It has been taking place in the UAE since 2023, but Hyrox has broken into the mainstream this year.
It has been dubbed by experts as one of the biggest fitness trends of 2025. From Instagram stories to gym schedules across the UAE, the fitness challenge – and its extensive training programme – is everywhere right now.
Here's a guide to one of the most punishing fitness trends around.
What is Hyrox?
Hyrox is a subdivision of physical training known as fitness racing, which is made up of a series of challenges designed to test strength and endurance, interspersed with 1km runs between each task.
“It is multifunctional training made up of basic day-to-day compound movements with added cardiovascular endurance and muscular endurance,” says Mark Boyd. He is a performance coach who has trained people for Hyrox events.
“What’s missing in events like [weightlifting-based challenges] Strongman and Strongwoman is the cardio side of things, and Hyrox is a nice hybrid of all the movements, hitting all the different fitness aspects in one go: push, pull, carry, run.”
Hyrox evolved from the popular CrossFit workout, which fuses high-intensity interval training (or HIIT) with strength and conditioning. To this, Hyrox adds running and more strength challenges.
Rayyan Yacob Agha, managing director of Project 206 Sport Clubs and Facilities Management, says that Hyrox is “injecting a dynamic twist” to the fitness racing scene, “with a focus on functional fitness movements”.
“Drawing inspiration from obstacle course racing and endurance events, it has quickly become a unique challenge by blending various physical challenges in a competitive format,” he adds.
The event launched in Germany in 2017 and now includes races in 20 countries and more than 30 cities. It was first held in the UAE in September 2023, the next event is taking place in Sharjah on April 12.
There are also world championships. This year's challenge takes place in Chicago in June.
What are the fitness challenges in Hyrox?
Participants sign up for a 12-week programme of conditioning to prepare for the main competition.
There are four options: as an individual in the open and pro categories, with the latter featuring heavier weights. Doubles is for those working with a partner, and there’s also the option of entering as a relay team of four.
The race begins with a 1km run, followed by a 1,000-metre SkiErg workout – an upright skiing machine that works the shoulders and core muscles. Another 1km run is followed by a 50-metre sledge push, targeting the lower body and core.
There is then a 50-metre sledge pull, 80-metre burpee broad jump, 1km row, 200-metre farmers carry, 100-metre sandbag lunges using 10, 20 or 30kg, and 75 or 100 wall balls, depending on the level you’re competing at.
Each challenge is followed by a 1km run, until eight have been completed.
Those working as a pair can alternate strength challenges, or do half the work each, but both must complete the runs. Relay teams are made up of four people with each teammate completing two 1km runs and two workout stations.
What is Hyrox like to do?
“The training is brutal, nothing like I’ve ever done before,” says Mark Tucker, director of operations at Dubai Safari Park. “Some days everything is great and you feel really good and the next time you feel so fatigued.”
Lucy Kirk, a senior technical project manager, adds: “Training is intense and constant. My body has never hurt so much after training in my life, but enjoyment and fulfilment are the most important feelings for me.
“I love a challenge and I love the fact that you get a real hit off it. The endorphins you get from just completing a very hard training session gives you such a hit afterwards.”
Participants can follow a structured food plan for training and non-training days, which allows for one cheat day a week.
“It increases your awareness around nutrition,” says Tucker. “Even on your cheat day, you can eat what you want, but you find yourself being cautious and still eating well.”
He adds: “I have had some serious wobbles, thinking that this isn’t for me, that I can’t do it, I have a knee injury, I’m too old. And then I look at my times in training and think: ‘I can do this.' It’s a complete roller coaster of emotions physically and mentally.”
Who is Hyrox for?
“Hyrox is designed to be inclusive, and hundreds of adaptive athletes have successfully completed the challenge,” says Agha. “Each event features an adaptive division, including categories like pairs of doubles or relay teams of four. It's accessible to a wide range of participants, ensuring that even those with minimal preparation can take on the Hyrox challenge.”
The programme helps to build strength and fitness, allowing for peaks and recovery, leading up to the competition.
“In my opinion, this is more accessible than CrossFit, which has gymnastics elements,” says Boyd. “People like a challenge and goal-based fitness is the perfect way to achieve that. Like with any performance sport, you build to a peak, then have a base level of fitness you return to. If you continue bringing to peak, then back down, this is the way to ensuring your base level of fitness rises each time.”
