Centr, a health and wellness ecosystem founded by Chris Hemsworth, and HYROX, have today (24th October 2023) announced a new partnership that will see Centr as the new Official Equipment Provider for all HYROX races beginning in 2024. The full press release is at the bottom of this page. We got to sit with Centr CEO, Andrew Sugerman, ahead of the announcement, to find out more…
The following conversation has been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Rox Lyfe: For those who don’t know, can you tell us a little about what Centr is?
Andrew Sugerman: Centr is a wellness company that’s bridging the worlds of physical and digital together, bringing new tools and content to help consumers on that wellness journey. It doesn’t matter if it’s at home, on the go, or in this case, in competition. We’ve recently launched several products at big box retail in the US, and at other retailers around the world, and the whole idea is how do we make fitness and wellness more accessible to as many people as possible, then bringing that to life through unparalleled digital experiences and all the things that we think people need to make fitness accessible, achievable, and fun.
One of the big overarching themes we’ve historically had at Centr is what we call the three M’s: movement, mind and meals. It’s this notion of those three holistically shaping how someone shows up every day, how they perform, how they’re in the best possible place. And we realised there’s a fourth M that overarches all three of those – and that is “motivation”. With HYROX we felt there was this amazing opportunity to offer to members something that falls into that motivation category in a really compelling way.
RL: Today’s announcement references that Centr will be providing the equipment for the HYROX races globally from 2024. Can you tell us more about that?
AS: Yes, that’s correct. Beginning in 2024, we will be providing all the strength equipment for the competitions. That strength equipment will also be made available for studios, gyms, and consumers on a global scale. And then to help prepare athletes, we will be creating digital training programmes in partnership with HYROX that will be made available to athletes, or anyone that is even recreationally interested in going down this path.
RL: When will we see the new equipment? Is it from the first race in the 2024 calendar year onwards?
AS: We’re finalising that at the moment because there’s different races happening in different parts of the world and so there’s some logistics that we’re working on. But early 2024 is what I can say now, and we’ll be able to confirm the first race(s) nearer the time.
Update: The equipment made its HYROX debut at the Fort Lauderdale event on 24th February 2024. It was first used within Europe at HYROX Cologne on 13th April 2024.
RL: Obviously there’s existing equipment in HYROX right now and some people and gyms have already purchased that equipment. Do you know if there will be any significant changes to what we experience now in terms of the dimensions of the equipment and how it feels?
AS: That’s a good question. I would say for athletes, gyms and studios that are training with the current equipment, there’s no issue with that. The dimensions of what they’re using and the dimensions of what we’ll be bringing to the competition are similar enough that the changes won’t be abrupt. We are looking to elevate the competition experience through the products that we’re creating and designing. I would say they are evolutionary, not revolutionary, in scope, and I think it’s when you touch them, and you feel them you’ll notice the elevated aspect to them. But it’s not like we’re not taking the sled, making it twice the size, putting wheels on it and bells. It’s going to be still in the same vein of what athletes have come to know and love about HYROX. We are just going to help them elevate it a bit.
One example is the interlocking bumper plates. This will be available for full weight sets but for competition it’s mostly 25 kg and I think 15 kg. So, when you stack them, because they’re interlocking, the numbers will go straight up and down. It’ll literally be a straight line of 25, 25, 25, etc. – they fall into place like Legos. And by doing that it makes it very clear visually to the athlete, the spectators, to anyone that’s watching exactly what’s being pushed or pulled. So that’s a good example of an elevated experience that doesn’t change, it still weighs 25 kg, but it’s changing the visual or athlete experience at the event and in the gym.
Another great example on the sled itself is we put knurling on the push bars. This will give a little bit of friction so may be helpful when you’re pushing. Also, going up the bars there will be upwards of I think 10 levels / lines. So then when you get to the bars, you’ll know the height you prefer to push at. Do I go to 5 levels, or 7 levels, for example. So once again, evolutionary not revolutionary, but we believe it’ll elevate the experience.
RL: On the topic of sleds, in HYROX, they do sometimes feel different from event to event. And that is presumably due to several factors (including the carpets, the humidity, etc.) But the sleds themselves may also play a role. Can you talk about the testing that you’ve done on the equipment to ensure there is consistency over time as it continues to get used?
AS: Throughout the product development, we’ve been working with the HYROX team and the design, development, and testing teams to make sure everything can live up to the standards that are required for competition for thousands of people to be using, as well as appreciating the equipment will be going into gyms and studios where they potentially are going to be used over and over day after day.
I would say the product that you’ve anchored in on is probably the one that has the most variables because it’s friction, it’s moving back and forth across essentially a carpet. And that carpet, it’s a little bit like skiing. The first person that goes down to ski run going through the slalom has a very different experience than the hundredth skier that’s going down. I think it’s less about the sled, I think it’s more about the turf itself. And so, we’re working with HYROX on the turf side of things to continually to find ways to elevate. I get there could be little differences from one event to the next, but our goal is to work with them to constantly find ways to deliver consistency for the athlete experience, knowing it’s an imperfect science.
RL: Is all this equipment going to be available to purchase? If so, where from?
AS: It’s going to be available through the Centr website, as well as likely through HYROX. We’ll have a global network of resellers and distributors. I think there’ll be multiple pathways for consumers, and we’ll also be selling them at each HYROX event.
Update: Wolverson Fitness have confirmed they will be selling the equipment in the UK.
RL: You mentioned that motivation was an important aspect to provide to your customers. Was there anything else in addition to that, specifically about HYROX, that made you want to partner with them?
AS:. I’d been told about HYROX by Dan Churchill – a world renowned chef and an occasional expert, nutritionist, and trainer for us who’s worked a lot with Chris Hemsworth over the years. So, I went to check it out at the Anaheim event in April 2023. The functional fitness aspect of what I saw in the competition, the emphasis on strength mixed with endurance, and then the passion of the community blew me away. I was truly blown away.
