HYROX has announced a significant update to its qualification system for the 2026 World Championships, refining the pathway for athletes aiming to compete on the sport’s biggest stage.
The New Qualification System
Starting from the 2025/26 season, only athletes competing in the Pro Divisions will be eligible to qualify for the HYROX World Championships. This adjustment is intended to ensure that the most competitive athletes earn their spots.
However, there are two key exceptions to this rule:
- Regional Championships (European, US & Asia-Pacific) – Since these events do not include Pro Divisions, qualifying slots will still be available in the Open Division.
- 60+ Age Categories – Athletes in these categories will continue to qualify through the Open Division, as they race with Open Weights at the World Championships.
Qualification slots will be assigned to each age group at the Championships, depending on the demand of athletes in the category.
What This Means for Competitors
For some HYROX athletes, this can mean adapting their competition strategy. If you’ve previously aimed to qualify through the Open Division, you’ll now need to compete in the Pro Division (which has higher weights on 5 of the 9 workout stations) at most events to secure a World Championship spot.
For those in the 60+ age categories or competing at Regional Championships, the Open Division remains a viable path to qualification.
Athletes racing in HYROX Bangkok, Rimini, NYC, Cardiff or Riga will have a choice of racing at the HYROX Chicago World Championships 2025, or deferring entry until World Championships 2026, with the location to be announced in Chicago.
Those hoping to qualify for World Championships who have already booked to race in the Open division for a HYROX event in the 2025 / 26 season, will be able to change to race in Pro free of charge.
Why the Change?
HYROX has experienced incredible growth, with over 650,000 athletes participating worldwide. As the sport evolves, competition is getting faster, and qualifying times continue to improve. Athletes under the age of 60 have always needed to use Pro weights when competing at the World Championships and so there has been some controversy in the past that it’s possible to qualify through the Open division. This change ensures that the highest-performing athletes make it to the World Championships, keeping pace with the increasing standard of the sport. By focusing qualification around the Pro Divisions, HYROX aims to maintain a fair and competitive structure as participation numbers soar.
Moritz Fürste, Co-Founder at HYROX says: “HYROX continues to grow, we will have over one million athletes racing globally in 2026 which is incredible. Naturally with this, the standard consistently becomes higher – evident from some of the finish times at recent HYROX events – these updates to the World Qualification system reflect this growth. While HYROX is still a sport for everybody, this change is simply to manage the huge demand for spots and ensure that the HYROX World Championships continues to bring together the best HYROX athletes in the world.”
Final Thoughts
If you’re serious about qualifying for the 2026 HYROX World Championships, now is the time to start preparing for Pro Division races (if you haven’t been already). With more athletes pushing the limits of performance, the road to the World Championships is more competitive than ever. If you’d like help in doing that, then check out our coaching plans, or 12-week training plan.
