Looking Ahead to Melbourne

With the three-week cutoff for qualifying times behind us, it’s officially time to look ahead to the next Major in Melbourne. It’s been a hectic start to the season—only seven weeks have passed since Hamburg—and already we’re seeing some serious shakeups. While athlete attendance isn’t confirmed just yet, here are some new faces we may see making their Major debut:

Individual Men (Potential Major Debuts)

  • Cole Learn – A blazing 54:36 in Chicago made him the 8th fastest man in HYROX history.
  • Josh Van Zeeland – Fresh off a win over James Kelly in Seoul he seems poised for a breakout
  • Charlie Botterill – Times of 54:39 and 55:31 in a two-week span catapulted him into 11th.
  • Alen Ploj – After qualifying in Hamburg for Doubles, we now get to see him in the individual race
  • Maarten Enthoven – Straight out of a strong performance in Dublin. Is this the start of a Dutch takeover?

Individual Women (Potential Major Debuts)

  • Gabrielle Nikora-Baker – Earned her spot after two trips to the U.S. How fast can she go without the travel?
  • Manuela García Caparrós – 1:01:01 in Dublin locked her into 13th.
  • Kat Parnell – Made her mark in Hamburg Doubles; now moving into the indvidual realm
  • Elli Stenfors – Will become Finland’s first ever Elite 15 athlete.
  • Sophia Parvizi Wayne – Ran a 1:02:16 in Bordeaux the day before the cutoff to sneak into the field

Depending on roll-downs, Morgan Schulz, Vicky Macintosh, and Gloria Corbetta may also make their first Major appearance.

HYROX Regional Championships Announced

The dates are now official:

  • 🌎 Americas: March 7–8, 2026 – Washington, D.C.
  • 🌍 EMEA: March 21–22, 2026
  • 🌏 APAC: April 9–12, 2026

As in past seasons, these will be Open weight races, except for the Elite 15. It's the only opportunity this season to qualify for World Championships using Open weights. Tickets go on sale December 2nd.

Top Performers Last Week

  • Cole Learn – 54:36 in Chicago against a stacked field.
  • Maarten Enthoven – 54:58 and the win in Dublin.
  • Melanie Maurer – 1:00:38, now in the top 10 all-time for women.
  • Kat Parnell – 1:00:54, also breaking into the top 10 fastest Pro women ever.

What to Watch This Weekend

HYROX continues its global blitz with races in Bordeaux, Dallas, and Shanghai.

  • Shanghai:
    • Watch out for Gabe Heck, a multi-time Major competitor aiming to lay down a strong time.
  • Dallas Doubles (Sunday):
    • Men:
      • Hunter McIntyre & Jake Williamson
      • Stephen Pelkofer & Dylan Scott
      • Jack Driscoll & Ryan Douglas
      • Issac Sanderson & Cole Learn
    • Women:
      • Kat Fahsbender & Morgan Schulz
      • Terra Jackson & Maria Fecik

This Week on Race Brain

Matt and Brakken are back with special guest Dawson Miller for a behind-the-scenes look at the Chicago HYROX weekend.

That’s a wrap for this week! Good luck to everyone racing, and we’ll catch you next week with more updates from across the HYROX world.