HYROX World Championship Qualification is taking centre stage with a bold new shift in competition rules for the 2025/26 season.
HYROX, known worldwide as The World Series of Fitness Racing, has declared that from next season onward, athletes hoping to secure a spot at the World Championships must compete in the Pro division.
This change underscores the rapidly growing calibre of participants, who now top 650,000 racers globally—and are projected to exceed one million in 2026.
Gone are the days when Open racers could punch their ticket to the World Championships, as HYROX tightens the focus on top-tier performances.
Beginning at HYROX Singapore on 28th June 2025, the only athletes eligible to earn a qualification spot will be those taking on the Pro division, apart from the 60+ age category, which remains exempt.
The World Championships have always drawn the sport’s finest contenders, and these updated rules look to elevate the stage even further.
Current data suggests finish times have been steadily improving, pushing organizers to refresh the qualification system in response to surging talent levels.
Yet, for those chasing a title in the Open division, there’s still room to aim high: Participants at the HYROX Open Championships—vying for European, US, or Asian-Pacific honours—will receive dedicated Worlds qualification slots, proportionate to the demand in each age group.
Moritz Fürste, Co-Founder at HYROX, says, “HYROX continues to grow, we will have over one million athletes racing globally in 2026 which is incredible.
Naturally with this, the standard consistently becomes higher – evident from some of the finish times at recent HYROX events – these updates to the World Qualification system reflect this growth.
While HYROX is still a sport for everybody, this change is simply to manage the huge demand for spots and ensure that the HYROX World Championships continue to bring together the best HYROX athletes in the world.”
To accommodate competitors already signed up in Open for the 2025/26 season, HYROX is offering a free upgrade to the Pro category.
Those who qualify at events in Bangkok, Rimini, NYC, Cardiff, or Riga can choose to compete at the 2025 HYROX Chicago World Championships—or defer that prized slot until 2026, with the host city for that event set to be revealed in Chicago.
All told, HYROX’s adjustment to the HYROX World Championship Qualification system signals a new era—one built around the highest standard of athletic performance and a passion for competition that refuses to be contained.
Aspiring athletes would do well to lace up those trainers, head for the Pro division, and stake their claim among the world’s fittest on the HYROX stage.
