HYROX has nailed simplicity and experience, but for gym owners the real risk isn’t missing out – it’s losing what makes your business distinctive
HYROX is a masterclass in simplicity.
I still don’t quite know how two German blokes managed to convince tens of thousands of people that running around in one-kilometre repeats and chucking a ball at a wall is worth all the money people spend on it, but it’s absolutely genius.
From a product point of view, it’s incredibly accessible. From a branding point of view, it’s been executed brilliantly.
You’ve got people walking around with bags covered in HYROX stickers saying, “I do HYROX.”
Why operators should be cautious about over-indexing on HYROX
From an operator standpoint, though, you should be careful about over-indexing on HYROX just because it’s having a moment.
As we saw with CrossFit, and I actually think it could be even more accentuated here, gyms that identify purely as HYROX gyms might be in for a bit of a shock.
The moment a facility becomes HYROX first rather than training gym first, there’s a risk that clients start thinking, “Well this other facility is two minutes closer,” or, “This one’s ten quid cheaper.” At that point, you’ve lost your edge.
How we’ve approached HYROX at Foundry
We’re not a HYROX gym, but one of our gyms has a HYROX licence, and we’ll probably extend that to a couple of sites where it makes sense – big spaces, more sports-hall-esque environments.
We can continue to run our Foundry product with a HYROX licence underneath it. We don’t advertise it externally but members can train towards events if they want to.
They can do their personal training, do a couple of HYROX-specific classes each week and we support them with a programme that builds them up properly.
So we’re embracing HYROX but it’s just part of what we do. It’s not who we are.
What HYROX has done differently to CrossFit
One thing HYROX has done differently to CrossFit is that they haven’t put themselves in a position where a few bad bits of negative PR suddenly tank the brand.
CrossFit fell from grace pretty quickly. A few bad PR moments, people getting cancelled and suddenly everyone was scrambling to uncouple themselves from it and rebrand as something else. HYROX hasn’t made itself vulnerable in the same way.
Where HYROX has absolutely nailed it is the event. I’ve not done one myself, but everyone I’ve spoken to says the same thing. It’s incredibly well run. It starts on time. It finishes on time. Judging is consistent. You’re moved in quickly, moved out quickly. You get your photos. You get your T-shirt.
People come away thinking, I’d do that again. And that’s not always the case with fitness events.
Will HYROX last?
Will it be here in ten years’ time? No, I don’t think so.
Do I think it’s going to be here for the next two to five years? Yes, I do.
It’s reached critical mass. It’s accessible. It’s mixed-modality, which means it can adapt as trends change. Single-modality stuff is always more difficult.
But things move in cycles. We’ve had CrossFit. We’ve had F45. We’ve got HYROX. Something else will come along.
At some point, people will look at their time and their money and say, “If I’ve got a couple of days off and a grand in my pocket, maybe I’d rather go to Barcelona than run around in a circle and chuck a ball at a wall.”
Should your gym become a HYROX affiliate?
If you’re a gym owner asking whether to become a HYROX affiliate, I think it comes down to a few simple questions:
- Does it fit your brand and your principles?
- What’s the opportunity cost?
- Does it cannibalise something that already makes you money?
- What are you actually using it for: revenue, retention, community, events?
- Or is it just because everyone else seems to be doing it and you’re a bit scared?
Because if it suddenly looks very attractive, it’s probably worth asking why. In simple terms:
- The gym wins when HYROX complements what you already do well.
- HYROX wins when you go all in and become HYROX.
We need to keep the bigger picture (and the longer term) in mind when making these kinds of decision – not just jump on the bandwagon of what’s hot right now.