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Alexander Rončević dips below 52-minute barrier at HYROX Warsaw
Austrian HYROX Elite 15 pro Alexander Rončević makes history in Poland and becomes the first athlete to finish under 52 minutes.
Alexander Rončević didn’t just win in Warsaw, he reset what’s possible in HYROX, breaking the 52-minute barrier for the first time.
The 33-year old Austrian clocked 51m 59.37s, becoming the first athlete ever to break the 52-minute barrier in HYROX, slicing nearly 45 seconds off the previous world record and reinforcing his status as the man to beat ahead of June’s World Championships in Stockholm, Sweden.
“Obviously it’s nice to have it back,” Rončević said in a post-race interview. He had opened the season with a world record of 53m 15s in Hamburg, before losing it just weeks ago to Hidde Weersma of the Netherlands in London. In Warsaw, he reclaimed it, this time setting a completely new benchmark for the sport.
He brushed it off, as usual: “When I come to a Major, I just go for the win. I don’t care about the time that much, but for sure, it is nice.”
When I come to a Major, I just go for the win. I don’t care about the time
HYROX Major Warsaw: A hot pace from the start – and no room for error
Warsaw, the last Major of the season, was fast from the start. England’s Luke Greer opened with a committed early pace across the field, but Rončević stayed composed, sitting just behind while already opening a gap to Germany’s Tim Wenisch, the reigning world champion who ultimately finished fourth. By the SkiErg, Rončević had settled into position, exiting just ahead of Wenisch as the two began to separate from the field.
From there, the race evolved into a rotating duel. Rončević controlled the sled push and sled pull phases, consistently among the fastest, but never fully breaking away. Denmark’s Sebastian Ifversen, one of the sport’s rising names, applied pressure, even edging ahead during the burpee broad jumps.
HYROX newcomer Ifversen challenges Rončević and pushes him to new heights
At the halfway mark, it seemed as if it was still anyone’s race. Rončević and Ifversen went stroke-for-stroke on the rower before the Austrian edged ahead. From that point, he began to stretch the field. The farmer’s carry created visible separation, and although he was just off world record pace, Rončević knew the opportunity was there.
“I saw that a 52 is possible and pushed a little bit more at the end,” he revealed after the race.
Wall Balls are the final boss of any HYROX race
© Alex Trobough/Red Bull Content Pool
That final push came exactly where you’d expect from him on the final run and the wall balls. His wall ball split of 3m 29s was the fastest in the field, and it came with competitors closing in behind him. Where others tend to crack, Rončević held it together.
Iversen finished third in 53m 17s behind Dylan Scott from the US in 52m 40s (a time that would also have been a new world record without Rončević's performance on the night). Wenisch, Rončević's Elite 15 Doubles partner and current world champion, crossed in fourth at 53m 18s. The margins were tight, but in the end nobody could follow Rončević's pace.
“It’s crazy,” Rončević said of the rising competition. “We are eight, nine years into the sport – and the young ones keep coming and getting faster and faster. Congrats to him [Ifversen] for qualifying for Worlds. It’s going to be a great battle there.”
We are eight, nine years into the sport – and the young ones keep coming and getting faster and faster
More inspiration for your HYROX journey
His seventh World Championship, and Rončević is in the shape of his life
Rončević has been on a strong run this season. He opened 2025–26 in Hamburg with a then-world record of 53m 15s, before teaming up with Wenisch to set a Men’s Pro Doubles world record (47m 40s) at the European Championships in London. Warsaw is his third record performance in under a year.
He credits a more structured set-up behind the scenes: “I have two coaches now, one for running and one for strength and HYROX conditioning. I feel like I’m on another level than last season," he revealed. His HYROX coach, Tiago Lousa, has also spoken about the approach behind that progression, sharing training principles aimed at building HYROX-specific durability.
A former swimmer from Vienna, Rončević has established himself as one of HYROX’s most complete athletes. Next up is Stockholm, where the World Championships and Elite 15 final take place in June.
“It’s going to be my seventh World Championship. I’m going to go as hard as possible, enjoy it, and try to bring back the title.”
