I recently spoke with Peter Kelly, a 63 year-old athlete who regularly competes (to a high level!) in HYROX events around the world. He’s won several races, and finished 3rd in his age group at the 2023 HYROX World Championships in Manchester. At the time of writing he holds the age group World Record in the mixed doubles with Wendy Williams, and the men’s doubles with Stefan Eichorn. He is also the Deka Fit World Champion in the 60-64 age group.
Our conversation covered his athletic background, sources of inspiration, how he has adjusted his training with age, advice for others interested in HYROX, and much more.
Can you tell us a little about your sporting background?
Sport has been a major part of my life. In school, I focused on cross-country running and track & field. But my main love from about age 10 through my mid-40s was tennis. I played for Lancashire at county level and was on the courts 5-6 days a week – I loved competing and thrived on the one on one competition where mindset was utterly crucial in dealing with your nervous energy and behaviour and tactics of your opponent. I also did some coaching and in 1980 spent an amazing summer working at John Newcombe’s Tennis Ranch in Texas. John was an ex Wimbledon men’s singles champion.
I gave up tennis in my mid 40’s due to a persistent shoulder injury that made serving and smashing difficult. So with more free time and less family commitments as my daughter had grown up, I shifted back into running and developed a love for multi sports such as triathlon. Since age 45, I’ve completed 5 full Ironman triathlons, 6 half Ironmans, represented GB at triathlon and duathlon and taken part in 4 Obstacle Course Racing World Championships. I’ve also done many other iconic races over the years like Tough Guy in the UK, the birth place of OCR, before it was even an established sport. I’ve always enjoyed seeking out races and challenges as much for the thrill of the experience rather than just my finish time. There’s something special about being on the start line of these epic events, surrounded by other like-minded people who have worked so hard to get there too. The adrenaline is like nothing else.
How did you first discover HYROX and what appealed to you about it?
Completely randomly in September 2021! I was watching some Spartan Race videos on YouTube and came across Hunter McIntyre competing in something called HYROX. It looked amazing, so I decided there and then to sign up for the HYROX Birmingham race just 4 weeks out. This was despite having never used a Skierg, pushed a sled or seen a wall ball in my life!
I went to a CrossFit gym once prior to try the equipment, but only managed to push the sled without any weight since I couldn’t even move it with plates loaded. So I was in for a major shock to the system come race day! I was even given the box on the wall balls. But I absolutely loved it. The set up was incredible and the atmosphere and camaraderie amongst athletes was electric. I loved getting to test myself against so many younger competitors too.
What was it like to break the 60+ Mixed World Record at London Excel.
Well to start with we were in the first wave, in fact with Tom and Dena Hogan so that was a nice surprise. We saw them for at least ten seconds at the start although to be honest that’s probably an exaggeration.
My partner Wendy Williams is amazing, such a tough competitor; she just got stronger and stronger throughout the race. She carried me through the lunges and her Wall Balls were off the scale. Wendy would do rapid sets of 20 and I came in with 15s. We practised once at Forders before the race, so our handovers weren’t the best. That said we paced it well and we pushed each other on and really enjoyed ourselves. I feel quite humbled to be honest by the experience, and more than a little fortunate, but I can honestly say you’re on a high for weeks after.
For those around your age interested in trying HYROX but feeling intimidated, what advice would you offer?
My first piece of advice is don’t let it intimidate you – just sign up! You really can take it at your own pace and there are no cutoffs like some other races such as Ironman. While you will see some incredibly fit people there, they are a relatively small percentage. The volunteers and community are so encouraging and supportive, it’s truly an event made for everyone.
My first HYROX race in Birmingham was one of the hardest things I’d ever done since I didn’t properly train. But that feeling of accomplishment at the end was amazing. I was in a lot of pain during the lunges and wall balls in particular, but thankfully that pain fades quickly. Be proud of yourself for pushing your limits and achieving something challenging alongside others. The adrenaline and camaraderie carries you a long way.
As you’ve gotten older, how have you adapted your training and what lessons have you learned?
