Montana Jones was exceptional in the women's solo.
The Deniliquin Motiv8 team took on Sydney HYROX at Sydney Olympic Park over the weekend, with athletes of all experience levels stepping up to challenge themselves on one of the world’s fastest-growing fitness race courses.
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HYROX is a global fitness race that combines 8km of running with eight functional workout stations (such as sled pushes, rowing, burpees, and wall balls).
Designed for everyday athletes and elites alike, it tests strength, endurance, and overall fitness in a standardised competition format.
Motiv8 owner Hope Spalding - who was also one of the competitors - said it was as “incredible weekend filled with determination, personal bests, first-time competitors and unforgettable performances”.
“The atmosphere throughout the event was electric, and watching each athlete give their all was truly inspiring,” she said.
Kicking off the weekend were Kellie and Kevin de Kryger, who first raced together in Brisbane.
Since then, both have committed themselves to improving their running pace and overall fitness.
Kellie and Kevin De Kryger shaved 13 minutes from their personal best time.
Their hard work paid off as they crossed the finish line in 1 hour 30 minutes, shaving an impressive 13 minutes off their previous time to record a huge personal best.
Next up were Allan Bond and John Glowrey.
Glowrey stepped in as Bond’s race partner just six weeks before the event, as his original partner was sidelined through injury.
Despite never having raced before and not knowing quite what to expect, the pair executed their race plan brilliantly, running consistently and playing to their strengths across the workout stations. They finished with an outstanding time of 1 hour 29 minutes.
Hope Spalding (back) and Steph Birk on the rower.
Spalding and Steph Birk returned to Sydney for their second HYROX race together.
While they didn’t quite achieve a personal best on this occasion, they still delivered a strong performance, finishing in 1 hour 24 minutes and, most importantly, enjoying every minute of the experience.
Daisy Holden took on a huge challenge by racing the women’s solo division for the first time.
Completing the entire course on her own, Holden showed tremendous grit and determination to finish in an excellent time of 1 hour 28 minutes.
The standout performance of the weekend belonged to Motiv8 coach Montana Jones.
After completing her first solo race in Brisbane earlier this year, Jones arrived in Sydney determined to see what she was truly capable of.
What followed was nothing short of remarkable.
She crossed the finish line in an incredible 1 hour 5 minutes, earning multiple race achievements along the way.
Montana Jones finished third overall, out of 2053 athletes.
She secured a Sub-66 patch, completed all 100 wall balls unbroken to earn the coveted Red Bull 100 patch, and most impressively, finished third out of 2,053 athletes in her division.
Her performance was a testament to months of hard work, dedication and belief, and served as inspiration for both her teammates and fellow competitors.
Sunday was for the men’s solo races.
Ryan Chadderton tackled his first HYROX event and impressed from start to finish.
Maintaining a consistent running pace and performing strongly across all workout stations, he completed the course in an excellent time of 1 hour 17 minutes.
The final Motiv8 athlete to race was Jarryd Pearce, who returned to the course for his second HYROX event.
Jarryd Pearce during the lunge.
After six months of dedicated training and a strong focus on improving his Melbourne performance, his hard work paid off.
Significant improvements across every station and a strong running pace helped him achieve a fantastic time of 1 hour 18 minutes, shaving 10-minutes off his personal best.
The Motiv8 team now turns its attention to Melbourne in December, where they will once again test themselves against the HYROX course.
“If you’ve ever thought about giving HYROX a go, now is the perfect time to join the team and get involved,” Spalding said.
