The penultimate weekend in April witnessed some incredible moving and shaking at the top echelons of the 2023 HYROX World Championships qualifying races.
On April 22, the last qualifier race on U.S. soil came to Anaheim, CA, where Megan Jacoby became the first woman to complete the race in under 60 minutes, claiming a new world record in the process.
With her blazing pace of 58:58, Jacoby took back the title of world record holder from Swedish athlete Mikaela Norman. In doing so, Jacoby is now the first woman to complete a HYROX pro race in less than an hour.
[Read More: The Ultimate Guide to HYROX, “The World Series of Fitness”]
Hunter McIntyre also came out to take a shot at breaking his current world record, a blistering 54:07 time that he set in Barcelona earlier this season. Instead of setting a new record, though, McIntyre dropped out of the race when he realized he wasn’t on the pace he’d been hoping for.
Check out the full HYROX Anaheim results below:
Anaheim Elite Women’s Division Results
- Megan Jacoby (USA) — 00:58:58
- Belle Macfarlane (USA) — 1:04:08
- Lauren Rantala (USA) — 1:08:38
- Lauren Griffith (ESP) — 1:11:05
- Kayti Simonson (CAN) — 1:11:14
- Jen Thompson (USA) — 1:11:58
- Alex Shabo (USA) — 1:14:10
- Kelsea Sloss (USA) — 1:17:14
- Kendall Robowski (USA) — 1:18:02
- Samantha Faddis (USA) — 1:18:44
- Lauren White (USA) — 1:19:07
- Lindsey Diefenderfer(USA) — 1:20:34
HYROX Anaheim Elite Men’s Division Results
- Ryan Kent (USA) — 00:57:10
- Anass Zouhry (USA)— 01:00:50
- Rich Ryan (USA)— 01:01:11
- Marc Howe (USA) — 01:01:36
- Grady Jackson (USA) — 01:02:22
- Jesse Bruce (USA) — 01:03:02
- Chaz Hatton (USA) — 01:07:11
- Zachary Wade (USA) — 01:08:57
- Adrian Dahlin (USA) — 1:09:09
- Juan Herrerra (USA) — 1:09:42
- Tim Snee (USA) — 1:10:39
- Luca Lorenzoni (USA) — 1:11:04
[Read More: 2023 HYROX European Championships Results — Alexander Roncevic, Lauren Weeks Victorious]
2023 HYROX Anaheim Women’s Recap
On the women’s side, Jacoby knows what it’s like to hold a world record. She took home the temporary crown at the Chicago 2022 race, where she ran a then-world record race at 1:01:56. Jacoby did that only to be dethroned by Mikaela Norman, who improved on Jacoby’s record by nearly a full minute in the Hamburg race that same year.
Since then, Lauren Weeks has also eclipsed that 1:01:56 mark. But none of the women had broached the 60-minute barrier — until Anaheim. Jacoby finished HYROX Anaheim in 58 minutes and 58 seconds, climbing back to the top of the world record throne in an excellent fashion.
But that wasn’t all from the women’s side.
American athlete Belle Macfarlane was expected to be an athlete to watch at this competition, and she did not disappoint. Her time of 1:04:08 secured her a spot in the Elite 15 heat at the World Championships race in Manchester, UK, scheduled for May 22-23, 2023. As a cherry on top, she also took home second place.
Lauren Rantala also had an outstanding performance on the women’s side. She came in third place and ran an excellent race. Rantala has shared on social media that she has dealt with some health issues, including an ankle injury and a seizure, over the past few months. It was undoubtedly encouraging to fans to see her back on course in true form.
[Read More: 2023 HYROX Köln Results — Alina Willnow, Tobias Lautwein, And Tom Hogan Climb To The Elite 15]
A relatively new name on the scene, Lauren Griffith, set a personal best of 1:11:05. This put her in fourth place on the women’s side. Griffith has been making quick progress as she entered the sport and is one to watch.
2023 HYROX Anaheim Men’s Recap
On the men’s side, McIntyre came to the United States looking to break his own world record. There is a lot of chatter in HYROX circles about European courses feeling “fast.” So McIntyre brought his fitness and determination, ready to show everyone he could break the record he set at 2023 HYROX Barcelona on U.S. soil.
But it was not to be this time around. When McIntyre realized he was not on pace to break the record, he dropped from the race. Not all days are for breaking records, so he bowed out.
Also in the men’s division, Ryan Kent — the 2023 HYROX North American Champion — took home the win. He finished the race in 57:10 and had a spectacular performance. He may not have broken a record or set a PB (personal best), but he was still amazing to watch. Anass Zouhry came in second place, nearly four minutes behind Kent.
Marc Howe really stepped up in this race, ultimately coming in fourth place and proving he’s someone to keep an eye on moving forward.
Rich Ryan’s Journey to the Elite 15
American athlete Rich Ryan fell short of his goal to get a fast enough time to make his way into the Elite 15 heat at the World Championships. He gave Zouhry a run for his money and ultimately found himself a couple of minutes off of his personal best. Ryan came in third place for the weekend, but it wasn’t enough to secure him that Elite 15 ranking.
After the race, Ryan told BarBend that he doesn’t think he’ll be trying to secure that spot in the next few weeks, preferring to keep an eye on his overall health rather than over-exerting himself before the World Championships.
“Overall, the race was a bit of a disappointment,” he said. “I had a bit of a training setback the past two or three weeks, and that threw a wrench into the whole thing…I’m not quite sure if I’m going to give this another shot. I need to make sure I’m back in good health…The goal would be to go to the World Championships and do well, not necessarily just to be at the World Championships.”
What’s Next in HYROX?
2023 HYROX Málaga victor Camilla Massa recently announced her plans to head to the World Championships and compete in the age group heat. She is likely crossing her fingers for a rolldown position to get her into the Elite 15 heat, the most coveted spot in the HYROX World Championships.
Qualifying races from London to Hong Kong will take place between the HYROX Anaheim race and the 2023 World Championships at the end of May. At those races, athletes can attempt to get onto the Elite 15 leaderboard. Check back with BarBend’s coverage to see who will advance.
Featured Image Courtesy of HYROX
