Abu Dhabi to host UAE's first Hyrox event — here's what to wear to it and why
DATA ON POINT
I've worn a Whoop since 2020 — incidentally, the same year the wearable fitness device alerted me to having Covid days before a test confirmed it. Early iterations of the screen-free wearable tracked strain, recovery, and sleep in granular detail. This year, Whoop's 5.0 edition adds ageing, heart rhythm, and blood pressure metrics for, arguably, the most accurate longevity-optimising personal data commercially available. The device operates on a subscription model, costing Dh1,379 a year for Whoop's top-tier Life membership, which offers all the new features. Sweat in one of the standard knit bands, then switch for a leather style to lift your fitness look outside of the gym.
SPEED SHOES
With a Hyrox race incorporating running, strength and agility, you'll need a shoe that's lightweight, stable and teched-up to give you a time advantage. Some long-distance running shoes might be too bouncy for corner turns and won't offer enough stability for the sandbag lunges or hold traction on the sled stations, while a CrossFit-style shoe is likely too stiff for the runs. Puma, an official Hyrox partner, has engineered its Deviate Nitro 3 shoes specifically for the demands of a Hyrox race. The Elite edition features a full-length carbon plate to propel you through the eight 1k runs, and frankly, I'd take all the help I could get.
ATHLETIC AI
Okay, so you can't get artificial intelligence (AI) to go to the gym for you, but we are starting to see how it will be harnessed in the fitness arena. Oakley's new athletically-styled Meta HSTN glasses play motivational music via the open-ear speakers, record race videos hands-free (and post them to your Stories), while its in-built AI assistant answers questions about your pace and performance. Think of them as the most personal of trainers.
FIT KIT
The average Hyrox competitor takes around an hour and a half to complete the course, so your outfit needs to last the distance (and look good on the winner's podium). Dubai-based brand Allez Kit's hybrid workout top combines strong built-in support (no need for a separate sports bra), cooling fabric and a compressive construction to propel performance, and was designed specifically for the combination of speed and strength that Hyrox entails. Elaf Jamal wore it to take first place in the Hyrox Sharjah women's over 40s open doubles earlier this year, and says: 'I felt like the prettiest woman in the world.' Also, one of the fastest. Puma's Hyrox-branded Cloudspun 3' shorts are a neat way to finish the look, and monochrome styling matches the black-and-white winners' flags.
FASHION FLEX
There are gym bags, and then there is Saint Laurent's jacquard logo duffle bag. Its sporty styling is offset with an unapologetically bold logo that semaphores a fusion of fashion and fitness. Just don't let your electrolyte drink leak all over the reassuringly expensive interior.
HEALTH GOALS
Launched earlier this year to a flurry of Blend it Like Beckham headlines, IM8's one-and-done daily supplement boasts 92 ingredients, was co-founded by David Beckham, and developed with experts from the Mayo Clinic, NASA, and the University of Oxford. Intended to replace the multitude of supplements that biohackers (and Beckham) find themselves knocking back each day, the powdered drink covers all the essentials, from hydration to gut health. Also athlete-backed, and with US military contracts to boot, Momentous's 'Fuel' sachets provide a carb and electrolyte mix for workouts lasting over 60 minutes.
HAUTE HYDRATION
The most photogenic Hyrox race in the world took place in Paris's Grand Palais earlier this year, with competitors bathed in dappled sunlight filtering through the glass dome roof. Abu Dhabi, in July, may not be quite as compatible with the elements, but for a piece of je ne sais quoi along the course, Dior's 'Plan de Paris' water bottle maps out the city's streets, so while you're battling through the Farmer's Carry you can imagine the 16kg kettlebells are actually shopping bags laden with couture.
PODIUM FINISH
The women's Euros footballers favour a high pony, but the hairstyle of choice for Hyrox-style fitness races is a double French braid, which has the benefits of looking fierce, while staying put throughout gruelling exertion, impermeable to sweat. The fitness pros I know swear by Slick Stick as an alt to hairspray and kirby grips; a neat mascara wand for your hair that tames flyaways and keeps hairlines sleek and polished. To boost energy and support cell growth, a spoonful of Cymbiotika's Liposomal Vitamin B12 and B6 will rev up your reps, and once you've crossed the finish line a spray of The Neu Co.'s Magnesium Ease counteracts the build-up of lactic acid and calcium, ensuring post-race recovery.
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