The Sport of Fitness: An Introduction to Fitness Racing
Fitness racing is a sport built on the simple idea of taking basic resistance and cardio exercises and putting them into a race format. Competitors run, lift, carry, push, pull, row, ski and repeat, all in a fixed, standardised format; we call it fixed-format fitness racing. The tasks are known. The distances are measured. The weights are set. Performance is decided by how hard you push yourself, how efficiently you move, and how well you manage fatigue.
CrossFit, obstacle course racing, triathlons, or even standard running events like the marathon could all be called a “fitness race,” but when I say fitness racing, I am referring to the fixed-format styles; the style that feels like a conventional running race with a start and finish line, but with exercise stations throughout. These exercise stations might be back-to-back resistance exercises with no running included, but the most iconic model, which was pioneered by Hyrox in 2017, is the run-exercise-run model. This was compounded by Spartan Deka Fit in 2020 and has been brought to dozens of countries and hundreds of athletics tracks and gyms worldwide by the Deadly Dozen, which started in 2024.
Of course, CrossFit can include all the above. However, it prides itself on constant variation and often incorporates greater complexity through barbell Olympic lifts and a wide range of gymnastic movements. That is not a criticism of CrossFit. In fact, the variety and complexity are part of what make it so appealing to millions of people worldwide. CrossFitters are truly some of the most impressive athletes in the world.
Where fitness racing differs from CrossFit is in the fixed-format; it follows a standardized structure and lowers the technical and strength barriers to entry. It is designed to be accessible to as many people as possible. You do not need to be highly skilled or exceptionally strong; you simply need to be fit enough to finish. An elite athlete may finish a race in forty minutes, while a novice may take ninety minutes.
Fitness racing rewards the hybrid athlete. The competitor who can run well, lift competently, recover quickly, and stay composed when breathing is heavy and muscles are fatigued. It favours the prepared generalist over the pure specialist. A great runner with poor strength will struggle, but so will a strong athlete with a poor engine.
It’s become fashionable to criticize the “jack of all trades, master of none.” But for most people, being capable across a range of skills is not only more useful, but far more engaging, and for the most part, probably a lot healthier too.
Jason Curtis
