I recently chatted with Mat Lock, Technical Director of HYROX, to follow up on the action in Chicago earlier this month.
The 2025 HYROX World Championships, held from June 12–15 at Chicago’s iconic Navy Pier, marked a significant chapter in the sport’s history. With over 4,000 athletes across 17 divisions, including Elite 15, Pro, Age Group, Doubles, Relay, and Adaptive categories (and many spectators), the event showcased both the pinnacle of Fitness Racing performance and the challenges of managing a rapidly growing sport.
German Athletes Seize Elite 15 Titles
Germany emerged as a dominant force in the Elite 15 divisions. Tim Wenisch clinched the men’s title with a time of 53:53, narrowly edging out three-time world champion Hunter McIntyre by five seconds. In the women’s division, Linda Meier secured victory in 58:56, outperforming a competitive field that included top contenders from the US, UK, and Australia.
Having spoken with Christian (CEO) and Mat prior to the event, I am always impressed with the level of professionalism that HYROX displays as such a young sport (the first HYROX race took place in Germany in 2017). As a company they are continually able to objectively and intelligently assess their strengths and weaknesses, react to events, and improve for the future. These factors have all contributed to their rapid rise in global popularity.
For example Mat told me more about how the card based system made it much clearer to athletes, spectators and judges when penalties were given.
Two issues emerged from the World Championships, inconsistencies with the performances of the sleds and an important call to disqualify one of the leading athletes in the world.
Issues with the Sled Station
Athletes reported significant variations in sled quality during the race.
Some competitors experienced unexpected friction, resulting in time losses. At the time HYROX organizers acknowledged the problem, issued an apology and committed to improvements in equipment standards for future events.
Mat explained how there would now be further quality checks in place before every HYROX event to ensure that this experience would never happen again.
Team USA Disqualified After Relay Incident
A major controversy unfolded during the Mixed Relay Invitational when Team USA, initially crossing the finish line first, were disqualified. Race officials determined that Hunter McIntyre had intentionally altered his racing line to impede Jeremy McConnell of Team Ireland, leading to a collision.
This action was deemed unsportsmanlike conduct, resulting in the disqualification of both McIntyre and Team USA. Consequently, Australia was awarded the victory in the relay event.
Mat explained that they often implement penalties for athletes in their races, and that HYROX “is not a contact sport”.
Their decision to disqualify Hunter was largely met with approval from the community. It serves to warn that this type of racing will not be tolerated in Fitness Racing.
Despite the surrounding conversation, there was no love lost between Hunter and Jeremy, and both were back on friendly terms following the completion of the race.
Implementation of Time-Based Penalties
In response to ongoing discussions about fairness and consistency, HYROX announced a significant rule change: the replacement of distance-based penalties with time-based penalties.
This adjustment aims to standardize penalties across events and ensure that infractions are penalized in a manner proportionate to their impact on competition.
The new rulebook also includes updates to movement standards and equipment regulations, reflecting HYROX’s commitment to evolving the sport responsibly.
Looking Ahead
The 2025 HYROX World Championships highlighted both the impressive growth of the sport and the challenges that accompany such rapid expansion. While German athletes celebrated historic victories, the event underscored HYROX’s consistent commitment to continual assessment and refinement of competition standards.
[wpcode id=”229888″]As HYROX prepares for the 2025/26 season, athletes and fans alike will be watching closely to see how the organization addresses these challenges and continues to elevate the sport on the global stage. Judging by the incredible scale, atmosphere and action in Chicago, HYROX has nowhere to go but upwards.
