How Dubai's 62-year-old mum and daughter trained for HYROX: UAE voices on tackling the 8k fitness race

Dubai-based Nadia Swan doesn’t quite know what ‘possessed’ her to attempt HYROX, a competition that combines 8km of running with eight high-intensity, metabolic exercises.

But, as the old adage goes, no gain comes without pain, and her story reflects just that, including a swollen ankle. Still, she is glad that she did it, leaving a trail of inspiration behind.

Her ‘moment of madness’ has become a badge of pride.

Swan shares, “I agreed to do a high rocks doubles, a woman’s doubles with my daughter, Lianna Swan. "I’m 62. She’s 28. We blamed each other for the idea,” she laughs. Nevertheless, they started training in January. “I live in Dubai, she lives in London, so we were training separately. I thought it was really quite challenging because I'm not a runner.” High Rocks doubles is  a team obstacle, fitness race for pairs, combining running and functional fitness challenges.

 As she says, if you're a runner and you're doing High Rocks, that’s kind of the hardest part made easy, because you have to do eight one-kilometre runs. “For the stations in the middle, I had a great personal trainer, a guy by the name of, young fellow by the name of Alex Millington, who's also done it before. And I've been training with him for some time,” adds Swan.

The training was intense, involving a lot lifting, pushing and making sure that you are prepared for the exercises.  However, as luck would have it, six weeks before she was due to take part in it, Swan fell over and twisted her ankle. “So, my ankle swelled up and I was hobbling about for a little bit of time, but I still then managed to do some core work and upper body work. So I did get through it. I was quite worried about whether it was going to work.”

 On the day, she was tense. Her sense of humour almost failed her, as she wondered, could she get through this? And, she was worried about letting her daughter down. “She's a qualified PT and she's into fitness and she's swum in the Olympics. She's really good. She works for a ladies, a girls fitness app called Shreddy. So,  she trained as well.”

 In the day, they set off, and there were several women’s doubles. “We sort of got around it,” explains Swan.  “And poor old Lianna, she was trying to kind of gee me on and cheer me up. And I was as miserable as sin doing the run. Didn't mind doing the heavy lifting.”

 Lianna did quite a bit of the ‘hard work’, on many of the stations, says Swan. “It was great fun. I was really pleased that I did it. It's kind of just a small, another small achievement. I've said, I've done something that I was really very, very nervous about doing.”

 She encourages other people to do it. “My sister's now, funnily enough, doing one on her own this year because she was quite inspired. And my husband, who was training to do the high rocks, he ended up just at the last minute doing a men's doubles with my PT's trainer's father, actually. So it's all a bit complicated. But, and they actually came third in their age group.”

 Swan adds clearly, “It's a great event for people of all ages. What I would say is if you're a runner, you're more than halfway there."

For other UAE HYROX competitors, the challenge is just as compelling. Evan Macari explains how it taps straight into his competitive core. “For me HYROX was about the competition. I come from a competitive background so naturally I always gravitate to that.”

 That mindset shaped how he approached the sport, and how his training evolved. “My training changed quite a bit as I was a competitive CrossFit athlete, transitioning to HYROX was a bit of a change. But one I preferred.” The shift, however, came with a clear realisation about what Hyrox demands. “HYROX is a running race so it definitely pays to spend more time running or training more like an endurance athlete.”

 Still, the race format doesn’t mean strength takes a back seat. “This didn’t mean I stopped my strength or station work. I still included a lot of strength training as you also need to be able to complete the stations in HYROX.

 While competition was the initial pull, the lifestyle appeal quickly followed. “As I said, I went for the competition. But the fact it allowed me to travel after my races is a bonus. You can take part in HYROX in nearly every city at this rate.” That accessibility, he believes, is part of the magic. “The travel element definitely pushes people to get involved and take part.”

Looking ahead, Macari sees no slowdown. “I think HYROX is here to stay and only get bigger.” The reason is simple. “It is more appealing to people as everyone can take part. It’s that simple.” There’s no technical barrier to entry, no intimidation factor. “There are no major skills involved and if you want to walk at any point you can.” And for many, the social side seals the deal. “The fact people can do it with friends and then have a weekend away in a different city is so appealing to people.”

 That sense of challenge-meets-accessibility resonates with first-timers too. For Nikila Zachariah, Senior Communications Executive, the leap into Hyrox felt natural,  but not effortless. “Given I've been doing Crossfit for a year, it was a fairly smooth transition into getting into Hyrox.” She’s quick to point out that it’s a different story for others. “But I'd assume it would be quite hard for someone who doesn't run a lot or work on strength at first.”

 The early stages, she admits, can be unforgiving. “In the beginning, it was really hard and it's all about pacing yourself so you don't burn yourself out in the beginning and you're able to sustain your energy throughout the entire program.” Yet that difficulty is precisely the draw. “That being said, it's a challenge that many love pushing themselves just to see how much you can actually take, kind of like a benchmark to your overall fitness.”

And so, for those willing to try, the finish line is just the beginning.