The number of finishers at London Hyrox has risen by nearly fiftyfold since the inaugural event, official Hyrox data suggests.
Since 2021, the participation figures at London’s edition of the World Series of Fitness Racing has risen exponentially, aside from a single decline in May last year.
The continued growth of the fitness race, which combines running with eight functional workout stations, has seen their most recent London ExCeL event become the largest in the sport’s history.
Held between December 4–7 2025, the event recorded 21,823 finishers across 14 categories, according to Hyresults official figures.
This was nearly triple the previous London event and a 4,700% rise compared with Hyrox’s first appearance in the capital.
Speaking to Endurance.biz ahead of that day, Moritz Fürste, Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer at Hyrox, said: “Hyrox London is a landmark moment for us. To see what Hyrox has become today is truly incredible.
“The UK community has been a driving force for our growth, and this year’s expansion is another step toward realising our long-term vision.”
The Londoners spoke with Grant King, a coach at MF London Hyrox Gym, who sent more than 60 people to Hyrox London 2025.
The 39-year-old highlighted the accessibility of all Hyrox movements and exercises, as well as their positive impact on the long-term health of participants, as the key factors driving the rapid growth of the sport in the capital.
He said: “With a marathon, if you can’t run more than 5K, there’s no chance, you have to train properly. With Hyrox, as long as you’re generally fit and healthy, you can do it.
“You can do a couple of sessions at a gym like ours, learn the movements, and you’ll be fine. Even if it takes you three hours, you can still complete it.
“If you go to a Hyrox event, you’ll see people doing it in wheelchairs or people doing it on one leg.”
King revealed that people now look more towards improving overall fitness and endurance rather than simply lifting for appearance purposes, which makes race competitors and finisher numbers surge.
He said: “Now people are thinking more about the future rather than just lifting heavy and looking good in the mirror. They’re thinking about longevity. Hyrox does that really well.
“You’re thinking about running and moving, it’s about sustaining an hour, or an hour and a half, of good movement.
“People are focusing more on being fitter, leaner, and more athletic, rather than just big muscular builds.”
Men’s and women’s team events have grown in demand at Hyrox London, with doubles being the most popular and attracting most participants.
In 2021, women’s team event finishers accounted for only 8.6% of the total finishers, but by 2025 that number has risen to 19.2%, after a small drop-off from the peak figure of 21.3% in May 2024.
Men’s team events show a similar trend, with an all-time high figure of 21% of all finishers in Hyrox London’s latest edition.
King added: “Team events are becoming more favourable. On your own, it’s a lonely place to be for an hour. It’s hard work, very hard work.
“A lot of people do like individuals, but they’re generally the ones who really want to push themselves.
“Together as a partnership, it’s a bit more relaxed, and you get that rest every now and again.”
Even so, men’s individual events have continued to dominate in its total share, making up 30% of total finishers in the latest.
Though this is significantly less than the 45% from 2021, all of this decline took place before 2024, and since then the gender imbalance at London Hyrox has been maintained, with men’s individual events staying around the 30% mark.
On the contrary, women’s individual events made up 16% of the total finisher numbers in the recent edition, which is exactly four percent less than 2021, and nearly half the amount of the men’s individual category in the same Hyrox.
Lewys is a member of MF London preparing for his Hyrox London debut at the upcoming event in March and believes male-focused online content drives the disproportion.
The 37-year-old said: “A lot of the social media posts you see are quite male-heavy, and the messaging is very male-dominant.
“You don’t get that diversity if your messaging is all about achievement, growth, and hyping everyone up. That’s not always female-friendly.
“Women tend not to do something unless they believe they can achieve it 100%, whereas men are more likely to think, ‘Why not, I’ll give it a go.’
“If that could be addressed, you’d see more female participation.”
Nicoletta, a Hyrox London enthusiast with experience from London ExCeL, echoed his words.
The 49-year-old said: “I think there is a lot of fear among women about not being able to perform, and females are a little less likely to go for it.
“The feeling is that we are not strong enough. My friend got completely scared; she couldn’t even talk about it.
“The fact that you can do doubles with females is a good way to start.”
Mixed events, including doubles and relays, also remain an option at Hyrox London, but have been the least popular in the last seven editions, as women are forced to deal with men’s weights through the event.
Hyrox will return to the capital in March as Olympia Venue prepares to host the next chapter of the competition.
There is huge optimism for this fitness movement in the UK and beyond, with some thinking it may grow all the way to the Olympic level.
At London ExCeL 2025, nearly a fifth of all contestants in singles and doubles combined, for both men and women, competed in the pro division.
The women were slightly in the lead for this metric, with 15.3% of all women competing pro, compared to 13.7% of all men.
King added: “The gap, weight-wise and division-wise, from everyday to pro isn’t huge.
“It’s only really on the push and pull where the weight increases, and the wall balls increase by three kilos, as well as the kettlebells and lunges.
“People go to Hyrox for different reasons. Some are trying to qualify for the World Championships, and some people are just going there to have fun.”
The upcoming London Hyrox next month will see the introduction of Hyrox Youngsters specifically designed for teenagers and children, and will mark a new chapter in the growth of the fitness movement in London.
Featured Image Credit: Photo by Mathieu Improvisato on Unsplash
Join the discussion