Inside Alexander Rončević's hunt for the HYROX world title

Alexander Rončević: I’ll start out fast, as I always do. SkiErg and Sled Push are my best stations and where I feel comfortable. I feel good about creating a small lead after these stations and I’ll see who is able to keep up. From there, I’ll strategically build my race. If someone catches me, I’ll aim to recover and push again at the next station and see where I can hurt the opponent a little. But from the beginning, it’s always about feeling. I don’t wear a watch during the race, I just see how I’m feeling on the day. I push hard and make sure that I’m in the moment.

We've become very good friends and get along well outside of racing, too. We also get along pretty well at the venue, on the race track. When we're in the starting tunnel, everyone does their own thing. It's less about competition, although in the end, it is a competition. We don't fight on the track. Whoever has the better day and crosses the finish line first, they get congratulated. Then we move on. There's nothing personal there that we're settling. Of course, you're also disappointed if you don't win, but there's a reason why, and you should congratulate your opponent, especially if it's a friend.

Of course you feel it. I’m not getting any younger. The next day, you've got sore muscles all over but you know in your head that you have to race again. Adrenaline definitely helps with that. A good warm-up always helps, too. And it's always good to know that Tim is your partner, as when things get tough, we can push each other and get through it. You're never completely fresh. Singles are our main focus, and doubles are a bonus. We're probably racing together for the last time now because of the new rules – so of course we want to finish the season on a high note.

It's always something special when the best in the world are there, not just in the Elite category, but also in the age groups. My whole family, friends, and girlfriend are coming along. It's definitely going to be amazing and I’m sure there will be some really great, high-level racing.

As a person, I'm the same as before. However, my life as an athlete has changed a lot. I used to do it as a hobby, now I earn my living from it. It's become much more professional for me. I have coaches, I pay a bit more attention to nutrition, recovery, and things like that. But purely as a person and in terms of character, not much has changed.

Tim will be running with Jannick Czapla in the Elite category so I'll probably focus on singles races for now. If something comes up, like occasionally running in a regular pro race to break a world record or something, we could team up. I've got plenty to do next year as it is. My body will thank me for not having to race two or three times every year.