The 2025 HYROX World Championships in Chicago are set to deliver fireworks in the Pro Doubles division. Matt Mason, Greg from Roxlyfe, and stats guru Jack Bauer walked through every contender on the women’s and men’s side, breaking it down into Who Can Win, Who Could Podium, Dark Horses, and the Rest of the Field. Let’s dive into both brackets—because Elite 15 Doubles isn’t just a sideshow; it’s a championship spectacle.

Prize Money & Stakes

HYROX raised the bar this year with $12,000 USD to the winning doubles team (split between two athletes), then $10,000 for second, $5,000 for third, $3,000 for fourth, and $1,000 for fifth. For a first-year “experiment,” that’s serious cash—and it underscores HYROX’s commitment to treating Pro Doubles athletes like professionals. Now every point, every second, and every transition carries not just pride, but real prize money.

Women’s Pro Doubles Breakdown

HYROX’s women’s Pro Doubles field is loaded with world-class athletes, all chasing the first-year world title. Below are the top 15 seeds (per the HYROX website) and some last-minute roster updates from Melbourne that will push a couple of teams into the Chicago field .

  1. Tia-Clair Toomey & Joanna Wietrzyk (Houston winners, 54:24 WR)
  2. Lauren Weeks & Lauren Griffith (Houston runners-up, 55:36)
  3. Linda Meier & Viola Oberländer (Paris 1st, 55:39)
  4. Lucy Procter & Sinead Bent (London winners, 55:52)
  5. Kate Davey & Zara Piergianni (London 4th, 56:42)
  6. Seka Arning & Rebecca Frank (Paris 2nd, 56:56)
  7. Margot Vandenlindenloof, Charlotte Vandenlindenloof (Paris 3rd, 57:16)
  8. Jess Pettrow & Maria Fecik (Miami winners, 57:23)
  9. Bridget Brown & Terra Jackson (Miami runners-up, 57:48)
  10. Elena Rouco Chas & Morgan Schulz (Houston 3rd, 58:43)
  11. Kris Rugloski & Kayti Simonson (Miami 3rd, 1:00:38)
  12. Nicola-Georgia Macbeth & Gabrielle Nikora-Baker (Melbourne 1st, 1:00:55)
  13. Emily Amris & Libby Carr (Melbourne 5th, 1:03:35 (roll-down))
  14. Sammi Sheehan & Katie Brock (Melbourne 7th, 1:03:38 (roll-down))

Why only fourteen teams?

Meg Jacoby announced this week that she will not be competing in Chicago. So, her along with Camilla Massa will not participate in the Elite 15 Doubles race. Next up looks to be the team of Jana Lebenstedt and Jade Skillen who took 5th in London. But, this has not been confirmed.

Who Can Win (Women)

1. Tia-Clair Toomey & Joanna Wietrzyk

  • Houston World-Record Performance (54:24): When Tia and Joanna lit up Houston, they shattered expectations—beating Weeks & Griffith by over a minute. Tia’s unmatched hybrid engine and Joanna’s newfound doubles prowess make them the clear heavy favorites.
  • Training Camp Edge: Joanna has been in Nashville training with Tia, JK Newbury, and other PRVN athletes since mid-April—building chemistry for exactly this race.
  • Only Question—Fatigue?: Joanna will have raced twice before doubles (solo + relay), and Tia once (mixed doubles) with less than four hours to recover. But if anyone can handle steep volume at the world’s level, it’s Tia. Their synergy is undeniable, and if both are at full capacity, they’re nearly bulletproof.

2. Lauren Weeks & Lauren Griffith

  • Elite Consistency: Weeks is HYROX’s undisputed queen, owning the World Revord and multiple world titles. Griffith’s blend of strength and understated running prowess (despite a tough day in Houston) yielded a 55:36 in their debut—only 49 seconds slower in zones than Tia & Joanna.
  • Volume & Resilience: Both can handle triple-race weekends. Weeks ran an incredibly fast 5K in a DEKA FIT mid-season; Griffith is also a Hybrid Engine athlete. A squad that is known for its volume. Even if Tia & Joanna try to outpace them early, the Weeks/Griffith combo can hang in all zones.

3. Linda Meier & Viola Oberländer

  • Paris Breakout (55:39): Linda looked unstoppable in Paris, and Viola—after a health-setback in her solo season—pulled out a 52:38 split in mixed doubles Berlin with Peter Schiller. Their combined speed and elite station work give them a legit shot if the top two falter.
  • Only Doubles Race: Unlike some teammates with busy relay+solo schedules, Viola has only this on her docket. Her recent V̇O₂ max-focused blocks (targeting doubles) could give them an edge on pacing and recovery.

4. Lucy Procter & Sinead Bent

  • London Champions (55:52): Though they weren’t racing Tia or Weeks that day, Lucy & Sinead still topped a stacked field—only 16 seconds off Weeks & Griffith’s Houston time, and 9 seconds faster on sled push than Meg & Camila .
  • Pure Running Weapons: Bent’s 16:35 5K PR is the fastest in the women’s bracket, and Procter’s pacing under fatigue is clinical. In a doubles race that’s effectively a running event, they can hang at the front from the gun.

Who Could Podium

5. Kate Davey & Zara Piergianni

  • Reigning World Champs: Despite Kate riding out a stomach bug in London, they still came 3rd (56:42) and have championship reps together. Kate’s burpee prowess and Zara’s lunges make them a stable podium threat.

6. Margot & Charlotte Vandenlindenloof

  • Paris 3rd Place: These sisters know each other inside out. In London, they went 56:20 against top-level competition, only 1 second behind Massa & Jacoby. If they can shave a bit off their running and stay disciplined on transitions, top 3 is within reach.

