Eyeing Olympic Inclusion, HYROX turns to World Triathlon

Good morning everyone,

It’s been a minute (April) since I raced in a triathlon. But next weekend, I’ll be stepping back in the arena at the Sun Devil Classic Triathlon. Is it enough of a gap to forget the pain of racing? hah, not quite.

I used to be the guy who showed up ready to fight for the podium. Now, a year after retiring from pro racing, I’ll probably be fighting myself more than anything!

It should be a fun day out, and I’m most excited to be back amongst fellow triathletes. If you’re going to be out there, please let me know!

-Matt Sharpe, newsletter editor

ONE BIG THING

Eyeing Olympic Inclusion, HYROX turns to World Triathlon

What it is: World Triathlon and HYROX have announced a partnership to get hybrid racing recognized at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Under the deal, hybrid racing (running mixed with functional fitness stations) becomes an official discipline under the World Triathlon umbrella.

Three formats: The sport will be split into three race types:

• Ultimate: the HYROX race you already know, with eight 1 km runs and eight workout stations.

• Fast: a shorter, higher-intensity format.

• Ultra: a longer, endurance-focused format.

World Triathlon will sanction and govern all three, and HYROX will help develop them and run the elite championships in the Ultimate format.

Federations get a slice: National federations will be able to put on hybrid racing events and age-group national championships.

• Spain - for its part - isn’t waiting. Its national federation recently launched a four-race “Hyatlón” circuit.

A familiar face: HYROX’s founder is no stranger to World Triathlon. In 2002, Christian Toetzke’s company, Upsolut, launched the Hamburg Triathlon, which grew into one of the world’s largest races. Through Upsolut and later Lagardère Sports, he ran five World Triathlon Series stops, including Hamburg, Abu Dhabi, and Leeds.

• When IRONMAN bought those races in 2016, it got six of the nine WTS events, and Toetzke joined IRONMAN’s executive team. A year later, he co-founded HYROX with two-time Olympic field hockey champion Moritz Fürste.

Not Olympic (yet): For now, the deal is only a framework, with a full agreement covering governance and commercial terms still to come. Belonging to an IOC-recognized federation is a requirement for Olympic inclusion, but the IOC still has to approve the sport, and a decision on Brisbane 2032 probably won’t come until around 2028.

Tempo’s Take: HYROX is hot. It has the athletes, the commercial opportunities, and easy races to stage. If World Triathlon can ride HYROX’s wave to help diversify it through an unpredictable T100 partnership, then more power to them.

Federations like USA Triathlon could also see more memberships sold if they have an entirely new “product line” to offer their athletes. Hybrid racing isn’t just for people into racing shirtless - I’ve heard from many triathletes looking for a different challenge that HYROX is first on their list of new events.

HYROX clearly has Olympic and Paralympic ambitions, and aligning with World Triathlon is the quickest way to achieve those goals. And judging by the International Olympic Committee’s embrace of new sports and opportunities for Olympic mass participation events, I could certainly see athletes tossing wall balls in Brisbane!

But who loses in this partnership? It’s not totally clear. Maybe the T100 loses leverage with World Triathlon? But the two entities are so intertwined that a World Triathlon win could trickle down to T100.

Elite World Triathlon athletes may lose out if the governing body devotes more resources to hybrid racing.

• In reality, a third Olympic medal opportunity gets shelved very quickly when hybrid racing enters the conversation.

Am I planning to race a HYROX? It’s on my list!

• The bigger question: is it on yours?

FAVORITES

😴 Sleep better, for free: As the days get shorter, a lot of us are pushing workouts later. Lagoon’s top 10 sleep strategies for fall explains why that might be costing you recovery. And if you’re looking for an affordable sleep hack, their #1 sleep-enhancing habit is completely free! [Lagoon Sleep]

🏃‍♀️ Courtney Dauwalter to Kona? The UTMB and Hardrock champion says an IRONMAN is basically a lock someday. But how will a runner famous for racing by feel handle a sport obsessed with power targets and pacing plans? [Tri247]

🍝 Carbs or bust: A recent study had ten competitive triathletes spend six weeks on a near-zero-carb diet. Then they gave them 10 grams of carbs to work with. The result? A 22% improvement in performance! [Marathon Handbook]

🏅 Go like Mo: Born without a femur in his right leg, Paralympic triathlete Mohamed Lahna didn't start running or cycling until his twenties. But not long ago, he swam around Manhattan, biked to Las Vegas, and ran to Venice Beach, raising $150,000 along the way. [REI]

🇰🇪 Triathlon's new frontier: Among the contingent of athletes competing at the upcoming Youth Olympics is Kenya's first-ever Youth Olympic triathlete, 17-year-old Robert Froggen-Richard - and he’s chasing a sub-58 sprint in Dakar. But in a country famous for runners, not swimmers, could the next triathlon powerhouse come from East Africa? [Justice Gauge]

WEEKEND RACES

Noosa Triathlon

Previous world champion Matt Hauser returns to Noosa to defend his men’s title, while Natalie Van Coevorden is the favorite in the women’s race.

World Triathlon Cup - San Pedro de la Paz, Chile

Marta Pintanel Raymundo and David Cantero del Campo are ranked #1 heading into this Chilean World Cup!