GymNation Backs the Middle East HYROX Community Ahead of 2027 Races

HYROX has taken off across the Gulf, and GymNation has spent the past year making sure the region's athletes had somewhere to race. With no official HYROX races scheduled across the Middle East for months, the gym chain filled the gap with its own community events, free training programmes and in-club competitions so nobody lost momentum. Now the HYROX 2027 races are returning to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and GymNation says it is carrying that community into the new season. The best part for anyone curious about the sport is that trying it costs nothing.

In this article

1. What GymNation did while the Middle East waited for races
2. Inside the Al Quoz HYROX Performance Center
3. Free classes anyone can try before race day
4. What the 2027 HYROX season looks like
5. Your HYROX questions, answered

What GymNation did while the Middle East waited for races

Rather than wait for the calendar to catch up, GymNation turned its clubs into the region's HYROX hub. According to Health Club Management, the HYROX Weekender drew more than 700 participants to the HYROX Performance Center in Al Quoz, Dubai. The brand also created HYROX365, a three-day competition across five divisions at the Dubai Muscle and Active Show, and donated to its partner charity Heroes of Hope. In Saudi Arabia and Bahrain the HYROX League ran in every GymNation club, with knockout rounds building toward finals, while a Beat The Elite 15 event in Sharjah put everyday members on the same floor as Jess Towl, GymNation's Head of HYROX and an Elite 15 athlete. Across the season the gym gave away more than 100 race tickets in the Singles, Doubles and Relays divisions and handed out cash prizes to its racers.

Inside the Al Quoz HYROX Performance Center

The home of all this is a purpose-built room. The Al Quoz HYROX Performance Center is fitted with Concept2 RowErgs and SkiErgs, race-spec turf, sleds, sandbags and wall balls, which happen to be the exact tools you meet on race day. A HYROX race looks the same everywhere: eight one-kilometre runs, each followed by a functional station, in this order.

• 1,000m on the SkiErg
• 50m sled push
• 50m sled pull
• 80m burpee broad jumps
• 1,000m row
• 200m farmers carry
• 100m sandbag lunges
• 100 wall balls

Training on the real equipment means the race feels familiar long before you pin on a number. For women who prefer to train separately, ladies-only classes led by female coaches run behind privacy shutters, and GymNation says female-only sessions run in every country it operates.

Free classes anyone can try before race day

You do not need to be a competitor to join in. The free HYROX training programmes cover running, strength, functional stations and a full race-ready series, and they are open to members and non-members alike. If you have never touched a station in your life, here is a simple way to start.

1. Book a free foundational class and learn the eight stations at an easy pace.
2. Add one steady run a week, then practise running straight off a station so your legs get used to the switch.
3. Join the race-ready series as you get fitter, and treat the in-club events as a low-pressure first race.

Because the classes are free to try, the only thing standing between you and your first HYROX is booking a session.

What the 2027 HYROX season looks like

The wait for regional racing is nearly over. Health Club Management reports that HYROX races are returning to Abu Dhabi and Dubai in 2027, which gives everyone who trained through the quiet months a home start line at last. Athletech News reported that GymNation's Chief Marketing Officer, Rory McEntee, said HYROX has exploded across the Middle East and the appetite from members and the wider community to compete is enormous. Jess Towl put it more simply, saying the community never stopped training even when there was no race on the calendar. With nearly 50 clubs across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain and more than 200,000 members, GymNation has the floor space and the coaching to turn that appetite into a lot of finish lines.

Your HYROX questions, answered

Do I need to be fit before I start?

No. The foundational class is built for complete beginners, and every station can be scaled down in weight and distance while you learn the movement. You build the fitness by showing up, not before you arrive.

Can women train in a female-only space?

Yes. Ladies-only HYROX classes with female coaches run behind privacy shutters at the Performance Center, and GymNation runs female-only sessions in every country it operates.

Ready to line up for your first HYROX race? Fill in the enquiry form and the GymNation team will help you find your nearest class and a plan to match.

Sources:
healthclubmanagement.co.uk
athletechnews.com
insider.fitt.co

The opinions shared in the GymNation blog articles are solely those of the respective authors and may not represent the perspectives of GymNation or any member of the GymNation team.