Gym workouts turn into high-stakes fitness races as demand surges

From gyms to race arenas, fitness enthusiasts are embracing high-intensity competitions like Hyrox and Yoddha, turning workouts into social, high-stakes experiences

In what could be called a “workout-cation”, Ashu Jain will fly from Dehradun to Bengaluru for her first fitness race this April. Since January this year, the 58-year-old has blocked her calendar, tracked macronutrients, and started simulated trials for Hyrox, a race that combines running with eight functional workout movements. 

“It is a lot like preparing for an exam,” says Jain, who earned a PhD from IIT Delhi in her 50s, and has now set sights on the Hyrox finishing line. At ₹60,000 for event tickets, travel, and gear, the exam is stretching Jain’s budget and muscles alike. 

Ever since races such as Hyrox and Yoddha launched in India last year, gym goers with a competitive streak have been signing up to sprint, lunge, and burpee their way to a personal record. Sporting experiences are already boosting discovery of services in the fitness space such as specialised coaching subscriptions, and products, including active footwear and apparel. Event organisers are betting on growing access to and awareness about foundational fitness — recent estimates put the number of gyms in the country at about 200,000 — and a thirst for experiences among those with the propensity to spend. 

“Gym is the first thing people do to get fit, not cricket or tennis. But the gym-going public never had a clear, quantifiable goal they could chase,” says Deepak Raj, coach and CEO of Yoska, which brought the German-origin Hyrox, and the Ironman triathlon before that, to India. Raj competed at Hyrox in Vienna and found the format lets people measure their performance in eight workstations, the running track, and overall circuit. Compared with 1,350 at Hyrox’s India debut last year, registrations have swelled to 8,200 for the Bengaluru fixture, now a two-day event. Though races happen in metro cities, racers are attending from smaller towns and overseas, too. 

Besides giving people key result areas to meet outside the office, the races help them find belonging, and show off their wins online. Zeba Zaidi, cofounder of Spectacom Global, an early mover in this space, observes: “The experiences are built around the idea of how to make the day extra special and difficult to recreate. They give people brag-worthy moments where they’ve won a medal, or had a great Sunday, or met someone interesting.” 

Spectacom launched Yoddha, which combines running and strength exercises, in 2025, but its obstacle race, Devil’s Circuit, has wooed fitness enthusiasts since 2012. Zaidi’s race concepts — where women and men participate in equal numbers — include surprise elements, a concert stage, brand drops, and food. 

Unlike marathons, which typically attract those in their 30s and 40s, at these newer events, which are open to anyone over 16, 20- to 35-year-olds are the biggest takers. “We set up the space like a studio where people can race, and their loved ones can shoot the entire race. No other format, be it a marathon or triathlon, lets you follow the person you are supporting from three feet away,” says Hyrox India’s Raj. Participants often pay more to opt for official photographs to be clicked and mailed to them. 

Zaidi and her husband, Adnan Adeeb, organised their first obstacle race over a decade ago, because they missed similar events from their time living in Dubai. Life turned full circle for the couple last year, when they exported Devil’s Circuit to Dubai. They plan to expand into London and Malaysia next. “At first, people were asking why they should pay just to work out so hard. That changed with Covid when we saw firsthand the effects of not focusing on health.” 

Brands, from protein shakes to pain balms, are benefitting from the shift. Puma India’s head of marketing, Shreya Sachdev, expects social activities with a fitness angle to rise further, particularly among young couples and families. Half of those racing in Bengaluru this April will likely sport Puma’s bright pink Hyrox-branded shoes, which retail at over ₹20,000. 

Gyms are seeing potential, too. Coaching couple Tom Saxena and Vidushi Kumar have had podium finishes at both Hyrox and Yoddha. Clients at CalFunc, their calisthenics and functional fitness chain, are increasingly registering for high-priced event-specific training. Since working on the same eight movements can be repetitive, Saxena is considering mini fitness events at his venues, with rock climbing and games thrown in. “When people see improvements, a competitive switch is turned on and they want to be in every race that exists,” he says. 

That rhymes with Jain’s experience. After Hyrox in Bengaluru, she plans to travel to Delhi for Devil’s Circuit and Yoddha, and run more half marathons. “I started strength training four years ago because I could not walk more than 2 km. I can do 10 km now,” says the grandmother-turned-fitness influencer. “Once you have developed the capability, you have to maintain it.”