Hyrox is one of the world's fastest growing sports, can cycling learn from its success?

Hyrox is a fitness phenomenon that has seen rapid growth in popularity over the past three years, as participation in traditional road cycling events has declined. Despite being a relatively new sport, Hyrox has managed to attract a diverse group of participants, with 38% of competitors being women and two-thirds being 30 or older.

The sport's unique format, which combines 1km runs with strength-focused circuit training and a combination of eight stations, has attracted massive attention. Rapidly growing participation in Hyrox has led to more gyms offering equipment to cater to the sport, which is based around community culture and clubs. The sport's visually-oriented nature has also made it a hit on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, whereas cycling struggles to compete in this visual aspect.

The decline in club membership and race participation in traditional cycling might be due to the fact that people are now participating in cycling in different ways, such as gravel riding, which is growing fast. While the exact numbers are hard to measure, overall, the cycling community appears to be more active, but not necessarily in a traditional club-based or racing manner.