Dark Horses

7. Jess Pettrow & Maria Fecik

  • Pettrow has skyrocketed this season, while Fecik was just outside the Elite 15 individuals field. A perfect day means they can sneak into top 5.

8. Bridget Brown & Terra Jackson

  • Jackson (DEKA World Champ) and Brown (ex-Oklahoma State soccer) are pure runners. In Miami, wall balls cost them time; fix that and they’re contending for 3rd–5th.

9. Elena Rouco Chas & Morgan Schulz

  • Chicago locals & training partners, who will be focused only on Doubles for the weekend. They’ll be fresh and primed to pounce if anyone cracks.

Men’s Pro Doubles Breakdown

The men’s bracket is just as stacked. Here are the top 15 seeds (per HYROX) and key results leading into Chicago :

  1. Rich Ryan & Pelayo Menendez Fernandez (Miami winners, 48:31 WR)
  2. Rylan Schadegg & Ryan Kent (Miami 2nd, 49:51)
  3. Charlie Botterill & Ollie Russell (London winners, 50:02)
  4. James Kelly & Jake Dearden (Houston winners, 50:04)
  5. Jake Williamson & Alan Ploj (London 2nd, 50:06)
  6. Hidde Weersma & Thierry Willigenburg (London 3rd, 50:07)
  7. Sutherland Brothers (Ben & Harry) (Miami 3rd, 50:16)
  8. Luis Garcia Rubio & Roberto Viciedo Gimeno (Paris winners, 50:27)
  9. Beau Wills & Eugenio Bianchi (Paris 2nd, 50:29)
  10. Jannik Czapla & Tim Wenisch (Paris 3rd, 50:42)
  11. Marcus Wallace & Dawson Miller (Houston 2nd, 50:56)
  12. Jeremy McConnell & Dylan Scott (Houston 3rd, 51:09)
  13. Tom Rodgers & Chris Woolley (Melbourne winners, 52:53)
  14. Daniel Payne & Tanguy Cruz (Melbourne 2nd, 52:55)
  15. Pieter Maes & Tom Franssens (Melbourne 3rd, 53:04)

Who Can Win (Men)

1. Rich Ryan & Pelayo Menendez Fernandez

  • Miami World-Record (48:31): Not only did they demolish the record, but they beat Schadegg/Kent by 1 minute 20—even with a slow lunge and ski.
  • Doubles Focus: Both turned down relay spots to focus solely on Doubles. They have made it clear that this is a big goal for both.

2. JK & Jake Dearden

  • Individual Pedigree and Experience: JK (World’s solo favorite?) and Jake (last year’s Pro Doubles champ with Mark Dearden) combined to set a world record at the time in Houston.
  • Fresher Than Last Year: In Houston, they flew back from Glasgow a a few days before and went straight into another race. In Chicago, they will not need to do an international flight and can likely race sharper than they did to qualify.

3. Rylan Schadegg & Ryan Kent

  • Miami Runners-Up: They ran comfortably under 50:00, only 1 minute 20 off Rich & Pelayo. Their strong front half makes them a top contender if Richlayo falters.
  • On-Course Chemistry: They have competed numerous times before teaming up. If they stay cohesive in transitions, they can steal a win.

Who Could Podium

4. Sutherland Brothers

  • Miami Statement: The brothers emerged from obscurity in Miami and put the field on notice. After that, they even briefly set the Open Doubles World Record in Berlin.

5. Charlie Botterill & Ollie Russell

  • London Champs: Both very young athletes, they come in with the third fastest time after defeating a stacked field in London.

6. Beau Wills & Eugenio Bianchi

  • Paris 2nd: Beau is a station animal, and Eugenio has participated in numerous Elite 15 individual races. If they are in position in the back half, look for a strong close.

Dark Horses (Men)

7. Marcus Wallace & Dawson Miller

  • Nicknamed Rawdeebo, they were 52 seconds behind JK & Jake in Houston—but that was the first Doubles race for both. Marcus has switched full-time to Doubles since Vegas, and Dawson (NCAA Div 3 steeplechase champ) has wheels. If they improve their weak spots, they could crack top 5 .

8. Jeremy McConnell & Dylan Scott

  • They were in the mix late in Houston until a row penalty cost them 10 seconds and a sub-51:00 time. After a near World Record in NYC recently, Dylan looks poised for World Champs.

9. Jake Williamson & Alan Ploj

  • They missed out on the win in London after a few costly no-reps on Wall Ball and a counting mistake on the Sled Pull cost them valuable seconds. With a clean run, they could quickly become podium contenders.

Final Thoughts

  • Volume & Recovery Matter: In both brackets, many champions are racing three times—solo, relay, and doubles—into Saturday. Who recovers fastest at world level often wins.
  • Running Is King: Pro Doubles need to be ready to run at a faster pace than their individual races while hitting the still hitting the stations hard.
  • Transitions Can Decide Medals: Wall-balls, sled pulls, and burpees remain “hidden blow-up” zones. Seconds will determine the finishing place and the teams that don't make mistakes will have a distinct advantage.

If you disagree with these picks, we’ve done our job—race day drama is guaranteed. Circle June 14 in Chicago: who wins will likely hinge on ski pacing, zone discipline, and who conquers the championship nerves.

Stay tuned to Race Brain on YouTube and Spotify for live post-race breakdowns. Want more HYROX analytics, athlete PRs, and background? Make sure to check out Roxlyfe as well.

Who’s your pick? Drop your predictions and let’s see who gets proven right (or hilariously wrong)