While HYROX went big with two 5-day events last week, I made the 5-hour drive up to Minneapolis for the inaugural Lifetime Fitness LT Games.

If you’re unfamiliar, Lifetime Fitness is a gym brand that calls itself an “Athletic Country Club” — offering top-tier equipment, group classes, pools, spas, and coworking spaces. They currently have over 200 locations in the U.S. and a few in Canada. They're also a publicly traded company with a market cap of $5.7 billion.

Although this was the first-ever LT Games, Lifetime has a strong events pedigree, organizing things like the Lifetime Grand Prix Off-Road Cycling Series, the Chicago Half Marathon, and the legendary Leadville 100 Trail Run.

So… how did LT Games stack up to a HYROX weekend? Here’s a participant’s perspective:

Registration & Value

Tickets were about $200, but that included far more than just the race. We received:

  • A pair of NoBull shoes
  • A premium Ten Thousand LT Games shirt
  • An Ice Shaker insulated bottle
  • Event photos

For comparison, HYROX Phoenix is now $230 — and all you walk away with is a patch…

Lifetime Facilities

After quick and easy registration, I dropped my bags in the locker room and warmed up using the full facility. Post-event, the athlete recovery area featured:

  • Trainers to stretch you out
  • Hyperice recovery tools
  • Electrolyte drinks and snacks
  • Hot tub and showers — a major perk before heading out in Minneapolis

The Workout

The LT Games sit somewhere between HYROX and CrossFit — evident by the top 5 men’s finishers, which included 2 CrossFit Games veterans and 3 HYROX athletes.

Key differences:

  • Use of barbells (deadlifts and shoulder-to-overhead)
  • Less running (just 2200m on Assault Runners)
  • Total time: Top times were ~40 minutes, with many around the 1-hour mark

Judging

Thanks to the Lifetime network, all judges were in-house and well-trained, creating a consistent, professional experience.
Each athlete had one dedicated judge, with just 4 athletes per heat.

Logistics

A new heat started every 15 minutes, moving through clearly marked stations.
The “choose your own adventure” format meant athletes selected and loaded their own weights, adding an element of strategy.

Overall Impression

The event was smaller than a HYROX, but the experience felt more premium.
Despite being a first-time event, execution was top-tier, and feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive.

This Week on Race Brain

We had Wes from the LT Games join us for a recap!
Tune in to hear his thoughts — and stick around until the end for a hint about the next LT Games.

Last Week's Top Performers

The Elite 15 shake-up continues on the men’s side, with the Birmingham podium setting the tone:

  • Sean Noble – 55:04
  • Jake Dearden – 55:16
  • Charlie Botterill – 55:31
    All three now firmly inside the Elite 15.

What’s On This Weekend

Stuttgart (Europe)

Meg Jacoby returns in individual competition Friday along with a stacked women's field that includes Elite 15 veterans: Lena Putters, Melanie Maurer, Zara Piergianni, Viola Oberlander, Tanja Stroschneider and Jade Skillen. Watch out for rising stars: Elli Stenfors and Gloria Corbetta

The men’s field is even deeper with 27 sub-60 athletes, including:
Alen Ploj, Fabian Eisenlauer, Jannik Czapla, Liam McCroary

Pro Doubles Watch:
Meg Jacoby + Linda Meier are teaming up — World Record incoming?

Atlanta

HYROX America returns after a break with a 3-day event.

Men’s Highlights:
Dylan Scott, Ryan Kent, Cole Learn, Colin Stiefer

Women’s Highlights:
Maria Fecik, Kat Fahsbender, Terra Jackson — expect a great battle

That’s it for this week!
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