When Australian Hyrox athlete Joanna Wietrzyk finished a race despite soiling herself mid-competition — then posted a hospital selfie captioned "a win's a win" — the fitness world took notice. She has since apologised, and the sport's co-founder Moritz Fürste announced new health and safety protocols plus refunds for affected athletes. But the incident also pulled back the curtain on one of the fastest-growing fitness trends on the planet, and why so many regular people are now planning holidays around it.
Hyrox launched in Germany in 2017 and combines running with functional gym work: racers alternate eight times between a 1km run and a workout station such as rowing, burpees or sled pulls. Competitors race solo or in pairs within age groups. The format is deliberately accessible — no elite CrossFit background required — which explains why Auckland alone now has more than 30 affiliated gyms, and why people like Michelle Clark, a 45-year-old Kiwi mum of two living in Brisbane, get hooked fast.
Clark entered her first event at Auckland's Showgrounds in February with modest expectations. She missed her goal, went again in Brisbane, set a personal record, and now dreams of racing her way around the world. "It becomes 100% a lifestyle," she says. That's the engine behind Hyrox tourism: the races are staged in major cities globally, and everyday athletes are increasingly structuring trips — and even holidays — around a start line.
The trade-off is brutal. Competitors describe an hour of sky-high heart rate, lactic acid burn and genuine mental darkness. Former NZ Olympian Paul Bowman, who owns the Hyrox-affiliated Regymen NZ gym, points to the Goldman Dilemma — the 1980s study where roughly half of elite athletes said they'd take a drug guaranteeing victory even if it killed them within five years — to illustrate how obsession can shade into danger. He's seen pre-race anxiety so severe it triggered hives, and argues newcomers often pile pressure on themselves via social media comparison.
Practical takeaways for anyone tempted: train consistently rather than chasing other people's pace, fuel carefully (many long-distance racers cut fibre in the final week), and remember that first-timers are the norm, not the exception. Clark's advice is simple — enjoy it, or you'll never come back.
For travellers, this is fitness tourism in its purest form: book a city you've never visited, follow a structured eight-week training block, and the race doubles as your reason to go. Auckland, with its dense gym network and waterfront course city vibe, is a strong Southern Hemisphere entry point. Just know your limits before you stand on that start line.