Tucker adds: “My fitness background was never in cardio, it was all strength-based and weights, so this has been completely out of my comfort zone. I saw it as a challenge, if I can do this, as someone who doesn’t run, then I can put my mind to do anything.”
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National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate
Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks
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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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Our commentary on Brexit
- Con Coughlin: Choice of the British people will be vindicated
- Sam Williams: Departure is influenced by its sense of place
• Remittance charges will be tackled by blockchain
• UAE's monumental and risky Mars Mission to inspire future generations, says minister
• Could the UAE drive India's economy?
• News has a bright future and the UAE is at the heart of it
• Architecture is over - here's cybertecture
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Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
Your Guide to the Home
- Level 1 has a valet service if you choose not to park in the basement level. This level houses all the kitchenware, including covetable brand French Bull, along with a wide array of outdoor furnishings, lamps and lighting solutions, textiles like curtains, towels, cushions and bedding, and plenty of other home accessories.
- Level 2 features curated inspiration zones and solutions for bedrooms, living rooms and dining spaces. This is also where you’d go to customise your sofas and beds, and pick and choose from more than a dozen mattress options.
- Level 3 features The Home’s “man cave” set-up and a display of industrial and rustic furnishings. This level also has a mother’s room, a play area for children with staff to watch over the kids, furniture for nurseries and children’s rooms, and the store’s design studio.
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Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
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Name: Brendalle Belaza
From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines
Arrived in the UAE: 2007
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi: NYUAD campus
Favourite photography style: Street photography
Favourite book: Harry Potter
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In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
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- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
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Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
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Nick's journey in numbers
Countries so far: 85
Flights: 149
Steps: 3.78 million
Calories: 220,000
Floors climbed: 2,000
Donations: GPB37,300
Prostate checks: 5
Blisters: 15
Bumps on the head: 2
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Tomorrow 2021
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Dr Nawal Al-Hosany: Why more women should be on the frontlines of climate action
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Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks
Damien McElroy: A CEO tasked with spreading Iran's influence
Hussein Ibish: Trump's order on solid constitutional ground
Simon Waldman: Cautious Israel keeping a low profile
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
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Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks
Damien McElroy: A CEO tasked with spreading Iran's influence
Hussein Ibish: Trump's order on solid constitutional ground
Simon Waldman: Cautious Israel keeping a low profile
Rashmee Roshan Lall: Sound of silence in South Asia
Fanar Haddad: The Iranian response will be gradual
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Uefa Champions League, semi-final result:
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Avengers 3: Infinity War: an American superhero film released in 2018 and based on the Marvel Comics story.
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Lucifer: is a 2019 Malayalam-language action film. It dives into the gritty world of Kerala’s politics and has become one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time.
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Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
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Tom Fletcher: How statecraft and summitry will have to adapt
Taylor Luck: Jordanians pin hopes on rebuilding chances in Syria
Gillian Duncan: Progress is slow for women in field of diplomacy
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Green ambitions
- Trees: 1,500 to be planted, replacing 300 felled ones, with veteran oaks protected
- Lake: Brown's centrepiece to be cleaned of silt that makes it as shallow as 2.5cm
- Biodiversity: Bat cave to be added and habitats designed for kingfishers and little grebes
- Flood risk: Longer grass, deeper lake, restored ponds and absorbent paths all meant to siphon off water
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Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
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Hussein Ibish: Trump's order on solid constitutional ground
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Zakat definitions
Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.
Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.
Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.
Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.
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Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
The five pillars of Islam
1.
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3.
4.
5.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate
Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks
Damien McElroy: A CEO tasked with spreading Iran's influence
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RESULTS
5pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 2,200m
Winner: Jawal Al Reef, Fernando Jara (jockey), Ahmed Al Mehairbi (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: AF Seven Skies, Bernardo Pinheiro, Qais Aboud
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: Almahroosa, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
6.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: AF Sumoud, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Adventurous, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
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Explained
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
Towering concerns
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
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ODI FIXTURE SCHEDULE
First ODI, October 22
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Second ODI, October 25
Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune
Third ODI, October 29
Venue TBC
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
The lowdown
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Director: Bryan Singer
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative
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