October 29, 2026

HYROX Eyes Olympics, Intake Raises $62M, Wellness Hits a Wall

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Hybrid racing eyes the big leagues

HYROX partnered with World Triathlon to establish governance of the sport of Hybrid Racing as it pursues Olympic inclusion.

The deal gives World Triathlon responsibility for governing and sanctioning hybrid racing globally and introduces three race formats: Fast, a sprint-style event; Ultra, built around endurance; and Ultimate, which mirrors HYROX’s signature competition.
World Triathlon’s network of more than 177 national federations could help take the sport beyond existing events, building on HYROX’s broader ambition to become a year-round fitness platform.

An Olympic pathway would give hybrid racing a much larger stage — and could accelerate growth across the ecosystem forming around it.

Nasal strips are becoming performance enhancers

Instake Breathing, maker of magnetic nasal strips, raised $62M as it scales across performance and general wellness.

Born in motocross, Intake uses magnetic skin adhesives to open the nasal passages, and improve respiration. Positioning better inflow as a competitive edge, it’s also targeting consumers looking to improve nighttime breathing.
The category has room to grow: Intake says roughly three-quarters of its customers are first-time nasal strip users. Meanwhile, category leader Breathe Right has reportedly grown 60% YoY since 2022, with revenue nearing $200M.

The opportunity is to make a simple, familiar product part of a broader performance and wellness routine.

Wellness loses touch with consumers

New Circana data suggests the wellness industry is struggling to turn consumer interest into meaningful results.

Just 38% of US consumers are satisfied with the return on their wellness spending. While 43% plan to exercise more, only 18% stick to a structured routine, with time, cost, and a lack of know-how getting in the way.
Consumers also want a less rigid version of healthy living. 60% are interested in making healthier choices, but 80% want room for indulgences.

The findings point to a gap between the wellness industry’s emphasis on optimization and the realities of everyday life. Consumers still want to feel better, but routines that are expensive, complicated, or difficult to sustain may be missing what makes healthy habits stick.

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