Fitness
The top 10 HYROX athletes to watch this season
It's been the most explosive season yet - with fierce rivalries evolving and new challengers breaking onto the scene on the Elite 15 field. Who are the top HYROX athletes making noise this year?
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Some came from swimming pools, others from track lanes or obstacle courses. Now they’re all here, racing HYROX – a deceptively simple yet brutal mix of running and functional workouts (sled pushes, rowing, wall balls). What began as a small German fitness event has grown into a global series of standardised races across five continents.
Each season, thousands sign up, but only the top 15 men and 15 women make the cut to join the Elite 15. Those qualifiers then face off at four HYROX Majors, in Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Glasgow and Las Vegas – before battling for the ultimate crown at the World Championship in Chicago this June.
This season, the stakes are higher than ever, with new names crashing into the leaderboard, veterans defending legacies and unexpected twists at every race.
Here are the top 5 men and women to watch in the world of HYROX in 2025.
Men's Elite 15: the frontline of fitness
Alexander Roncevic – the quiet king of consistency
Alexander Roncevic in action
© Brian Ching See Wing / Red Bull Content Pool
With a time of 54:07 the Austrian powerhouse and current HYROX World Champion isn’t just fast – he’s methodical. Roncevic opened the 2024/25 season with a thunderous win at the HYROX Amsterdam Major, but his season has since been one of strategic pivots. With a 6th place finish in Hong Kong and a European Open title in Vienna, he’s now laser-focused on defending his world title in Chicago. Before HYROX, he was a competitive swimmer – logging 80–100km in the pool each week, more than the 50km per week he now runs. The elementary school teacher from Vienna is known as the nicest guy you’ll meet off the course; on it, he’s an ice‑cold competitor who never loses his cool. “I am going out hard,” he says, “no matter if I am tired or in my best shape, I always want to win.”
James “JK” Kelly – the Aussie assassin
James Kelly dominated this season
© Brian Ching See Wing / Red Bull Content Pool
“Us Aussies are just getting started,” declared James Kelly after dominating the HYROX Hong Kong Major, a race where he left top names like Tim Wenisch and Hunter McIntyre in the dust. With a PB of 53:22 from Glasgow 2025, JK is the laid-back, sun-soaked Aussie with the soul of a lion. His edge? “I do the simple things really well", he claims, so he is "ready to hunt down when the timing is right.” Don’t be fooled by his smile, behind it is an ultra-focused machine who lives to win.
Hunter McIntyre – the underdog G.O.A.T.
Pros like Hunter McIntyre compete at the very top of HYROX, chasing titles
© Baptiste Fauchille/Red Bull Content Pool
He’s the world record holder (53:22), a three-time world champ and the man who made HYROX what it is today. The 2025 season has been rough for Hunter McIntyre, with his “worst finish in my career” in Glasgow (8th place), he's looking to find the fire again. Still, underestimate the American legend at your peril. He’s been here before. He’s tough as nails. And when Hunter races, the atmosphere crackles.
Jake Dearden – the marathon machine
Jake Dearden on the sled pull
© Baptiste Fauchille/Red Bull Content Pool
Hailing from Manchester, Jake Dearden is the hybrid athlete redefining the game. With a marathon PB of 2:28 and a HYROX best of 55:43 (Glasgow 2025), he’s built on grit and routine. After a tough pullout in Amsterdam and missing Hong Kong, Dearden rebounded in Las Vegas, finishing 5th and narrowly missing his World Championship ticket.
He came back strong at the next Major in Glasgow on home turf and finally punched his ticket for the World Championship in Chicago. “Amsterdam was humbling,” he admits looking back at the start of his first season in the Elite 15. But following rehab at the Athlete Performance Center, a special training hub for Red Bull athletes in Salzburg, where he did biomechanical testing, he’s now stronger than ever – and hungrier.
Scott Dylan – the dark horse with a lion’s heart
Dylan Scott making moves at the sled push
© HYROX / Red Bull Content Pool
“Don’t ever give up on me, that’s the biggest mistake you’ll ever make.” That’s Scott Dylan’s mantra – and after winning the Las Vegas Major 2025 with a 56:14, the message is loud and clear. After a crushing last-place finish at the Amsterdam Major, Dylan rebounded with raw determination and shocked the field. The American may not always be on the radar, but he thrives when counted out.
Women's Elite 15: Power. Grit. Dominance.
