In her first Hyrox event, British expat Jess Towl qualifies for World Championships.

The sport of Hyrox is making a big splash in the United Arab Emirates, with athletes from across the country and worldwide stepping up to take on this challenging combination of strength and endurance.

Dominating the course in the first Pro Women’s Hyrox event in Dubai, 1st place went to American, Lauren Weeks who is a 3x Hyrox World Champion, recording an incredible time of 59:27, followed closely in 2nd by Sweden’s Mikaela Norman with a time of 1:00:35 and 3rd place recording a time of 1:07:18 was our very own, British expat – Jess Towl.

Reflecting on her first Hyrox race, Towl said,

“I got to share the podium with two of the biggest legends in the sport and I’m super happy to have represented Dubai and put a local resident on the podium at Hyrox.”

She went on to say, “I really enjoyed it but I have so much to learn! I’ll definitely start training for it now as a big bonus from this weekend’s event is that I have qualified for the age group world championships!”

Hyrox Race Events in the UAE

In September of 2023, the UAE hosted it’s first ever Hyrox race event. On September 2nd, the HYROX competition made its way to the historic Dubai World Trade Centre for an event that promised to be nothing short of epic, hosting a series of competitions that drew athletes from around the world. These fitness challenges offered participants a chance to test their limits and compete internationally.

Hyrox, a global fitness competition combining functional workouts with running, has been steadily gaining popularity. It’s not just about breaking a sweat; it’s about joining a worldwide community of sports enthusiasts who constantly seek new ways to push themselves physically and mentally.

What is HYROX made up of?

The competition comprises eight 1km runs combined with eight rounds of strength-based exercises such as wall balls or burpee broad jumps — testing stamina and resilience.

Is HYROX just CrossFit?

No, although they share similarities in exercise style. However, the difference lies in their structure: HYROX events have fixed layouts, while CrossFit workouts vary daily.

How is HYROX different from CrossFit?

While both involve functional exercises, HYROX focuses more on cardio-respiratory endurance. Unlike CrossFit’s varied workouts, it has a standardized competition format.

What is a HYROX workout?

A HYROX workout combines functional strength training, high-intensity interval fitness, and endurance running into one global race format.