Can’t handle Hyrox? Try this new fitness competition which is heading to one of London’s kitschiest landmarks

an ai rendering of what the Flatout competition by Tower Bridge will look like as the competitors run past to the finish line — (Image credit: FLATOUT)

You can barely exist in London without someone mentioning they’re training for a Hyrox. Whether you’re in the pub or the park, someone will casually bring it up, or be donning merch items from competitions they’ve completed, or you’ll be scrolling through a dating app and seeing it as a woeful prompt. Either way, it’s a growing epidemic, and the obsession just got yet another unofficial spin-off.

FLATOUT is not just how you feel once you’ve competed but the name of London’s latest “Hyrox-style” fitness race. It’s a full race-day challenge that’s built to test pace, power, and mindset. Similar to Hyrox, it combines running and functional workout zones into one full race. All of this will be coming to the Old Billingsgate Market in Tower Bridge in September.

an ai rendering of what the competition will look like as the runners race to the ending point past spectators on London's Southbank opposite the Shard

Across the race, competitors will take on 4km of running in total, all broken down into 8 x 500-metre runs. The zones include: SkiErg, Goblet Squats, BikeErg, burpees (CTFs), Row Erg, Farmer Carry, lunges and GTOs (Ground to Overheads, i.e. you’ll be lifting a weighted object like a barbell or weight plate). Similar to Hyrox, the race format varies depending on what type of entrant you are; as well as the standard solo or doubles (both mixed and single sex), FLATOUT offers Elite, Relay, NextGen, and Sidekicks. Elite is essentially a pro-level, “built for those who want more from their training”, whilst NextGen is built for athletes aged 8-15. Sidekicks is a mix between the two, where one adult and one junior participant race together, sort of like a parent-child bonding for people who take communal electrolytes and green powder in the mornings.

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It’s possibly one of the most scenic venues to be puffing away in, looking out over the Thames as you hide your red face. Also, FLATOUT is built around local gyms, with each zone being run by a local gym, meaning a qualified person will be overseeing each wave of competitors and making sure racers get through it properly and safely. Also, unlike most Hyrox arenas, the running sections will be outside, with racers being able to take in historic views of London’s sweeping skyline as they plod.

Tickets are still available for the London competition at Old Billingsgate, which is taking place on the 25th and 26th September. The ticket prices depend a little on what you're going for, but a solo entry is around £99, which will not only give you access to the comp, but a free spectator entry for any patient family members or friends, free professional pics, merch, and a medal, which is what it's all about really, isn't it?

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Hermione Blandford is the Content Editor for Shortlist’s social media which means you can usually find her scrolling through Instagram and calling it work, or stopping random people in the street and accosting them with a mini mic. She has previously worked in food and drink PR for brands including Johnnie Walker, Tanqueray, Gordon's, The Singleton, Lagavulin and Don Julio which means she is a self confessed expert in spicy margaritas and pints, regularly popping into the pub in the name of research.