I definitely recover slower now in my 60s so I’ve had to get smarter about managing volume and intensity. I used to do 15-20 hours per week when training for Ironman but that was mainly long slow endurance but now it’s about 10 hours a week over 5 days. I do strength training 2-3 days a week plus HYROX and Deka classes with Ash and Darren at Forders Gym. Rich Taylor, my running coach, is an ex international runner and my 3 sessions a week are customised based on physiological testing. I find it hard to believe that I recruited my first running coach less than a year ago so I guess I’ve proved you can teach an old dog new tricks. I’ve also doubled my protein intake compared to before, which has helped enormously with recovery.
I recognise that I’ve been very fortunate to stay fit and healthy. As you get older niggles can be much harder to shrug off so the key is listening to your body and not overdoing it too quickly – I can’t do intense sessions two days in a row anymore. But by focusing on strength work and nutrition over the past year, I’m definitely able to handle much more volume and intensity now than I could have imagined just a few years ago. It’s a gradual process but the consistency pays off. Recovery is so critical, so things like sleep, hydration, nutrition, and smart training have become even more important. The human body is capable of amazing things if you put in the work. They say use it or lose it and it’s so true.
Who are some of the people who have inspired you most throughout your athletic career?
Whilst I enjoy watching elite athletes I’m far more inspired by ordinary people doing extraordinary things. People like Sister Madonna Buder, nicknamed the Iron Nun, who completed the phenomenal Ironman World Championships in Kona at age 81 within the 17 hour cut off; utterly remarkable. Sister Buder was the inspiration for me to train for my first Ironman.
And Rick and Dick Hoyt aka Team Hoyt, who completed over 1,000 endurance events including Ironman races with Rick, who has cerebral palsy, in a running chair pushed, pulled, or carried by his father Dick. Sadly Dick and Rick are no longer with us. Those stories of incredible determination against the odds really motivate me to push myself and never give up. They exemplify that no matter your circumstances, you can achieve great things if you put your mind to it. We’re all capable of far far more than we realise and we should do things that take us out of our comfy lives. The feeling you get when you achieve something that had possibly scared you before is truly remarkable and can be life transforming.
What’s been the most memorable race experience of your career so far and why?
Without a doubt, the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon in San Francisco. They boat 2,000 athletes out to near the island, a one way ticket, then you make the chilly, choppy 1.5 mile swim back to shore with an awe-inspiring view of the city skyline. Six species of shark in the water focuses the mind and encourages you to get a move on! You then hop on your bike for a very technical ride through the hills of San Francisco, and finally run through the iconic Golden Gate Park, pass the Golden Gate Bridge and return to Marina Green to the finish.
The location takes your breath away and the race itself has such a cool, gritty history given its iconic setting. It’s a bucket list event for any triathlete. The atmosphere and energy is contagious. I’ll never forget stopping momentarily mid-swim bobbing in the water to see Alcatraz behind me, the San Francisco skyline in front and the Golden Gate Bridge to my right. Helicopters hovering overhead and over 100 safety vessels make this a start line and race like no other. It really inspires you and the addiction to epic start lines for me is very real.
What are your plans for 2023/2024?
I have done several Deka races in Spain and the UK over the past few months and am lucky to have qualified for the World Championships in Texas in December. I am so excited about meeting the fantastic age group athletes from the US who have dominated Deka to date. I have so much to learn but look forward to mixing it with them.
Another exciting HYROX season awaits. Singles, mens doubles and mixed are all in the pipeline. It all kicks off for me in Birmingham with singles and then a mixed relay on day two. I’m in an awesome team consisting of a 2:28 marathon runner, a HYROX world record holder and a Spartan age group European champion. So that will be fun.
I’ll continue to do some OCR events, some trail runs and am considering a 70.3 Ironman in the back end of 2024.
But above all it’s all about enjoying training with the most wonderfully, supportive and competitive people at Forders Gym. I’m just so lucky to have found that place, to have it on my doorstep and made so many friends.
And on top of that I’ve been embraced by Emma and all the athletes in Team MyZone so it truly is a privilege to be part of these two inspiring communities.
Thanks so much for taking the time to share your experiences and advice Peter! You are an inspiration to many in the HYROX community and beyond.
My pleasure Greg, I really enjoyed the conversation. I appreciate you helping to share my story and passion for sports – hope it motivates others to stay active and try new fitness challenges as they get older. The options available today are amazing if you just look around – so sign up for that next race! Do something you enjoy but also do something that scares you. Literally anything is possible.
You can follow Peter on Instagram @peter_k60.
