Commentary: Hyrox needs to remember who its customers are

A fast-growing global franchise needs rules designed not just to protect the integrity of competition, but also the overall experience of entrants, says Juliana Liu for Bloomberg Opinion.

File photo of a Hyrox event held in Singapore in 2024. (Photo: CNA/Marcus Mark Ramos)

HONG KONG: Hyrox takes its sporting credentials seriously - it was, after all, co-founded by an Olympian. But the commercial success of the high-endurance fitness race isn’t built on the backs of elite athletes. It comes from attracting overachieving gym junkies.

Which is why the competition must now make amends to its core group of devotees after mishandling a hygiene controversy in Beijing over the weekend, especially as it sets its sights on becoming an even bigger force in global fitness. The women's world record holder, Australia’s Joanna Wietrzyk , was allowed to complete (and win) despite experiencing bowel incontinence partway through the race.

The viral episode caused an uproar among participants upset about the prospect of having to share dirty equipment, a reaction that quickly reverberated through the international community.

There was also the issue of fairness. Existing rules penalise behaviors that can affect the cleanliness and safety of communal spaces, such as spitting. Allowing a competitor to continue after soiling herself struck many as a glaring inconsistency.

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WHY HYROX IS DIFFERENT

Organisers treated the event as a serious championship, where the overriding concern is preserving the integrity of the tournament by ensuring an athlete’s right to finish. Elite endurance sports have plenty of precedents of athletes pushing on through deeply uncomfortable - and potentially embarrassing - circumstances. Chinese runner Li Meizhen continued the Hengshui Lake Marathon in 2024 after unexpectedly getting her period, with blood visibly running down her legs. And in 2005, Paula Radcliffe had to relieve herself in public during the London marathon, which she won. Both were lauded for their determination.

But Hyrox is different. Racers complete eight rounds of a one-kilometre run, each followed by a functional workout station. Unlike a marathon or triathlon, the format requires competitors to cycle through stations with everyone using the same equipment. What might be treated as an individual athlete’s decision in a road race can become a hygiene issue in an indoor contest.

That distinction matters as the fitness brand founded in Germany nine years ago is gearing up to become an even bigger global player. Hyrox needs stricter rules for handling incidents involving bodily fluids. Hyrox co-founder Moritz Fürste, who won a gold medal for Germany in field hockey at the 2008 Summer Olympics, apologised for “ not reacting immediately ” during the race. With 1.4 million people taking part in more than 100 events in the last season, its policies and standards must reflect its growing ambition.

Australian Hyrox athlete Joanna Wietrzyk soiled herself while competing at an event in Beijing, China, on Sep 12, 2026. (Images: Instagram/thebarbellspin)

Investors are already buying into the hype. A group led by private equity firm L Catterton, backed by LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, bought a majority stake in the company last week from Infront Sports & Media, backed by Dalian Wanda. The deal reportedly valued Hyrox at about 600 million euros (US$700 million) with a price-to-sales ratio of about 2.6 times this year’s expected revenue. At that multiple, the deal was roughly on par with the 2020 sale of the Ironman triathlon franchise by Wanda Sports to Advance Publications.

There’s already evidence that Hyrox’s growing popularity is starting to pay off. Puma, its longtime sneaker and apparel partner, launched a dedicated fitness racing shoe last year and has characterised the relationship as a strategic tie-up involving sportswear and community building (Wietrzyk is a sponsored athlete).

Puma Chief Executive Officer Arthur Hoeld said during the firm’s latest earnings call that Hyrox-related products helped contribute “strong growth” to the footwear segment. Rivals Nike and Adidas have also entered the racing category with shoes like the Hybrid RN and Adizero Dropset Elite, respectively.

Other companies are piling in. Amazon.com became a global partner in August, launching dedicated Hyrox storefronts selling everything from sports nutrition to training equipment, while AirAsia Group became an airline partner earlier this year. Continuing this commercial momentum depends on keeping racers coming back.

After the Beijing controversy gained traction online, Hyrox offered refunds and the rulebook has been updated, giving race officials the power to withdraw athletes if bodily fluids present a safety risk. These were the correct responses, but the episode offers a broader lesson.

A fast-growing global franchise needs rules designed not just to protect the integrity of competition, but also the overall experience of entrants. Consistency, hygiene and consideration for fellow participants aren't peripheral concerns.

Hyrox has successfully persuaded mainstream gym-goers to train like serious athletes. But the competitive instincts of people at the front of the race shouldn’t ruin the experience of those behind them. For Hyrox to go the distance, it needs to do better in catering to the masses.

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彭博社专栏作家朱莉安娜·刘表示，快速发展的全球特许经营需要制定规则，这些规则不仅要保护竞争的公正性，还要保护新进入者的整体体验。

2024年在新加坡举行的Hyrox活动资料照片。（图片：CNA/Marcus Mark Ramos）

香港：Hyrox 非常重视其体育背景——毕竟，它的联合创始人之一就是一位奥运选手。但这项高强度耐力健身赛事的商业成功并非建立在精英运动员的身上，而是源于它吸引了众多追求卓越的健身爱好者。

正因如此，这项赛事在周末北京的卫生丑闻处理不当后，现在必须向其核心拥趸们做出弥补，尤其是在它正着眼于成为全球健身领域一股更强大的力量之际。女子世界纪录保持者、澳大利亚选手乔安娜·维特里克在比赛中途出现肠道失禁症状，但仍被允许完成比赛并最终夺冠。

这段疯传的视频引起了参与者的强烈不满，他们不愿共用不干净的设备，这一反应迅速在国际社会引起了反响。

公平性也是一个问题。现行规则惩罚那些可能影响公共场所清洁和安全的行为，例如随地吐痰。允许一名选手在弄脏自己后继续比赛，这在许多人看来显然存在明显的矛盾。

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HYROX 有何不同之处

组织者将这项赛事视为一场严肃的锦标赛，首要任务是维护比赛的公正性，确保运动员有权完成比赛。精英耐力运动中不乏运动员在极其不适甚至可能尴尬的情况下坚持比赛的先例。2024年，中国长跑运动员李美珍在参加衡水湖马拉松时，意外来月经，鲜血顺着她的大腿流淌，但她仍然坚持完成了比赛。2005年，宝拉·拉德克利夫在伦敦马拉松比赛中不得不当众小便，但她最终赢得了比赛。她们的毅力都受到了赞扬。

但Hyrox有所不同。参赛者需要完成八轮一公里跑，每轮结束后都要进行一个功能性训练站。与马拉松或铁人三项不同，Hyrox要求参赛者轮流使用相同的器材。在公路赛中可能是运动员个人选择的事情，在室内比赛中却可能演变成卫生问题。

这一区别至关重要，因为这家九年前在德国创立的健身品牌正蓄势待发，力图成为全球更大的参与者。Hyrox 需要制定更严格的规则来处理涉及体液的事件。Hyrox 联合创始人莫里茨·弗斯特 (Moritz Fürste) 曾代表德国在 2008 年夏季奥运会上获得曲棍球金牌，他为在比赛中“未能立即做出反应”而道歉。上个赛季，超过 140 万人参加了 100 多场赛事，其政策和标准必须体现其日益增长的雄心。

2026 年 9 月 12 日，澳大利亚 Hyrox 运动员 Joanna Wietrzyk 在中国北京的一场比赛中弄脏了自己。（图片来源：Instagram/thebarbellspin）

投资者已经开始跟风。由私募股权公司L Catterton牵头，LVMH酩悦轩尼诗路易威登集团支持的财团上周从大连万达集团支持的盈方体育传媒手中收购了Hyrox的多数股权。据报道，该交易对Hyrox的估值约为6亿欧元（7亿美元），市销率约为今年预期收入的2.6倍。按此倍数计算，这笔交易与万达体育2020年将铁人三项赛事特许经营权出售给Advance Publications的交易大致相当。

已有证据表明，Hyrox 日益增长的人气开始带来回报。其长期运动鞋和服装合作伙伴彪马去年推出了一款专门的健身竞速鞋，并将双方的合作关系定义为一项涉及运动服装和社群建设的战略合作（维特里克是彪马的赞助运动员）。

彪马首席执行官亚瑟·霍尔德在公司最近一次财报电话会议上表示，Hyrox相关产品为鞋类业务的“强劲增长”做出了贡献。竞争对手耐克和阿迪达斯也分别推出了Hybrid RN和Adizero Dropset Elite等竞速跑鞋，正式进军竞速跑鞋市场。

其他公司也纷纷加入。亚马逊于8月成为Hyrox的全球合作伙伴，开设了Hyrox专属商店，销售从运动营养品到训练器材等各种商品；亚洲航空集团也在今年早些时候成为Hyrox的航空合作伙伴。能否保持这种商业势头，关键在于能否持续吸引参赛者。

北京奥运会的争议在网上引发广泛关注后，Hyrox公司提供了退款，并更新了规则手册，赋予赛事官员在体液构成安全风险时取消运动员参赛资格的权力。这些都是正确的应对措施，但这一事件也给我们带来了更广泛的启示。

一个快速发展的全球连锁品牌需要制定规则，这些规则不仅要维护比赛的公正性，还要兼顾参赛者的整体体验。一致性、卫生状况以及对其他参赛者的尊重并非次要因素。

Hyrox成功地说服了普通健身爱好者像专业运动员一样训练。但是，领先者的竞争本能不应该破坏后面者的体验。Hyrox要想长久发展，就需要在服务大众方面做得更好。

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