Much like all those X Factor winners you can no longer name, the first Hyrox event in 2017 was only ever expected to be a one-hit wonder. Fast-forward to 2025 and the fitness challenge now spans 85 cities in more than 30 countries and boasts more fans than an office with broken air con.
This year, more than 650,000 people are projected to take part – and that’s just the ones who secured a spot. One of the most frequent questions popping up in the Hyrox Facebook group? ‘I couldn’t get tickets: what alternative events would you recommend?’
So it’s with answering that question in mind that we set ourselves a challenge of a different kind: bringing you the best of the rest of the UK’s fitness competitions taking place this year – and how they compare to the one that gets all the airtime. Your next challenge awaits.
1. Farm Games
Good for: Fitness, but rural
Need to know: Imagine pushing yourself (and a sled) while surrounded by farmland; the does-what-it-says-on-the-tin Farm Games offers the opportunity to do just that. Located at Farm Fitness in picturesque Dunmow, Essex, a centre known for its focus on accessible strongman training, Farm Games features five farm-inspired workouts to push your strength and cardio endurance, performed in teams of six over a full day, 9am to 5pm.
Expect to carry kegs, run, hit the airbike and of course, beat your lifting PBs. Don’t worry about fitting in training – if you’re familiar with functional fitness classes, you’ll be well-prepped without overloading your schedule. Soho Farmhouse it ain’t, but you’re guaranteed a good time.
Sign up: Dunmow, Essex, 23 August. Visit farmfitness.co.uk or its IG (@farm_fitness) for other upcoming events.
2. Spartan Race
Good for: Endurance athletes, obstacle course racing (OCR) fans, team players
Need to know: Spartan Race has a large fanbase of adrenaline-chasing obstacle enthusiasts who absolutely don’t count ‘mud’ among their icks. A series of obstacle course races with names such as ‘Beast’ and ‘Ultra’ are designed to test your physical and mental toughness, but don’t let that put you off; the races vary in duration, distance and difficulty, between a 5K sprint with 20+ obstacles, up to a 50K ultra with 60+ obstacles. Just remember to pack a spare pair of socks.
Sign up: London South East Trifecta Weekend, 3-5 October, Nutley, East Sussex. Can’t make it? Events run frequently throughout the UK – find out when and how to register by visiting spartan.com.
The fan: Jude Murray, 39, a personal trainer from Badalona, Spain, has run almost 100 Spartans.
‘The great thing about Spartan is there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. With a base level of fitness and a bit of training you can run in the Open category, have a good day out in the mud, jump the fire and collect your medal without completing many of the obstacles but doing the penalty instead. If you enjoy the experience, then you can set your sights on which obstacle(s) you’d like to conquer on your next race. I still can’t nail all the obstacles, but I’m always learning and training. That’s what keeps me coming back.’
3. ATHX
Good for: Experienced exercisers
Need to know: ATHX is a fitness experience that’s rapidly collected a cult following. Whether you’re going solo or teaming up with a partner, the 2.5-hour event is designed to push you to your limits in three key zones: strength, endurance and metcon (metabolic conditioning), with breaks between. Think squatting your five-rep max, a 12-minute all-out run and cycle and a metcon of functional moves. A word of warning: ATHX is on the tougher end of the challenge spectrum, so you’ll need to bring some experience to the floor.
Sign up: Cardiff, 14 June, or Birmingham, 30-31 August. Check athxgames.com or @athx_games for more events and entry details.
The fan: Laura Ruthnum, 31, a personal trainer from Edinburgh, completed ATHX Glasgow in 2024.
‘I trained for eight weeks in the lead-up to ATHX, with two to three strength sessions, two runs and one conditioning workout each week. I honed in on the key movements, such as shoulder-to-overhead presses and deadlifts. On the day, the treadmill, row and bike challenge was brutal. The metcon was tough, but over in eight minutes. ATHX is definitely challenging, but it’s more manageable than events like Turf Games or Hyrox for those who are seasoned competitors.’
4. Superhuman Games
Good for: Assault course fans
Need to know: If your workouts are starting to feel a bit ‘meh’, this is the perfect way to spice things up. You’ll face five intense workouts in the day, from 8.30am to 6pm, with everything from rucking and log carries, to sprints and wall climbs. The goal? To finish as many laps as you can, all while testing your limits and making memories with your team. We won’t lie, it’s a serious challenge, but the feeling as you cross the finish line will make it all worthwhile – just getting round the course is a serious accomplishment.
Sign up: Bristol, 28 June. Visit superhumansports.com or its social media (@superhumansports.uk)
5. Battle Cancer
Good for: Supporting a good cause
Need to know: Battle Cancer is a high-energy comp that caters for every fitness level; over 90 minutes, you’ll be biking, deadlifting, SkiErg-ing, burpee-ing and completing other functional moves in teams of four. It’s the ultimate win-win: you get to challenge yourself while raising funds for cancer charities.
