’ own hybrid career.

While sporty as a youngster, his other passion led to a career in acting and musical theatre (his mum was a big Gene Kelly fan), which included spells on stage in the likes of High Society and three years in the cast of Legally Blonde.

“A little over 10 years ago, I did my first triathlon and was involved in health and fitness alongside my theatre and film work,” he said.

“In 2019, when my son was two, I made a conscious decision to pursue a fitness career – I felt I was just missing out on the more routine parts of being a dad.

“In 2020, I was offered this role and I find real satisfaction in it – I’m leading classes, I’m involved with education for our trainers and our creative programming.

“There’s a skillset that comes across from the discipline and adaptability of an actor and I see that when other performers come into the industry too – they have the ability to present and to keep the show going.”

As Hyrox is a relatively new discipline and a sport that’s still very much growing and evolving globally, the question of how to train for the events is also a developing field.

However, Chris and the team, in partnership with Hyrox, are delivering a programme that’s aimed at putting Third Space members on the cutting edge of the contest.

The dedicated studio includes six sled lanes - image by Jamie McGregor Smith — The dedicated studio includes six sled lanes – image by Jamie McGregor Smith

enjoyable and challenging

“The first time I did an event, I thoroughly enjoyed it, even if it was extremely challenging in certain areas,” said Chris.

“From the moment you cross the start line and run 100m, you’re really on your own despite all the other people.

“You might recognise one or two faces on your way but you quickly get immersed in the challenges.

“Then, when you come to the finishing line you just feel phenomenal.

“My first event was tough, but I also realised, from a sporting perspective, it was something you could train for and potentially make big gains.

“How can you find an extra 2cm in a jump? How can you get a bit of extra speed?

“How do you boost your anaerobic strength, power and endurance, your aerobic ability and then find consistency?

“We have five different class concepts within Hyrox to help members try and answer some of those questions.

“Hyrox Run tackles the biggest part of the race – it’s 50% of the event, so you need to be effective.

“Hyrox Power is about 75% cardio-focused, with 25% spent on movement and skill with a high metabolic output.

“Hyrox Power is a combination of endurance and making sure participants can dominate the various stations.

“Hyrox Train is a 12-week progressive programme aimed at developing functional fitness to get race ready.

“Finally, Hyrox 90 is our most popular option – 90 minutes is an average time for people to complete a race and the class is about participants understanding how they can get past an hour of work.

“It’s not necessarily a simulation of a race but is structured around working blocks with a desired outcome.”

Third Space Canary Wharf offers members five classes specifically aimed at preparing them for Hyrox - image by John Payne — Third Space Canary Wharf offers members five classes specifically aimed at preparing them for Hyrox – image by John Payne

crossover benefits

The Hyrox classes can, of course, also be an end in themselves.

The physical and mental gains have a great deal of crossover with other sports and can simply be enjoyed in isolation as part of a wider fitness programme.

Chris said: “There’s a direct correlation, for example, between training for Hyrox and triathlon.

“Developing an engine is a true aerobic ability and applies to many different sports.

“The most enjoyable aspect of coaching for me is when I connect with an individual and see them change and realise their goal. That I helped facilitate this is amazing. It’s about challenging people, giving them choices and making it fun.

“Not everyone will reach the highest levels of performance but health-wise, Hyrox is about efficiency and discovering different ways to do things – everyone will get from A to B in varying ways.

“As for the event itself, the fact Hyrox takes place indoors in a closed environment is so special.

“There’s a lovely moment when you’re doing an event where it feels as though you’re interacting directly with spectators because you’re so close to them – you’re not in an arena.

“It’s amazing for them too because they can see everything that’s happening.”

Hyrox races see participants run 8km, undertaking a fitness challenge after every 1,000m - image by John Payne — Hyrox races see participants run 8km, undertaking a fitness challenge after every 1,000m – image by John Payne

key details: Third Space Canary Wharf

Membership at Third Space Canary Wharf costs £245 per month inclusive of all classes including Hyrox-focused sessions and all fitness facilities.

The Wharf membership also covers full access to Third Space Wood Wharf.

Recently Third Space also launched Recovery and Recovery Plus memberships for those seeking to regularly access its Red Light, Cryotherapy and Vibroacoustic Bed facilities, all available at its Canary Wharf Recovery Spa.

These start at £115 per month.

Find our more about the new training space here

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Co-created by German Olympian Moritz Fürste, the event will see thousands compete at the venue

It’s fair to say Moritz Fürste has a bit of a soft spot for east London.

The German won the second of his two Olympic Gold medals for hockey at the 2012 Games in Stratford, celebrating victory in Canary Wharf – although he can’t remember exactly where. The party was obviously a good one.

But what do you do after you’ve reached the pinnacle of success in your chosen sport?

In Mo’s case, the answer is to team up with global sports event expert Christian Toetzke and advertising and marketing specialist Michael Trautmann to create something new. Then spread it all over the world.

Hyrox is that thing and it’s set to arrive for the first time in the UK at Excel in Royal Docks on September 25 with sister events in Birmingham on October 30 and in Manchester on January 29 as its fourth season progresses. But what exactly is it?

