We recently got to chat with HYROX to gain clarity on the qualification process for age group athletes looking to race at the 2024/25 HYROX World Championships. The process for the Elite 15 was announced some weeks ago here.Â
As some background, the sport debuted in Germany in 2017, with the first race hosting 700 athletes. This grew steadily to approximately 175,000 athletes in the 2023/24 season. The 2024/25 is expected to see continued rapid growth with circa 500,000 athletes expected to compete, across 85 events, during the season. Events are now being held all over the world with with new races having been announced in Canada, Cape Town and Brisbane to name just a few.Â
World Championship Places Remain Unchanged
Despite the growth of the sport, there will still be circa. 5,000 places available at the 2024/25 World Championship (date and location still TBD). With approximately 500,000 athletes competing during the season, this means that 1% of competitors will qualify for the World Championships. However, there will be limits by location; just because one event is twice as large as another, that does not mean there will be double the number of qualifying spots. Therefore larger events may see less than 1% of athletes qualifying.
Pro Division Prioritised
At the World Championships, all age groups under the age of 60 will use the Pro weights. Therefore prioritisation is being given to Pro Division athletes in qualifying races, and will always have the same number of qualifying spots, or one more, than the open division (in the same age group/division). That said, athletes will still be able to qualify through the Open Divisions. If, for example, a Division / Age Group has 2 spots available in total, then 1 would go to the Pro Division and 1 to the Open Division. But if there is only 1 spot available then it would go to the Pro Division.
As many athletes purchased their tickets before becoming aware of this new system, it is believed that HYROX will allow athletes to switch division, from Open to Pro, if they wish.
Qualifying Allocation
Ultimately there are a certain number of spots which HYROX are aiming to fill by age group / division at the World Championships (based on typical participation levels).
However the actual number of qualifying spaces in each Age Group / Division for a specific event cannot typically be known with absolute certainty until the week of the event, once the organisers are aware of the total number of athletes signed up to the race.Â
That said, at the time of writing, HYROX are looking into whether they can give an indication of the qualifying spots by age group / division for a ‘typical’ event.Â
Rolldowns
If an athlete is offered a place at the World Championships, but does not accept within the allocated time limit, it will be offered to the next placed person in the relevant Age Group / Division. If that person also does not accept, the place will roll down one more time only. Therefore there are only 2 rounds of rolldowns for each Age Group / Division.
In instances where there are only 2 athletes in an Age Group / Pro Division at an event, it is possible that the space would roll down to an athlete in the Open Division.Â