Sign up: London, 19 October. See battlecancer.com or @battle.cancer.
The fan: Scarlett Wrench, 35, from London, is the editor of Men’s Health. She took part in Battle Cancer in 2021 and 2022.
‘I took on Battle Cancer as part of a mixed-gender team from my CrossFit gym. I’ve always preferred team workouts to training solo, so doing it with three friends and knowing the workouts in advance really appealed. The low-skill format suited me, too; throwing around dumbbells, kettlebells and sandbags is right in my comfort zone. Training three to four times a week, mixing CrossFit and 5-8K runs, was more than enough. And having lost a friend to cancer, it’s one that’s close to my heart. We raised £1,240, and to top it off, did a calorie on the assault bike for every pound.’
6. Deadly Dozen
Good for: A fun but gruelling track-based race
Need to know: Don’t let the name put you off. While it’s true that the Deadly Dozen is one of the most grinding fitness tests, it’s also true that it’s one of the most accessible and fun, with no time limit. It’s for this reason it’s enjoying global success. The event is an outdoor fitness race that, on the surface, doesn’t look too dissimilar to a school sports day. Of course, it’s a little more intense – comprising 12 x 400m track runs and 12 functional exercises, it’s a true test of strength, endurance and grit.
Sign up: Macclesfield, Cheshire, 7 June. Check out deadlydozen.com or @deadly.dozen for an event near you.
7. METRIX
Good for: Ex clubbers-turned-fitness-junkies
Need to know: If you haven’t quite left your raving days behind but could do without the hangover, you’ve found your match with Metrix. The Hyrox-inspired event features a series of workout stations where you’ll be accompanied by top DJs. In five 10-minute workouts, you and a partner will tackle SkiErgs, burpees, rowing, biking, running and sled pushes. It’s a ‘you-go-I-go’ set-up, so you’ll be motivated by your training buddy as well as the clubbing vibe. What’s more, there’s a £5,000 prize for each winning pair.
Sign up: London, 28 September. Check out metrix.events for details.
The fan: Sarah Finley is a writer from London, who completed Metrix in 2025.
‘I only had a couple of weeks to train before the event, so I used the time to dive into HIIT classes and practise all the exercises, making sure I could get through at least five minutes on each with a good time. I didn’t train for the final round – sled push and shuttle runs – and I felt it; my legs were already feeling like jelly. That said, you don’t need to be super fit to do the competition; if you’re already doing HIIT classes or CrossFit, it’s a great way to push yourself. If you’re new to fitness, it’s worth training for at least six weeks before, but this isn’t one for advanced exercisers only.’
8. APEX
Good for: Fitness with a touch of fashion
Need to know: Launched by fashion brand Blakely, Apex is a point-based, weekend-long event completed in teams of four. The workout at the next event is split into four 15-minute parts: Strength, Endurance, Engine and Apex, and will include AMRAP, a deadlift and burpee ladder, max distance row and ski and more. If you’re a regular at
your local CrossFit box, you’ll find this totally doable – and it’s a great way to test your limits. As an added perk, past events have even held a sample sale before and after the event so you can grab some fresh kit. Our kind of event.
Sign up: Norwich, 20 September. Check the IG @blakelyapex for more info on events near you.
9. Nuclear Fit
Good for: Lone rangers, doubles and trail runners
Need to know: Nuclear Fit is inspired by strongman training – with a twist. The two-hour event blends strength and endurance via six 1K trail runs, plus a functional training exercise between each. It’s a true test of strength, agility, and stamina – but you’ll be so busy with carries and tyre flips that it will (almost) take your mind off the intensity.
Sign up: Brentwood, 19 July. Visit nuclearfit.co.uk for more events
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As Women’s Health UK’s fitness director (and a qualified yoga teacher), Bridie Wilkins has been passionately reporting on exercise, health and nutrition since the start of her decade-long career in journalism. She secured her first role at Look Magazine, where her obsession with fitness began and she launched the magazine’s health and fitness column, Look Fit, before going on to become Health and Fitness writer at HELLO!. Since, she has written for Stylist, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Elle, The Metro, Runner’s World and Red.
Now, she oversees all fitness content across womenshealthmag.com.uk and the print magazine, spearheading leading cross-platform franchises, such as ‘Fit At Any Age’, where we showcase the women proving that age is no barrier to exercise. She has also represented the brand on BBC Radio London, plus various podcasts and Substacks – all with the aim to encourage more women to exercise and show them how.
Outside of work, find her trying the latest Pilates studio, testing her VO2 max for fun (TY, Oura), or posting workouts on Instagram.
Kate is a fitness writer for Men’s Health UK where she contributes regular workouts, training tips and nutrition guides. She has a post graduate diploma in Sports Performance Nutrition and before joining Men’s Health she was a nutritionist, fitness writer and personal trainer with over 5k hours coaching on the gym floor. Kate has a keen interest in volunteering for animal shelters and when she isn’t lifting weights in her garden, she can be found walking her rescue dog.
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