🌎 HYROX Worlds Are Here!

June 18th, 2026

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Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up.

In today’s edition:

  • 🌎 HYROX Worlds are here! More than 8,000 athletes from 98 countries are headed to Stockholm for the biggest World Championship yet.

  • 🎉 21 years strong — one of CrossFit's oldest affiliates, CrossFit NYC, is celebrating a milestone few gyms ever reach.

  • 👟 NOBULL just expanded its flagship training line with a more versatile option — the Outwork Flex.

QUOTE OF THE DAY
❝

“Pressure is something that I want. It’s an honor to have pressure, and for me it’s positive. It gives me energy because it means people believe in you.”

Tim Wenisch, reigning Men's Elite 15 Singles and Elite 15 Pro Doubles HYROX World Champion
HYROX

HYROX World Championships Preview and 6 Athletes to Watch

Credit: @hyroxworld / Instagram

From June 18 through Sunday, June 21, the world’s best HYROX athletes will descend on Strawberry Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, the host venue for the 2026 HYROX World Championships.

Remind me: This year, there were 310 race days across 105 HYROX events worldwide, which attracted more than 1.5 million people. 

The first HYROX World Championships took place in 2019 in Oberhausen, Germany, with 600 competitors.

  • In Stockholm, 8,000 athletes from 98 countries will compete across 23 divisions — Elite 15, age-group Pro Singles, age-group Pro Doubles, and adaptive — in the largest World Championship to date.

We had the chance to catch up with six athletes racing in Stockholm — Tim Wenisch, Joanna Wietrzyk, Pelayo Menendez Fernandez, Jake Dearden, Camilla Massa, and Hidde Weersma — and learned that, despite the differences in their HYROX journeys, they all have one thing in common: They all want to stand on the podium, preferably in first place, in Stockholm.

Just Dropped: Outwork Flex. Our New Flexible Strength Training Shoe

Strength training’s evolving. So are we. That's why we're adding to our award-winning Outwork lineup.  

We built Outwork Flex for comfort in all-around training. Stability for lifts. Flexibility for dynamic moves. An everyday trainer built to bend. Never break. 

Here’s what makes it different:  

Flexible: Breathable spacer-mesh upper with padded collar and tongue moves with your foot, delivering out-of-the-box comfort and versatility.  

Durable: Zoned durability print and rubber herringbone outsole reinforce high-wear areas so you can outlast the demands of every session.  

Locked-In: Harness lacing fit system and stability-tuned EVA midsole secure your foot, delivering a secure, responsive feel. 

Deadlifts or mountain climbers. Barbells or bodyweight. Strength starts here.

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SPEED READS

🎟️🔥 Games Tickets Are Live: The 2026 CrossFit Games tickets are now available to the public — with the action heading to San Jose this July.

💪🔥 CrossFit's Real Goal Isn't Just Fitness: Spencer Hendel (CF-L3) argues that the true value of CrossFit isn't the workouts themselves — it's the resilience, confidence, and capability that come from consistently doing hard things. The result isn't just a fitter person, but someone better prepared for life's challenges, setbacks, and uncertainty.

💰🏃 HYROX Could Be Getting a Major New Backer: Reports indicate that L Catterton — the private equity firm backed by luxury giant LVMH — is in exclusive talks to acquire a significant stake in HYROX. An announcement could come within weeks, though no deal has been confirmed.

🎲🏆 The Hopper Is Back: CrossFit's latest Sport of Fitness podcast dives into the history of the Hopper — used at the first CrossFit Games and set to return at the 2026 Games in San Jose. The idea was simple: prepare for anything, because nobody knew what movements might get picked.

ICYMI: 2026 CrossFit Games Roster Is (Unofficially) Set (Rx article).

MEMBER EXCLUSIVE

Built to Last: CrossFit NYC Marks 21 Years in Business

Courtesy of CrossFit NYC

This July 4th, as America celebrates its 250th birthday, one of the country's pioneering CrossFit affiliates will mark a milestone of its own.

CrossFit NYC turns 21.

For the New York affiliate with 750 active members across two locations, the anniversary is more than a birthday. It's a celebration of longevity in a challenging industry that sometimes feels like a revolving door for members and gyms alike. 

We caught up with owner Hari Singh to ask about his journey as a two-decade gym owner and why it is still going strong today.

  • Worth noting: Singh was not the original owner. CrossFit NYC was founded by four partners: Joshua Newman, Mike Pommerening, Court Wing, and Keith Wittenstein. Singh joined as a member in 2006, became a part-owner in 2007, and has been the sole owner since 2020.

INDUSTRY

NOBULL Introduces the Outwork Flex, the Newest Addition to the Outwork Line

Courtesy of NOBULL

On Thursday, June 11, training essentials brand and former CrossFit Games title sponsor NOBULL released a new addition to its footwear lineup, the Outwork Flex.

The details: Outwork is NOBULL’s legacy strength-training shoe, built for lifters who want maximum stability and durability for heavy compound movements. Keeping pace with the growing popularity of strength and fitness training, NOBULL is expanding the line with the Outwork Flex – designed with the stability you expect from Outwork, plus zoned durability for versatile training and flexibility so it’s comfortable right out of the box.

With the Outwork Flex, one will find a flexible and breathable spacer-mesh upper and a wider platform that allows for foot splay when lifting. There is a padded collar and tongue that add comfort during quick, dynamic movements, and a multidirectional herringbone outsole for traction on rope climbs.

HIGHLIGHTS

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