Traditionally, travelers were accustomed to gathering experiences from cities via historic sites, local dishes, and cultural initiatives. Recently, however, a new breed of travelers has surfaced who are gathering cities in a different manner; they not only visit the city, but they run races in it. The rise of popularity of the sport of HYROX has made way for the so-called race-cation phenomenon, where participants travel abroad to take part in the races before making a vacation out of it.
To most sport lovers around the world, HYROX is not just a fitness competition anymore; rather, it has become a good excuse to buy a ticket, see people, find new places, and add yet another race to their racing resume.
For instance, Alan, an orthopedist from Singapore, has taken part in 9 HIROX races, 6 of which were conducted abroad. This sport has taken him across Seoul, Sydney, Melbourne, Hong Kong, Taipei, and Bangkok.
“I love traveling and sports,” Alan stated.
There are some competitors in the HYROX events that are not looking at just themselves when planning and finding the events. Some are bringing along their families and making it a family trip. Amelia got to experience this first-hand when she took part in IRYH Incheon, South Korea, where she was able to provide a long-awaited destination for her family that had not travelled together in almost eight years.
Her father, mother, brother, and brother’s partner arrived in South Korea to support her in the race. After the race was over, they continued their holiday shopping, trying different types of food, and exploring Seoul.
Having the family members added even more meaning to the experience, which was hard enough on its own. Although Amelia found it difficult to locate them in a crowded space, at least she could hear them cheer her on.
The fitness community is also seeing the same trend. For instance, the DOP Training Club from Hong Kong took 90 members to Bangkok for a weekend of an IRYH event and an experience shared with other participants. After the race, the participants had dinner together, visited night markets, and celebrated their success.
For numerous HYROX athletes, it is hardly sufficient to visit just one city. After finishing one race, the athlete starts planning the next one right away. Alan is already considering competing in Paris and Switzerland, while Amelia has registered for another event in Seoul.
Participant from Singapore Angus has noticed an emerging trend— collecting HYROX patches from various cities. Participants put patches on their bags and thus create a visual record of cities they have raced in.
The journey might eventually bring one to the world championships, where elite athletes and top qualified participants gather. The championship is held in different cities and becomes a goal comparable in its spirit to the World Marathon Majors in marathon runners’ world.
By combining competition, community, and travel, HYROX may provide an opportunity to discover the world—one finish line at a time.
