People are getting the ick after discovering what ‘Hyrox’ stands for

Joanna Wietrzyk at this weekend’s HYROX competition in Beijing (Picture: Fred Lee/Getty Images) By now, you’ve probably seen the pictures of Hyrox athlete Joanna Wietrzyk competing while covered in her own faeces in Beijing. The viral images sparked fierce debate on the lengths athletes should go to in the name of glory — plus whether Hyrox should have stepped in to pause the event and clean equipment. Hyrox has now apologised for how the incident was handled, but for some, the defecating debacle has uncovered another more basic question… What even is Hyrox anyway? The fitness challenge is not for the faint-hearted. It sees competitors run an 8km race, split up by eight fitness stations where you complete functional movements, such as burpees, sled pulls and wall balls. You can compete alone, in a pair, or group, or if you need an even bigger challenge (because apparently it’s just not hard enough already) you can do it all while wearing a weighted vest. While it might sound like hell to some, Hyrox is incredibly popular. The German-founded company now holds events across the world. According to their website, some races see 8,000 people participate and 10,000 watch, making it the largest mass participation fitness event in the world. Hyrox challengers love nothing more than posting a sweaty selfie of themselves post race (and who can blame them) but this latest discovery has seen some proclaiming on social media that they’ve got the ick. In a resufaced video originally posted last year, PT Ella Rose, who goes by @tattooedgymgirl on TikTok, shared that Hyrox is actually a portmanteau of two words. Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. ‘Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to do a Hyrox, they look really hard, hats off to you if you’ve done one, but this makes me want to do one even f*cking less. Hyrox is short for Hybrid Rockstar.‘ In between chuckles, Ella said ‘I’ve got the ick’ adding: ‘Any video I see of Hyrox from now on I’m just going to cringe.’ The video has amassed over 361,000 views, with comments equally disturbed by the information. ‘I thought it looked pretty cool until you said that,’ wrote commenter. While another added: ‘That made me unwell.’ Other creators have posted similar comments, equally shocked to discover the meaning. Online coach Harry, who goes by @regurgent_harry on TikTok, posted a video, calling the new-found meaning ‘the biggest ick ever’. Hyrox takes place indoors, including in iconic buildings such as the Grand Palais in Paris (Picture: JULIEN DE ROSA/AFP via Getty Images) In an interview on the Head Start podcast back in February 2023, Hyrox Chief Growth Office, Douglas Gremmen, explained: ‘Christian and Mo [Hyrox founders] wanted to do something with the name ‘rockstars’. They really felt that people who have come across the finish line are rockstars.’ Unfortunately, as Red Bull sponsors Hyrox, they were against using the full word Rockstar, as it’s the name of a competing energy drink. So instead, the founders chose the name Curox, inspired by the Latin word ‘curr’ which means ‘to run’, along with their word of choice, ‘rockstar’. However, they ran intro trouble again due a trademark infringement, which led to the need for a name change, and they opted for Hyrox instead. ‘They literally tried to figure out the best two letters to come before ROX,’ says Christian. Considering that Hyrox is a form of hybrid training, Christian added that ‘HYROX became a natural extension’. ‘I think is a great name,’ he added. ‘It’s universal. It’s global.’ Deals of the Day Topman’s new-season collection has arrived and prices start at just £10 An Instagram mattress left me with back pain – this one completely changed my mind Book Val d'Isère, Val Thorens and Tignes for less in Club Med's ski sale Save 25% on red light therapy masks, sauna blankets and sleep gadgets in Bon Charge sale The viral LED face mask with over 350 lights that's currently discounted by £100 A version of this article was originally published in 2025 and has since been updated. Do you know what Durex stands for? It turns out the brand name Durex has a hidden meaning. The iconic name is actually a portmanteau of three words: durable, reliable and excellent. It seems pretty self-explanatory and it does what it says on the tin (thank goodness) but we’d never realised the true meaning. And it’s not the only acronym out there that we use on the daily. In fact, there are words you probably never knew were an abbreviation. Read our full list here. Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@metro.co.uk Arrow MORE: 7 surprising signs that show you’re pretty healthy, actually The Slice Your free newsletter guide to the best London has on offer, from drinks deals to restaurant reviews.