“Hyrox is a new sport that doesn’t fit into any existing category,” said Mo. “The idea was not just to create an event, it was about founding a complete new sport in the world. We’re pretty convinced that we’ve discovered a field where there is a niche not used before.

“Go back 10 years and people would go to the gym, but they were often basketball players, football players or whatever.

“Nowadays more that 50% of the people that go the gym say that fitness is their sport, so that was the founding idea of our company. We had this thought of a competition, a race for those people.

“People want to show their skills and what they’ve learned. Fitness people are often very competitive, but there’s no obvious way to showcase what you’ve got.

“Of course, there are very cool sports like Crossfit, which is like for the top 0.1% of the fitness world. Then there are obstacle races, which are cool, but they’re not meant to be competitive – they’re more about completion.

“Hyrox is a mass participation event for fitness, just like triathlon is a mass participation event for endurance. Essentially it’s a combination of fitness and running, so that’s why I call it a race.”

Participants complete eight, 1km runs during the race

The format is comparatively simple – eight separate exercises separated by eight 1k runs. The aim is to complete the whole course in the fastest time possible.

“The exercises are always the same,” said Mo. “The eight workouts after each run are always in the same order and they are doing 1km on a SkiErg, which is like a vertical rowing machine, then a sled push, where you have to push it over 50 metres of carpet.

Next you have to pull the sled back, then there are some burpee broad jumps for 80 metres in total and 1km on a rowing machine followed by a farmers carry with kettlebells.

“Then there are the sandbag lunges, with the weight on your back for 100 metres. The whole thing finishes with 75 or 100 wall balls.

“It’s always the same workout, because we are convinced that successful sports all over the world don’t change their logic every year. I think that people want to get better at what they do.

“The first question people ask when you finish a Marathon is what time did you finish in? Everybody can compare it, and then the next time you start you can compare it to your own time.”

Mo himself completed the course in an hour and 20 minutes – about 15 minutes quicker than the average men’s open race time – and holds the current Hyrox office record.

With events held across Europe and the USA, the current world record stands at 55 minutes while Mo said the slowest recorded time was “by a really nice guy in Chicago” who did it in three hours and 25 minutes.

With around 3,000 competitors at each event, a battalion of judges keeps watch over each event to ensure nobody is cheating. Those flouting the rules get a warning, a second warning and are then disqualified.

The UK represents a significant expansion for Hyrox, which will hold 35 events worldwide this season. Competitors compete for a place at the World Championships, where those with the very best times vie for the title.

“We’re excited to be in the UK, because the UK is a massive fitness market,” said Mo.

“The percentage of people signed up to gyms there is so much higher than the rest of Europe, except for Scandinavia for some reason.

“It’s very interesting to see the amount of money that’s spent in that area. People who do stuff like that buy the best shoes they can possibly get, because even the worst runner doesn’t want their shoes to be any worse than they already are.

“London is the biggest city in Europe, so we’re more than excited to get over to Excel.

“The biggest difficulty for us, regarding the UK events and introducing Hyrox to a new market is that people think it’s not accessible from a strength and performance perspective – that’s so far from the truth.

“We have a 99% finish rate – 99 out of 100 who start, finish the course. It is tough, really tough, but it is accessible – everybody can do it.

“There’s not a workout where people keep telling me that they couldn’t move the sled – we haven’t seen that, ever. It’s on a carpet, it’s tough, but you will finish it. That’s really important for us to explain from the beginning.

“Also, if they don’t want to do it by themselves then they can do it in the doubles competition, because there’s the mixed option where you share the workload.”

The sled push is followed by the sled pull

Prospective individual participants can register for the standard men’s and women’s races or the pro men’s or pro women’s competitions for £74 per person.

Single sex or mixed doubles registration costs £129, with spectator tickets available for £10, including a £5 gift voucher for use at Hyroxworld.

“Training for Hyrox is very tough and you have to run, so endurance is very important but, at the same time, you have to be a complete athlete and training for that is healthy,” said Mo. “It’s not like doing a marathon which is very hard on your feet and calves.

“Not a single muscle gets bigger than it should be – you don’t have to run 42k – it’s eight times one and that’s a big difference.

“Running 8km is one thing, but running eight singles is a completely different ballgame.

“I really think Hyrox has the potential to be an Olympic sport one day. It’s the perfect competition missing from the fitness world.

“Many people have been waiting for this kind of race to show up. Will we be at the Olympics in five years? Probably not. In 10? I don’t know, but I think that’s the path we should aim for.

“If not in the Olympics, at least making it that big and, if that doesn’t work out, we’d like to grow it to something like the Triathlon World Series or the Marathon World Series and have it known as this huge world fitness event or race that people like to attend.

“In Germany we have about 450 gym partnerships – places that pay a small licence fee for a year to use the name and the workouts, which is a very cool offline marketing tool for us and allows people to train.

“I know that we have 18 partnerships in the UK so far and counting. That’s something we’d like to expand as Hyrox continues to grow.”

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Tag: Hyrox

Third Space Canary Wharf launches Hyrox Training Space