Hyrox and World Triathlon Partnership Sparks Olympic Dreams and Athlete Fears

When World Triathlon announced its partnership with Hyrox last week, many athletes learned the news not through official channels but via social media. The fitness racing phenomenon, which combines running with functional workout stations, is now a recognised discipline within World Triathlon. This development opens the door for Hyrox to potentially join the Olympic and Paralympic Games, but it has also ignited concerns among triathletes who fear their sport could be sidelined.

A Surprise Announcement

British triathlete Max Stapley was having dinner with friends when his phone buzzed with the news. "I was like, hold on a minute, what's this?" he told BBC Sport from a training camp in Thailand. "We don't even get an early notification, we found out on Instagram." The post declared: "Hyrox x World Triathlon are officially introducing 'Hybrid Racing' as a new discipline within the World Triathlon family."

Sophie Evans, a Commonwealth Games gold medallist in the mixed relay, echoed the sentiment: "I'm not actually against it being part of World Triathlon. It's more the fact we were blindsided, it's just like it's here."

Stapley accused World Triathlon of disregarding its athletes. "They have no respect for us," he said. "They don't even contact us like 'hey, do you guys actually care about this, or what do you think?'"

In response, a World Triathlon spokesperson told BBC Sport that the Executive Board, which includes athlete representatives, approved the partnership. "Athlete representatives are involved in every executive board discussion, and their voice is always heard," the spokesperson said. "The announcement was communicated through the same procedures followed for all World Triathlon releases."

Benefits and Concerns

World Triathlon insists the partnership will "benefit the entire World Triathlon movement," offering new opportunities to engage athletes and audiences and a stronger platform to grow triathlon and multisport from grassroots to elite levels.

European champion Roksana Slupek of Poland said she was "not against the idea" but wanted more information. "What's the benefit for us, for triathlon? It's nothing against Hyrox," she said.

However, Stapley views the move as an "attack on our whole existence" and worries that World Triathlon might divert attention and resources toward Hyrox's Olympic ambitions at the expense of triathlon. "How does Hyrox grow triathlon? If anything they've killed triathlon," he said. He also suggested that sponsors might prefer to back Hyrox athletes early in case they appear at an Olympics. "Sponsorships have reduced because there's no visibility on TV, you have to pay to watch us," he added. "We are triathletes that do the short distance, which is the Olympic distance, and we've trained all our lives for it. There's no swimming, there's no biking, it's indoors. [Hyrox] has got nothing to do [with triathlon]."

He continued: "It seems like our sport's gone, 'no worries, come along, use our structure, use our access to the International Olympic Committee, and perhaps take our space'. We've got an opportunity to win medals in Los Angeles [at the 2028 Olympics], but will we have it further down the track?"

Evans noted that while triathlon is an established Olympic sport with high-quality racing since its introduction in 2000, the new partnership introduces "a level of uncertainty." She added: "A lot of the resistance has come from athletes, because you don't know."

World Triathlon told BBC Sport it is continuing to "increase its focus and involvement in the Olympic and Paralympic families" and is in the "planning phase" for Brisbane 2032, adding that "triathlon is, and will remain, at the heart of everything we do."

Seeking Clarity

Sam Dickinson, who won Olympic triathlon bronze in Paris as part of Team GB's relay quartet, sees the logic but wants more details. "It's trying to get people active not from an elite side but from a participation side," he told BBC Sport. "So in that sense it does make sense that as a multi-sport it comes under the World Triathlon umbrella. But it's early days, we don't have any of the bread and butter of exactly what's going on."

That lack of clarity has fuelled speculation about the future. World Triathlon already oversees other disciplines such as aquathlon and duathlon. BBC Sport has been told that 'Fitness Racing' was first included as a discipline in the World Triathlon Constitution in October 2025, a move supported by the majority of the governing body's National Federations. A World Triathlon spokesperson added that the partnership provides opportunities to "reach new audiences" through global collaborations.

Founded in 2017, Hyrox's popularity has soared. A total of 1.5 million athletes took part in the 2025/26 season, up from 650,000 the previous year, with participation projected to exceed 2 million in the current season.

British Triathlon, a national federation under World Triathlon, told BBC Sport it recognises "World Triathlon's work to grow, develop and strengthen the sport of triathlon, multi-sport and its community," but is awaiting the "full operational, governance and commercial framework" of the partnership.

As the triathlon world grapples with this seismic shift, athletes and officials alike are left wondering: will this partnership elevate both sports, or will it spell the end for triathlon as we know it?