Kat hits HYROX heights in Chicago World Championships

Chichester athlete Kat Zlotowska has joined an elite group of competitors selected to take part in the World Championships for the world’s fastest growing fitness craze, HYROX.  A Cleaning Services Operational Manager at the University of Chichester by day, Kat qualified by winning her first-ever HYROX race in Poland.

HYROX is a fitness event designed to test participants’ strength, endurance and overall fitness. Since its debut in 2017, the sport has grown rapidly with over 80 events around the world in 2025. Competitors must complete an 8km run, stopping every 1km to complete one of eight tough exercises which include a 50m sled push, a 1000m row and a 100m run with 20kg of sandbags.

Kat only began her HYROX journey just over a year ago, when she and a friend decided to compete as a pair at the HYROX national event in Poland. Although she describes herself a ‘sporty person’, this was Kat’s first venture into HYROX competition.

To their surprise, they won their age category in their first-ever event. This gave them automatic entry to the HYROX World Championships in Chicago, where they competed in the Pro category.

Kat explained: “We were out in Chicago for a week to attend the opening event, before our competition on Sunday. We had a time in mind, but we had a few challenges to contend with due to injury, so we weren’t sure how we’d go. It was tough, but overall we’re really pleased with how we did. It was an amazing experience and also great to see the elite athletes compete in their race – we couldn’t believe how fast they ran!”

So what’s next for Kat? She plans to keep competing and has also signed up for a 10k run in the New Forest later this year.