Lauren Weeks – the icon with a target on her back
Lauren Weeks was already on winning form in Amsterdam
© Joerg Mitter/Red Bull Content Pool
With more wins than any athlete in HYROX history and a world record of 56:22, Lauren Weeks is pure legacy. From racing seven months pregnant to now being cheered on by her daughter, her journey is nothing short of legendary. But as she said: “You really have to be on your game, there is very little room for mistakes.” After a surprise loss to rising star Joana Wietrzyk in Hong Kong, Weeks is sharpening her edge for the World Championship showdown.
Megan Jacoby – the coach, the champion, the threat
Megan Jacoby dominated the Women's class
© Baptiste Fauchille/Red Bull Content Pool
She’s the reigning HYROX World Champion, and with a PB of 58:43 from Amsterdam HYROX, Megan Jacoby is one of the most powerful athletes in the game. A former NCAA track athlete, she’s got speed in her DNA – and now passes her wisdom on as a coach to UK rising star Lucy Procter. Her rivalry with Lauren Weeks has defined the sport’s past seasons, and in 2025 all eyes are on whether Jacoby will defend her crown once again.
Joana Wietrzyk – the meteor from down under
22-year-old Joanna Wietrzyk made a big impression on her Elite 15 debut
© Joerg Mitter/Red Bull Content Pool
In just three months, Joana Wietrzyk went from rookie to racing royalty. A former aspiring tennis pro, the 22-year-old Australian stunned the world by placing 3rd in her debut (Amsterdam 2024) and has since clocked a blistering PB of 56:48 (Glasgow), faster than the previous world record. Her Hong Kong Major win over Weeks proved one thing: she’s not chasing anymore – she’s being chased.
Ida Mathilde Steensgaard – the obstacle queen finds new ground
Ida Mathilde Steensgaard pushed her way into the Elite 15
© Brian Ching See Wing / Red Bull Content Pool
A double world champion in 3K Obstacle Course Racing (OCR), Ida Mathilde Steensgaard is no stranger to grit. She went viral building the world’s toughest playground and now brings that fire to HYROX. With a best finish of 4th in Hong Kong (62:45.57), the 33-year-old Danish environmental engineer is just getting started. In 2022, she competed in HYROX for the first time and was hooked – the hybrid fitness race format pushing her mentally and physically like never before. "There are some similarities between obstacle racing and HYROX, but there are also a lot of differences. I knew that if I wanted to be competitive in this sport, I had to go all-in and focus on it," she says. Calm, intense, and deeply competitive – her journey from mud to machines is one to watch.
Lucy Procter – the protégé with London grit
Lucy Procter made her Elite 15 debut in 2025
© HYROX/Red Bull Content Pool
Two years ago, Lucy Procter had never heard of HYROX. Now? She’s posting a PB of 60:57.46 (Glasgow Major 2025) and climbing the Elite 15 ladder. Under the wing of her coach, nobody less than world champion Megan Jacoby, Procter has gone from age group winner in 2024 to full-fledged HYROX pro. “It was a big risk,” she says of switching from running and hitting up the gym occasionally to HYROX elite. "But I knew this was it.” With consistent top-6 finishes and a laser focus, Lucy is the future – and it’s arriving fast. "I've always been more of an endurance athlete, which really goes well with HYROX – and HYROX is where I belong."
HYROX World Championships - behind the grind
The 2025 season has been wild and with the HYROX World Championship in Chicago looming large, the only guarantee is chaos, sweat, and greatness. Veterans like McIntyre and Weeks are looking to reclaim glory. Rising stars like Wietrzyk and Kelly are rewriting the rules. And somewhere in the middle, the next big shock is waiting to happen.
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Beyond the ROX
Follow the demanding off-season journey that prepares athletes to become one of HYROX’s elite competitors in the ultimate fitness race.
Catch up on all the season's action leading to the big race in a brand-new HYROX series Beyond the ROX, now on Red Bull TV.
What is HYROX?
HYROX pro Jake Dearden puts in work at the gym
© Markus Rohrbacher / Red Bull Content Pool
HYROX isn’t just another test of fitness. It’s a structured grind: eight rounds of 1km running, each followed by a functional workout station. Ski erg, Sled push, Sled pull, Burpee broad jumps, Rowing, Farmers carry, Lunges and finally Wall balls. It’s a format that demands balanced athleticism, where pure speed isn’t enough, and raw power needs to last.
The standardised format ensures each race is identical, providing a level playing field for all competitors.
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