I spent years in and out of the gym, trying the latest fitness trends. Consequently, my social media feed is often filled with shirtless, sweaty men promising to change my workout routine.
Then he started. First, there were occasional videos of athletes grinding through a series of grueling tasks: pushing sleds full of plates, jumping on row machines, swinging and swinging weighted balls inside a wall that looked like an airplane hangar. That trickle became an avalanche, and I got excited.
It looked like CrossFit, but it wasn’t. I had discovered its new, endurance-heavy rival Herox. Herox is a fitness race that combines running with exercises designed to train the body for everyday activities. And it seems to be everywhere – on TikTok, Instagram and group chats with friends who do Protein Max.
To break it down for the uninitiated, I talked to the founders of the sport and tried a few classes myself.
What is Herox?
Founded in Germany in 2017 by Christian Totzky, an endurance racer, and Moritz Fürst, an Olympic field hockey player, Heroics is a competition that follows the same format everywhere.
Competitions are usually held over several days – up to nine in major cities. Athletes can register for one or more divisions: pro (elite), pro doubles (with a partner), open or open doubles (both accessible, with light weight), relay (four team) and adapted (for people with disabilities).
The competition is divided into eight 1km runs and eight different exercises. After running each round, you complete one of the following: sled pulls and push-ups, farmer’s carries (holding kettlebells while walking), wall balls (squatting with overhead kicks), rowing, burpee wide jumps, sand lunges, and the ski-erg machine (an upright rowing machine).
At the end of each race, which takes an average of 90 minutes to complete, competitors will run a total of 8 kilometers (about 5 miles) and complete eight strength and conditioning workouts. Most are held in large indoor venues where thousands of competitors move around the same course in waves.
There is no “goal” or “good” end time, nor is there a time limit. The main goal is just to finish.
“The format never changes,” First said. “You know exactly what’s waiting for you on race day. But at the same time, it’s designed so that everyone who’s active can participate.” The mix of athletes and trying things out together for the first time creates “a pretty unique atmosphere,” he said.
As a regular weightlifter with an internet-fueled brain, I’m always looking to break the monotony of my solo routine and unlock my phone. Communal spin or Pilates classes can be fun, but without careful guidance, new exercises can feel risky. Herox seems to be attacking Middle Earth.
I decided to attend three training classes a week. Here’s what I learned about Heroics.
Why Heroics is so popular now?
Heroics has exploded in the US over the past two years. In New York, for example, the number of participants has tripled in size from 2024 to 2025, to 50,000 – similar to the NYC Marathon, according to Fürste.
This can be attributed to several factors, according to Johari Butt, the global vice president of a training gym called F45, which started offering Herox training in 2024.
For one, the sport is “incredibly accessible,” he said. “The movements are functional and recognizable: walking, rowing, sled work and carrying – things that most people can learn and develop with good training.”
Because Herox is standardized, Butt said, the format travels well and allows athletes from around the world to measure their progress, or compare their finish times with thousands of others. Herox’s tiered system also “makes it welcoming to experienced athletes and people doing their first race,” he said.
Sports are also good for building community, First said: “When people experience a race, they usually come back and bring friends.”
Is Herox beginner friendly or just for gym rats?
Technically, anyone over the age of 16 can sign up. Competitors in the liberal division use more moderate weights than the pros. Work sharing can be best for beginners or small groups that train and compete together: twice the workload is split between two people, and communication between four. “Many athletes will typically be competing in doubles for the first time,” Furst said.
In practice, however, it is still challenging.
Running 8 km itself requires some basic endurance. Then you should consider challenging active exercises. Many newcomers train for weeks or months before attempting their first race, often combining running with circuit training that resembles Herox stations.
You don’t need a special gym to train for the sport, but gyms that offer Heroics classes have all the right equipment, which makes it easy. Plus, it can be fun to be around like-minded individuals with a common goal.
The good news is that the moves themselves are relatively simple. If you can squeeze, bend, push and carry things without injury or severe pain, you can theoretically finish the race.
To challenge yourself, you can choose the speed of your runs. You can also add more weight to the sled. The key is to balance intensity with control and pushing your body beyond your comfort zone without sacrificing form.
Can anyone do Herox?
As with any extreme fitness event, Herox isn’t for everyone.
“There is some level of risk,” said Butt, F45’s director. “But the danger rarely comes from the sport itself.
“Preparation is key,” he said. “Smart programming, advanced training and proper training dramatically reduce the risk of injury.” It’s also important to avoid burnout and overtraining.
Herox was created to be inclusive, Furst said. Still, “people with serious chronic conditions should evaluate whether it is the right decision for them to participate”.
Jess Bell, a Herox instructor at F45 who has competed five times and taught more than 1,000 classes, has worked with many people. “I’ve seen all body types, ages and fitness levels compete in these competitions,” she said.
What are Herox training classes like?
The herox classes I attended lasted 45 minutes each and followed the same structure: three sets of 10 exercises that are close to each other in competition; Each successive set was shorter than the previous one. A set consists of one interval at each exercise station, followed by a short rest period.
Despite my lack of experience, I hoped that my basic fitness, and adrenaline would carry me through – they didn’t.
I do a lot of weightlifting and am familiar with short, controlled sets. But I usually start and stop on my terms, and cardio is an afterthought. For me, Herox classes were tough. By the end of the class, I was completely out of breath, my form was broken and my pace slowed. At some point, I had to stop completely.
However, I was happy with the fact that I was able to complete each stage, even as a newbie. As I ran from one end of the room to the other, pushing, pulling and lifting weights, I felt like I could do anything. And if my algorithm is any indication, a lot of other people find this appealing as well.
Herox classes and races can be high. I prefer to practice alone for hours, so this is not my ideal environment. But for some, this environment is welcoming, even exciting. “Competitions can be busy and crowded at times, but the energy is unmatched,” said F45 coach Bell.
If you’re looking for tolerance and a bit of dirty satisfaction from sweating profusely with dozens, sometimes hundreds, of strangers, Heroics is a great choice. This form is simple enough to train, but challenging enough that progress is noticeable.
The element of competition helps differentiate it from a single program and may be motivating for some. It was a refreshing innovation for me. But in the modern fitness landscape that is already dominated by rankings and personal records, I fear comparing myself to others. For me, the gym is where I hope to break out of that mindset – so I’ll probably keep it that way.
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