I came across this HYROX poop tweet recently.
An athlete lost control of her bowl during the race and continued, completed at the end. The body doing that wasn’t strange. Most of the athlete could relate to this induced GI distress/runner’s diarrhea. I too have experienced in the initial days of running (I am not a pro). It differs for people when they cross their threshold.
What bothered me was the finish line. At what point does finishing becomes something more important rather than the reason of beginning it?
HYROX is all about the fitness. You have to run, push, pull, carry, jump, lift and finish. There is this rank list, time and you can compare it with other people. This helps us to improve better, identify the weakness and issues. Yet, somewhere in the middle, improving fitness become proving fitness? Does it ? Maybe to others or to oneself? I still can’t comprehend what was in the athlete mind!
HYROX makes money through race entries, tickets, sponsorships, merchandise and its network of affiliated training gyms. Globally, the scale is huge and enormous. It had reported about 1.4 million participants in 2025-26. It is projected to generate around $270 million in revenue in 2026. It is recently acquired by an L Catterton-led consortium valued the company at roughly 600 million euros.
Maybe more of a business built around fitness behavior? An Identity that comes with a prize ? This can be motivating and there is something to prepare for.
But on the flip side, what happens when the body says No, because of an injury or something? Does the brain listen or will it be too narrowed to complete the finish line? This is where I am still trying to understand the brain behind it. The psychology behind it. What makes the finishing louder than body’s signal to stop?
All these begins with the focus/goal of having a healthier body. Maybe this is the paradox. I don’t think HYROX is wrong. But, I think the problem arises when the sentences changes from I want to see what my body is capable of to I need to prove what my body is capable of. The former is curiosity and the latter is a demand. I am not sure whether body does well with demands.
Recovery does matter. That’s the actual proof that you were listening to body whole time.
Your thoughts?
Cheers!
Check out the previous post: Can we tell whether is AI or not? & The Left Column
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