After running 1 kilometer, participants complete a functional fitness skill such as pushing and pulling sleds, jumping burpees, using a rowing machine, walking, wall balls and more, Irvine explained. He placed ninth (out of 64 competitors) in his age group and weight skill with an overall time of 1 hour and 15 minutes.
“It's a fairly comprehensive activity and sport in terms of participation. Many different ability levels can do it, and there are different levels you can do it in terms of the different weights you can use,” Irvin said.
“You can do a lighter version or a heavier version, and they advertise that 99 percent of participants complete their event because the skills themselves aren't high-tech. It's not like you have to do these fancy moves.”
Each race is hosted at a stadium or convention center and the format remains consistent around the world. This way each competitor knows what to expect, and can either strive for a higher ranking or work to complete their personal best.
In all, there were approximately 2,500 people competing in Houston, and Irvine plans to attend another race in Toronto in October. In this race, he hopes to finish it in one hour and 10 minutes, and to obtain a higher position in the standings. This will be the first time a HYROX race has been held in Canada.
“They take pride in performing these exercises that are physically demanding, but still easy to do with a little practice that anyone can do,” Irvine noted.
“It's very inclusive that way, a lot of people can join and a lot of people can complete these exercises.”
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