Carla Mercurio has been doing CrossFit for 15 years and coaches at CrossFit Medford in Medford, NJ. She’s signed up to participate in her first HYROX race on June 4th, and ready to prove that HYROX and CrossFit are the perfect pair.

HYROX is taking the fitness world by storm right now. The “world series of fitness racing” sells out its global events in minutes. And more athletes are expected to race HYROX this year than all other marathons combined.

It’s time for gym owners to take note, and capitalize on the HYROX hype to generate new leads while increasing revenue and retention.

Mercurio is also the Manager of Account Management at Wodify. By talking about what made her sign up for her first HYROX race and sharing her insights, she’s aiming to help gym owners who might be ready to explore the HYROX and CrossFit connection.

Why HYROX and CrossFit Are a Natural Fit

Mercurio didn’t seek out HYROX races because she was bored with CrossFit. She had seen a few highlights on Instagram, and when a friend tried a HYROX class at another gym, it piqued her interest. She decided to start training and sign up for a race.

A few things Mercurio was not expecting:

• She was number 1,200 in the virtual waiting room to sign up for the HYROX event
• Instead of feeling like she was embarking on a whole new fitness journey, she was surprised by how familiar the training felt

“I was a little surprised when I started the training because there was so much correlation from HYROX and CrossFit,” said Mercurio. “At least with the programming here at CrossFit Medford. The wall balls, the lunges, the farmer’s carry, skis, rowing. That all felt like, okay, we can do this. We just have to get better at it.”

As a gym owner, that should make you take note. Your athletes are already doing most of the movements and skills needed for HYROX. Plus, some of the equipment is already in your gym, so there’s significant overlap.

What HYROX adds is a specific format, race-day experience, and a community that’s growing at an exponential rate. Your members are probably already curious about it, even if they haven’t spoken up yet.

​Why CrossFit Athletes Love the New HYROX Challenge

Mercurio has a full-time job and a coaching role. She also has two kids, a husband, a dog, a cat, and chickens. She’s done marathons and Ragnar races, and trains at 5:00am because that’s the only time she can get it done.

So, why would she—and thousands of athletes like her—also choose to train for HYROX?

Mercurio said she’s not chasing podiums. She’s racing HYROX in June because she just likes “checking things off.” She noted that she’s nervous about the sled push. The important thing is that she’s probably representative of your average member. She’s set a goal that’s given her something to train for.

“I’m not really trying for any specific time,” she said. “I just want to check one more thing off my bucket list and say I did it.”

Pro Tip: Your gym has the opportunity to be that training place for athletes in your area, and they’re already searching for “HYROX gyms near me.” Use the SEO Cheat Sheet for Fitness Business Owners to help them find you!

Start With the HYROX Basics

If your members haven’t asked about HYROX yet, that doesn’t mean they’re not interested. Mercurio explained that they just might not yet know what it’s all about.

“Your athletes might not be asking for it because they might not even understand what it is,” she said. “I would help them understand and gauge what the interest is. Because it feels like you already have all the equipment. It’s kind of a no-brainer to just take that step, introduce some classes, and see what the interest is.”

Mercurio also mentioned that the cost to become a HYROX Affiliate is lower than most gym owners assume, especially for those that already have a CrossFit affiliation.

The Missing Link

While Mercurio is confident that CrossFit training prepares you well for HYROX competition, the one thing that doesn’t translate automatically is running.

“You’ve got to run more,” she said. “We don’t run that much at CrossFit Medford. Running around the building 400 meters is probably the extent of it. In a day, maybe we’ll do a workout that totals a mile of running. But you really need to be prepared for all the runs in between the stations. And just being able to continue to move through the workout with that really, really elevated heart rate.”

What that means for affiliate owners is a special focus on gym programming. Your members will be familiar with movements like wall balls and lunging, but sustained running under fatigue might be new to them. You may also want to consider education and focus on HYROX heart rate zone training as well.

What HYROX and CrossFit Can Do For Your Gym

HYROX continues to gain traction in gyms all over the world, and there’s a perfect crossover between HYROX and CrossFit. This puts you in the unique position to attract new members, increase revenue, and boost retention numbers.

The great news is that you don’t have to overhaul your weekly programming or make HYROX the central focus of your fitness business. And you probably have some of the equipment already. So ignoring the hype could be costly for your bottom line.

As Mercurio explained, it’s worth providing some info, introducing some classes or at least finding out what interest looks like. These are all low-risk ways to find out if the HYROX and CrossFit pairing is right for your gym.