Two Leeds women qualify for World Championship of 'gruelling' Hyrox race after qualifying in New York competition
Two Leeds woman have qualified for the World Championships of “one of the world’s fastest growing and toughest fitness competitions”.
Hannah Chatterton, 34, and Nicola Simpson, 49, will now take part in the Hyrox World Championships after a standout performance at a competition in New York of the up-and-coming-fitness craze.
Hannah, a teacher at QEGS Wakefield, and her training partner Nicola, who works for BT in Leeds, travelled across the Atlantic for their first ever Pro level Hyrox race last month, completing the full course in a fantastic time of 1:13:55 and securing 2nd place in their age category.
Their result qualified them for next year’s world championship finals in Sweden, which will bring together the world’s best Hyrox athletes.
What is Hyrox?
Described as “the marathon of fitness”, Hyrox combines endurance running with strength and functional fitness challenges.
Competitors complete eight kilometres of running, broken up by a further eight workout stations that include sled pushes, sled pulls, wall balls, rowing, farmer’s carries, burpee broad jumps and sandbag lunges.
Unlike other fitness competitions that require specific technical skills like Olympic lifting, Hyrox is designed to be accessible — but no less punishing — making it one of the fastest growing mass participation fitness events worldwide.
Hannah said: “It’s a real test of overall fitness.
“You need endurance, strength, and mental toughness — and you need to pace yourself because the stations come thick and fast between each kilometre of running.
“There’s nothing quite like it.”
Months of Hard Work
The Leeds pair trained five to six times a week at Elevate Fitness in Denby Dale — a Hyrox-affiliated gym — juggling intense sessions around their full-time jobs.
Their routine included long runs, speed intervals, strength training and weekly brutal personal training sessions with their coach, Martin Shaw.
Martin said: “Their commitment has been phenomenal.
“We built their plan around consistency, injury prevention and building their engine. To get a time like 1:13:55 in their first pro race shows just how hard they’ve worked.”
Nicola added: “When we started, we never imagined we’d be qualifying for a world championship. It’s surreal. But we’ve loved every part of the journey — even the brutal training days!”
Next Stop: Sweden 2026
Now the focus shifts to the Hyrox World Championships in Sweden next year, where the best Hyrox athletes from around the world will compete.
Hannah said: “We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved so far.
“New York was amazing, but Sweden will be another level — we’re excited to see what we can do.”
Nicola added: “But first — a little rest, and a well-earned glass of wine. Or two.”