Trending global fitness race Hyrox comes to New Zealand

Wednesday, 29 January 2025

More than 6000 will compete at the inaugural Auckland event.

After throwing a 6kg medicine ball up a wall solidly for three-and-a-half minutes without a break, Jordi Duff’s legs were like concrete. He “hobbled” to the finish line of the Hyrox competition - a fitness race that’s exploded in popularity worldwide - finishing up in an hour and 11 minutes - and getting a huge rush of satisfaction.

Duff’s life centres around fitness: He’s a personal trainer, owns an F45 gym franchise with his wife, and is the company’s New Zealand-rep athlete, meaning he helps train coaches, does guest coaching at other gyms, and even travels to Austin, Texas, to film the demonstration videos.

But Duff says the Hyrox event, which is coming to Aotearoa New Zealand for the first time this weekend, is for ordinary people too.

More than 6000 people will take on the course which interweaves eight 1km runs with eight functional workout stations: ski erg (1000m), sled push (50m), sled pull (50m), burpee broad jump (80m), rowing (1000m), farmer’s carry (200m), sandbag lunges (100m) and either 75 or 100 wall balls.

Jordi Duff has been training at F45 for seven years and has started competing in Hyrox competitions - a fitness race that’s exploded in popularity overseas and is in Auckland for the first time this weekend.

“Functional” exercises are ones that use movements, such as squats, lunges, pulls, pushes and carries, that translate to activities of everyday life.

Hyrox started in 2017 in Germany and is now held in 26 countries.

The Hyrox event includes a 1000m row station.

Duff, 34, has competed twice: In Melbourne in December as an individual, and in Brisbane earlier last year in a doubles entry with his wife, Brooke Duff.

Jordi Duff says it looks extreme but that people “at all levels” can do it.

“The good thing about Hyrox is it’s such a great blend of endurance and strength and yet there’s no super-complex movements, no one rep-max lifts where you can get injured.”

The sled pull, with varying weights for male/female and regular/pro entry, is over 50m.

Jordi Duff says the “wall ball” is probably his strongest activity: He managed to do 100 throws of the 6kg ball without taking a break.

In his own gym, at Marshland in Christchurch, he’s seen members who’ve signed up to Hyrox picking up their progress in a big way.

Jordi and Brooke Duff competed in Hyrox in Brisbane, Australia last year and while Brooke will be competing again in Auckland this weekend, Jordi has had to pull out with a chest infection.

“Now they have a target, and their whole attitude to training has changed, their fitness improves. And it encourages them to get outside and go for runs as well. It’s good to see the things we’re doing in studio shifting outside as well.”

Jordi says he trains six days a week, with one full rest day, and one of the six days is “active recovery” such as a walk or run.

The Duffs have children aged one and four, which means a lot of tagging in and tagging out with both of them parenting, training and running their F45 business.

“I take my hat off to any parent who can train with young kids,” he says.

“The challenge for us is not being able to train together: The hours we do at work we do super-early with 5am, 6am and 7am classes. So, we tap in and tap out. The good thing with F45 is it’s 45 minutes and done.”

He loves competing with his wife. “It was interesting doing [Hyrox] as a couple because you’re arguing … then you’re cheering each other on.

“But it was cool to cross that finish line together.”

While Brooke is competing in Auckland this weekend, Jordi has had to pull out after a chest infection. Brooke will compete with a member of F45 Marshland, and Jordi expects they will beat his and Brooke’s earlier time of one hour, 10 minutes and 26 seconds. That’s his challenge to them, anyway.

Jordi will definitely compete again though.

“It’s addictive. I want to beat my time. There’s definitely a few things I want to improve on.” The wall ball is his probably his strongest functional exercise, and he did it unbroken, meaning he just kept going without a break.

It’s the last exercise, and while Jordi took three and a half minutes to make the 100 throws, he says it felt more like 30 minutes. “I went to run over the finish line and it was like running with straight legs, I was hobbling.”

Until now, Australia has been the closest destination for New Zealanders wanting to do the Hyrox course. Brisbane-based New Zealander Dexter Buchanan won the most recent pro men’s race in Melbourne and is thrilled to be competing again, this time on home turf in Auckland.

“I can’t wait to see everyone pushing their limits and embracing this amazing sport. The Men’s Pro race is going to be an epic one. The ultimate goal would be to improve on my time from my last race in Melbourne and get the win in front of my family and friends,” he says.

His winning time in Melbourne was 58 minutes and 53 seconds.

Hyrox Auckland, New Zealand’s first Hyrox event, takes place at the Auckland Showgrounds this weekend, February 1 and 2. Spectator tickets are $22, with free entry for children, those over 65, and for disabled people.