What Is Hyrox… and Why Is It Vancouver’s New Fitness Obsession?

At first glance, Hyrox looks like an Instagram (hashtag fitness) dream: a bunch of hot people in high-contrast black-and-white photos, grunting their way through sled pushes and burpees, muscles in full display. Scroll a little longer, and it feels less like fitness and more like a lifestyle trend for the impossibly shredded. But step off the feed and onto the floor, and Hyrox is less about thirst traps and more about community.

Run clubs are still having their moment, and locals sign up in droves to take over the Seawall. Cute, but apparently running 5K isn’t hard enough anymore. Enter Hyrox, the global fitness race-slash-spectacle that promises to ruin running for you in a whole new way with plenty of bragging rights.

On December 20 and 21, the Convention Centre will host the city’s first Hyrox weekend. Competitors run one kilometre, hit a workout station (think sled pushes, rowing, burpees, wall balls), then run again. Repeat eight times. That’s the race. The course never changes, which is part of the draw: you know exactly what pain you’re signing up for.

Not just a run, not quite CrossFit

The structure is part of what sets Hyrox apart. Often compared to CrossFit, which thrives on surprise, Hyrox thrives on repetition. It might look like CrossFit repackaged, but in reality, its predictability makes it both more measurable—and more accessible.

“CrossFit is unpredictable. Hyrox is the same every single time, which means you can train specifically for it, set benchmarks and measure progress,” shares Rich Poole, co-owner of Kin Culture, the second Vancouver gym to become Hyrox-affiliated. He’s not just talking theory; Poole has competed in multiple Hyrox races and even placed first in his age category twice.

Not everyone is convinced the format makes sense outside of competition. “Hyrox borrows elements from functional training, but the way it’s packaged leans more toward creating an extreme challenge,” says Sam Shaw, general manager of Yard Athletics. “It’s designed for intensity and spectacle rather than long-term functionality.”

Why Vancouver, why now?

According to Yard Athletics founder Ilan Cumberbirch, it makes perfect sense that Hyrox has landed here. “Vancouver is one of the most competitive and saturated fitness markets in North America,” he says. “To stand out, gyms need to differentiate, and Hyrox adds a global trend into that mix.”

It wasn’t just by chance that Vancouver snagged the event, either. Poole explains that the city won a bid against Seattle and Calgary for a five-year Hyrox contract. The catch? The only available slot was the week before Christmas, thanks to World Cup scheduling. So December 20 and 21 are locked in, year after year. Merry Fitness.

The spectacle (and the risks)

Hyrox bills itself as accessible: simple movements, no technical barriers, options for partnered entries. But that accessibility comes with intensity. “One Hyrox workout a week is enough,” Poole cautions. “Any more and your risk of injury skyrockets.” Even for his own training, he balances heavy lifting and conditioning with just one Hyrox-specific session a week.

Cumberbirch agrees, but he sees a bigger gap. “What’s missing is a long-term athlete development framework,” he says. “Without it, Hyrox risks being ‘hard for the sake of hard’ rather than a thoughtfully designed path to performance.”

Shaw puts it even bluntly: “In real life, you don’t need to lunge a hundred metres after a sprint. Hyrox pushes those patterns under fatigue, which can be exciting, but it’s more survival mode than functionality.”

Jen McRoberts, a non-industry competitor who travelled to compete solo in Toronto, knows that firsthand. “With Hyrox, your heart rate is at a four or five the entire time. My body went into shock. I trained twice a day and ended up needing six months off after,” she says. And yet she signed up again. “This time I want it to be fun, not a stressful dumpster fire.”

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Why people are into Hyrox

For Cumberbirch, Hyrox succeeds because it taps into three powerful drivers: accessibility, gamification, and community. “These elements resonate in today’s society where opportunities for human connection, physical challenge, and healthy competition have diminished,” he says.

Poole echoes that, but adds the experiential side. “Online, you see shredded athletes. But at the race, you see people of all shapes and sizes. The spectators can follow you from the run to the stations, so you’re never alone. The energy is infectious.”

That tension of Instagram vs reality keeps coming up. Arnie Guieb signed up for his first doubles race this year, admits that he was “influenced by Instagram.” Still, he’s glad for it. “I don’t like just running,” he admits. “Hyrox appeals because of the variety. You’re moving your body in different ways, not just one leg in front of the other for hours.”

Some athletes view Hyrox as a bucket list challenge, and for Vancouver, a city that loves fitness trends, the timing feels just right.

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Does Hyrox have staying power?

Here’s where opinions split.

Cumberbirch is pragmatic: “Like most fitness trends, it’ll have its moment. Some gyms will sustain it, but many will move on.” Shaw agrees. “In my view, it’s more a trend toward ‘fitness as event’ than fitness as a foundation for long-term health and performance.”

Guieb predicts Vancouver’s typical hype cycle: peak, over-saturation, then the crash. McRoberts sees it as more of a benchmark event, akin to a half-marathon: something you cycle into every year or two rather than your main training style.

While others question Hyrox’s long-term place in Vancouver’s crowded fitness scene, Poole is more confident. “In Europe, you can’t even get into a race; it’s ballot only. I thought it would fade, but Hyrox has legs.”

So, is Hyrox the future of fitness or just another shiny trend to show off before moving on to the next thing? Honestly, probably both. It’s equal parts community and spectacle, and for now, the hype is real. The Convention Centre seems like the place to be this holiday, with the Christmas Market outside and Hyrox carnage unfolding inside. I won’t be lunging my way through 100 wall balls this December, but I’ll be in the crowd, cheering on the brave souls who signed up to suffer before Christmas.