By Chelsy Rickard and Anica Hattingh
Several Maties competed in the Cape Town HYROX event held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) in early April. Among the winners were four students – three of whom are currently studying at SU – who placed first in their respective categories.
Frans van der Merwe, a third-year Industrial Engineering student, and Liza du Toit, a second-year BCom (Management Accounting) student, claimed first place in their age group (16–24) in the Mixed Doubles division, with a time of 58 minutes and 55 seconds.
Caelan Armour (a third-year Events Management student at The Aleit Academy) and Tayla Haslam (a third-year BCom (Investment Management) student) also celebrated a win in the Women’s Doubles, 16-24 age group. They achieved the winning time of one hour and eight minutes.
What is HYROX?
HYROX is a hybrid race consisting of eight kilometres of running and eight functional workout stations. The stations include Ski Erg, Sled Push, Sled Pull, Burpee Broad Jumps, Row Erg, Farmer’s Carry, Sandbag Lunges and Wall Balls.
Their official website notes that after launching in Germany in 2017, HYROX quickly established itself as the fastest-growing fitness sport in the world.
HYROX currently hosts events in more than 11 countries and first took place in South Africa in September 2024. Since then, it has rapidly grown in popularity, with 6 441 athletes taking part in the recent HYROX event at the CTICC.
Winners reflect on their journey and results
This was Du Toit’s first HYROX event, and the duo was both “shocked and happy” to learn about their win. This duo only trained for about two weeks after competing in the Pass2Pass trail run – incorporating HYROX classes with their usual running sessions. Their win put them in 58th position globally and allowed them to qualify for the world championships, which they will take part in Sweden this June.
“We have already bought our tickets. There is no turning back now!” says Du Toit. “The most important thing is just to enter, start and show up,” Du Toit encourages future athletes.
Two days after his initial win with Du Toit, Van der Merwe took a second age-group podium in the Male Doubles division with his partner Jacques Badenhorst. Badenhorst and Van der Merwe claimed second place overall with a time of 54 minutes and 52 seconds.
Haslam said, “Competing is always exciting, but doing it alongside my best friend made it something really special.” She notes that in the moments when it became physically and mentally challenging, Armour was right beside her, encouraging her to push forward to the finish line.
“We relied on each other to keep going,” Haslam said, reflecting on how stepping onto the podium solidified all their hard work and sacrifices leading up to HYROX.
Armour shared that she and Haslam have been competing in HYROX since last year, placing fourth in their age group on two previous occasions – at HYROX Cape Town 2025 and HYROX Johannesburg 2025 – before securing their win this year.
Their goal this year was to place on the podium, and Armour said that winning felt “like everything came full circle”.
For Haslam and Armour, a calm mindset and strong friendship were what carried them through both training and competing. “We pray for strength in the tough moments, and that we will get through the race safely and injury-free,” Armour said. She continued, “That mindset really keeps us steady and focused when it matters most.”
Die Matie journalist also competes at the HYROX event
Among the crowd of Maties that took place, Chelsy Rickard, a journalist for Die Matie, also competed in the HYROX Women’s Doubles Division with her partner Feanne Swart.
“HYROX Cape Town was a challenging, empowering and exciting event to be a part of,” said Rickard. “After nine weeks of following a strict training program – consisting of strength, hybrid and running workouts – the race was a rewarding experience. I found it to be a great way to stretch my limits, and the support and energy at the event contributed to a lively atmosphere and great vibe. I look forward to the next one!”
With standout performances, personal milestones and a strong sense of camaraderie, the HYROX event (that took place from 3 to 5 April) proved to be both a competitive and deeply rewarding experience for Maties athletes.
Aspiring competitors can look ahead to the next Cape Town HYROX event, set to take place from 14 to 15 August, for the chance to experience the “immersive and electrifying” race, as described by HYROX’s official webpage, firsthand.