I left that first event thinking this brand seems to represent everything that we represent. We’re very much focused on accessibility, very much focused on democratisation of wellness, and Christian and Douglas and the team at HYROX are very much focused on the same things; how to bring more and more people into the world of HYROX and make it a sport for everyone, not just a sport for elite athletes. There was so much connective tissue. Both our brands are growing, both our brands are looking at ways of doing things differently and I wanted so badly to bring HYROX to my community and I wanted so much to bring Centr to their community. I think it just fit really well.
I then offered the chance for my Melbourne team in Australia to go to the Melbourne HYROX event in August 2023. There were about 30 people, most of them competed, including Chris’s trainer, Luke Zocchi, and they felt the same way as I did. They were like “wow, what was that?!”. And they immediately wanted to start training for the next one! That gave me confirmation that what I experienced is consistent and affirmed that this is a journey that we should be on. I’m excited to see where it goes.
RL: We’re excited too! In terms of trends that you’re seeing in the fitness space, and where you think things are heading in the coming years, presumably you feel HYROX is well aligned with those trends and can continue to grow?
AS: A hundred percent. I think there’s a decline in cardio. You could probably talk to almost any gym and see that the cardio footprint is getting smaller, and the strength footprint is getting bigger. The functional fitness area of gyms and studios is getting bigger or even being put in some gyms where it never existed before. I think this notion of circuit training / functional fitness is at an inflexion point of growth and I envision that growing for years to come. It’s not a fad. And that bodes well for HYROX.
HYROX is a sport and I think it gives people a chance to compete in a sport when they had perhaps forgotten about competition. They were kids and they’d competed, and now suddenly there’s this sport that matches maybe what they’re doing at their home gym or their local gym where they get to go compete and be a part of something bigger than themselves. I think that notion of community coming out of the pandemic, and being a part of something, is important and I think that’s another tailwind that’s going to work really well.
RL: I really appreciate your time today. One last question as I know lots of people will ask – will we see Chris Hemsworth in a HYROX at some point?!
AS: I can’t promise anything, but let’s just say he’s very excited about this partnership! He is very excited about the products you saw. He is very excited about getting those into his gym and throwing some of that stuff around and training with it. And honestly, his team came down and competed in Melbourne and they thought it was amazing. So, I would say there’s a high likelihood we’ll get Chris out to one of the events, but it’s like surprise and delight – I don’t want to give it away so then if it happens, it’ll be more special!
Full Press Release:
CENTR ENTERS COMPETITIVE FITNESS SPACE AS OFFICIAL EQUIPMENT PROVIDER OF HYROX
New HYROX-Branded Equipment from Chris Hemsworth’s Holistic Wellness Ecosystem, Centr, Will be Used at all HYROX Competitions.
LOS ANGELES – Oct. 24, 2023 – Centr, a health and wellness ecosystem founded by Chris Hemsworth, today announced an all-new partnership with HYROX, the World Series of Fitness Racing, as its new Official Equipment Provider for all races. The partnership marks Centr’s initial entry into the competitive sports space.
Beginning in 2024, HYROX races will feature newly designed, custom Centr competition equipment. The new performance line will feature battle ropes, power sleds, one-of-a-kind interlocking bumper weight plates with edge markings to indicate the weight being lifted, pushed, and pulled; 8-edged modified competition kettlebells for optimum grip support, aerodynamics, and weight distribution, as well as sandbags, wall balls and targets, racks and rigs.
“As a brand that is focused on making holistic wellness and fitness as accessible to as many as possible, the partnership with HYROX perfectly aligns with our ethos,” said Andrew Sugerman, CEO of Centr. “HYROX has created a highly regarded competitive fitness platform that is globally accessible, and we’re excited to work with them to bring our innovative approach to product design and premium digital content to their competitions and community.”
The Centr-HYROX competition products are designed with multiple environments in mind. In addition to HYROX competitions, the Centr equipment will be available to affiliate gyms, studios, and home gyms, allowing HYROX competitors the ability to train with the same equipment they will use on race day.
“We designed a competition format that would provide for the healthiest and most complete test of fitness that was accessible to the widest possible population of participants through the rigorous application of Sports Science Principles” said Christian Toetzke, Founder of HYROX. ”This process created a unique need for a range of ultra high quality, varied equipment that we needed to trust to provide a consistent experience for our community across training and competition. Centr have provided that product whilst instinctively understanding the soul of our sport.”
In line with the company’s mission of pairing physical tools with digital resources, Centr will also make its award-winning digital content available to HYROX competitors and develop a custom training program to support race day preparation. Centr’s digital coaching will also help motivateand support ongoing fitness, performance, and well-being beyond race day.
“Similar to Centr’s approach with our current members, we want to provide HYROX competitors with the same tools and resources to power their routines,” added Sugerman. “At Centr, we strive to inspire everyone to be the healthiest and happiest version of themselves with the balance of movement, meals and mind. Through our partnership with HYROX, we are also underscoring the importance of motivation to serve as a catalyst across Centr’s brand pillars and hope that this partnership gives them the tools, support, and community to realize their limitless potential.”
About Centr
Centr is a leading fitness and wellness platform founded by Chris Hemsworth with a mission to empower people to live well by energizing their every day. Inspired by Chris Hemsworth’s team of experts, Centr offers personalized training and tips spanning movement, meals, and mind to fuel members’ daily healthy habits. To further help members achieve their health and fitness goals, Centr is expanding its platform to add transformational in-home fitness equipment and accessories, available at select retailers worldwide. To learn more, visit www.Centr.com
