The Race Brain Drop vol. 28

Less Than a Week to Phoenix

We are less than a week out from the third Major of the season in Phoenix, AZ. The first Elite race of the weekend will be the individuals on Thursday, January 29th, with the women starting at 7:30pm MST and the men following at 9:00pm MST. The fields are set, and the race for three more World Championship qualifying spots will be tight.

Here’s a quick look at who we’ll see in the individual fields:

The Women’s Field

World Champs Qualified

Lauren Weeks
Joanna Wietrzyk
Vivian Tafuto
Jess Pettrow

Joanna will be attempting to go 3-for-3 on Major victories this season. Could we see the same podium that we started the year with in Hamburg?

Lucy Procter and Sinéad Bent both qualified in Melbourne but decided not to make the trip over.

With four qualifiers in the mix, the lowest you can finish and still get a bid to Stockholm is 7th place.

Majors Auto Qualifiers

Linda Meier – The defending World Champ is yet to lock up her spot for Stockholm. But she also didn’t qualify until the third Major in Las Vegas last season.

The Field (in order of time qualification)

Emilie Dahmen – Recently broke the 60-minute barrier with a 59:46 in Stockholm
Seka Arning – Solid early showing in Melbourne before a 6:14 Wall Ball derailed her race
Melanie Maurer – Fast on paper but hasn’t put it together on a Major stage this year
Gabrielle Nikora-Baker – Has proven she can travel and race, with qualifying times from Chicago and Boston
Lena Putters – A penalty cost her in Hamburg then she sat out Melbourne. But, if she is healthy she is a podium threat.
Manuela Garcia – Finished 11th in her Major debut
Elli Stenfors – Just missed qualifying in Melbourne by two spots

The Rookies

Charlie Searle
Gabriella Moriarty
Lauren Stockley

All three women come in with qualifying times from the London Excel course. Can they prove they belong?

The Men’s Field

World Champs Qualified

Alexander Roncevic
Dylan Scott
Charlie Botterill

Hunter McIntyre, Tim Wenisch, and Hidde Weersma all elected to skip this Major.

Roncevic and Scott are back after sitting out Melbourne. Could we see another 1–2 finish from them?

With only three auto-qualified men racing, the lowest you can place and still earn a bid is 6th place.

Majors Auto Qualifiers

Jon Wynn – Statistically the slowest PR, but always finds himself in the mix
James Kelly – Looking to bounce back from a disappointing 12th in Melbourne

The Field (in order of time qualification)

Emilio Aguayo – With times from Berlin and London, he needs a strong showing to prove he belongs
Sean Noble – Coming off Melbourne but dealing with a calf injury
Tomas Tvrdik – Crushed the 40–44 Age Group World Record recently; looks sharp
Rich Ryan – Looking to improve on his 6th in Hamburg
Cole Learn – After a strong debut can he take the next step and get a spot?
Luke Greer – This will be his Major debut after a blazing 54:38 in London
Josh Van Zeeland – He had the fastest run in Melbourne but faded at the Wall Balls ultimately finishing in 5th
Louis Osselaer – The other rookie who got his two qualifying times within 8 days in December
Alen Ploj – Motivated after being dropped by partner Jake Williamson in the Doubles
Beau Wills – The last man in, but a Major veteran always in the hunt

What’s on This Weekend

Two huge five-day events are underway in Amsterdam and Manchester. Notable results so far:

Hidde Weersma – 54:54 in Amsterdam
Charlie Botterill – 55:16 in Manchester
Osselaer & Enthoven – 49:30 in Pro Doubles

Stay tuned as there is plenty more racing still to come.

Big Changes Coming to HYROX

Mat Lock, Director of Sport, just announced major changes to the Elite qualifying system beginning in the 2026/2027 season. Check out the explainer here: