Gyms are turning members into competitors.
New entry. The latest operator advancing the fitness-as-sport movement, Aussie functional fitness franchise REVL Training hosted 450+ athletes for its WHOOP-sponsored global Team Games, with plans to pilot underground races year-round.
On your mark. Nothing new, from daily WODs and local throwdowns to global stages, CrossFit put competitive fitness on the map. Then, HYROX mainstreamed fitness racing, expanding the demo and transforming the affiliate model with in-gym training centers.
Next heat. Now, as fitness shapes culture, identity, and community, gyms are reimagining in-house challenges to deepen engagement and keep members training with purpose.
Crowning champs, Life Time, The Athletic Clubs, and Alpha Fit Club all hosted their own version of in-club, competition-based “Games.” Sanctioning remote races, Technogym launched a treadmill championship.
Part race, part spectator event, NYC’s Urban Iron and Red Bull’s Gym Clash are scaling hybrid fitness events.
Punchline: As a new engagement engine, gym-run competitions create purpose, progression, and belonging — locking in committed members and building communities that last year-round.