Stepping into the halls that hosted the Cigna Healthcare Hyrox Hong Kong 2026 races over May 8-10, immediately showed how far the competition has come since the city first hosted the event in 2022.

Family members, partners, friends, colleagues and more took to the spectator zones beside the track and event zones to lend their support. The race itself comprises eight different workouts – from sled pushes and pulls to rows, wall balls and more – each separated by a 1km run. Racers compete across a wide variety of teams, from solos duos and relay teams in single- or mixed-gender formats. Many were in costume – from their own athleisure apparel to characters from franchises like Dragon Ball – and held signage, cheering on their favourite racers.

For some, these racers also include celebrity teams like the men’s relay team of Atsushi Arai, Yuya Shozui, Yoshio Itoi and Takashi Kurihara. They are known for their appearance on Netflix’s Final Draft, a Japanese fitness survival show pitting former Japanese professional athletes against one another. The foursome gave it their all as they finished their race at 1:00:25. Arai, drenched in sweat, collapsed on the floor shortly after in part-exhaustion, part-exhilaration.

When we asked them for advice for those looking to join the competition, Arai and Itoi humbly reflected on their own experience. “The relay event already consists of a wide variety of participants [and] the structure itself is easy to start and participate in,” said Arai.

For Itoi, support was everything: “Because we were a team of friends, our teamwork was exceptional.”

Creating an environment that is accessible and enjoyable for spectators is part of the formula that sets this apart from other fitness events. Hyrox took things to the next level this year with the inclusion of a new highlight besides the race itself: a separate hall called Hyrox House.

Between races, competitors and their communities could take on Hong Kong-themed game zones like a dim sum sled push, a cha chaan teng dish dash, and a dragon boat row-off. Hyrox House also included booths from locally known F&B vendors such as Draftland, Honbo and more, while a rotating line-up of local DJs made sure energy levels stayed high.