Over 3,000 HYROX athletes will descend upon Stockholm this week ahead of the 2026 World Championships. The lineup includes an elite roster of hopefuls hoping to excel on the biggest stage of all.
Following a grueling season across Majors and Regionals, which athletes are most likely to prevail in the elite divisions in Sweden? Let’s take a closer look at some of the names to pay close attention to.
Men’s Elite Athletes to Watch
These are the 5 men we are backing to shine in Stockholm.
Alexander Roncevic
Austrian Alexander Roncevic is widely regarded as one of the best HYROX athletes of all-time. The former swimmer heads to Sweden full of confidence after becoming the first athlete to finish in under 52 minutes at HYROX Warsaw.
The 2024 Elite Men world champion chalked 44 seconds off Hidde Weersma’s record. Roncevic, an On-sponsored athlete, started HYROX eight years ago and will be competing in his seventh World Championships.
His season includes a Men’s Pro Doubles world record (47m 40s) alongside Tim Wenisch, who will be one of his main contenders in the Elite 15. Roncevic is “trying to bring the title home after 2024” and is known for his efficiency in the SkiErg and burpee broad jumps.
Hidde Weersma
Dutchman Weersma has been on quite a journey. The former field hockey player is regarded as one of the most complete athletes in the Men’s Pro division. With a time of 52:42, Weersma was the first to go under 53 minutes at Olympia London.
The 2026 HYROX EMEA winner stands 6ft 3” (192cm) tall and has cemented his place as an Elite 15 regular. Weersma began his HYROX journey in 2022 and won the Men’s Pro 16-24 division that year.
Running 70km a week, Weersma finished 7th at the 2025 Worlds in Chicago and came third at the Hamburg Major. He is another who will compete in both singles and doubles divisions, the latter alongside compatriot Thierry Willigenberg.
Hunter McIntyre
McIntyre was runner-up at the 2025 Worlds, but is a 3x World Champion. The American last won in 2023, but he is still considered the strongest man in the field. He finished second at the Melbourne Major in a time of 54:15. The former world record holder can’t be ruled out in the Men’s Elite division.
Tim Wenisch
“Stockholm means a lot for me, I want to start a legacy there.” Those are the words of 2025 World Champion Tim Wenisch. In what is his 4th Elite qualification, the German won the Melbourne major in 54:09. Sponsored by Adidas, Wenisch ran 53:00 at the EMEA Regional Championships earlier this year.
Dylan Scott
Scott has 50 HYROX races under his belt and possesses incredible strength endurance. He often hangs back at the start of races before powering to the front. The American ran 52:40 in Warsaw, showcasing his enormous potential. He finished second in Hamburg and Warsaw, having finished third at the 2025 Worlds. The American 29-year-old is certainly not short of confidence, stating that “if I have a perfect day, I don’t think anybody’s beating me.”
Sean Noble
An absolute monster on the Kettlebell Carry, Irish athlete Sean Noble is always one to watch. He races with passion and confidence, and has recently gone full time, so we can expect to see improvements in his HYROX performances. He has signed new contracts, and I believe will compete with that same fire we are used to seeing.
Previously he was training whilst working full time as a solicitor, and has discussed recently how his training quality would sometimes suffer due to the realities of his everyday commitments. It is not easy to train in the morning, then do a 12-hour shift, then go back for a second session, but that’s what he had to do. In Stockholm we will see a new Sean Noble.
Tomas Tvrdik
A soldier, cyclist and former strongman competitor from The Czech Republic, Tvrdik is representing for the older athletes in HYROX.
At 40 years old, he has established one of the most impressive seasons on the HYROX circuit with Men’s Pro victories in Vienna and Katowice, and two fifth-place finishes at the Elite 15 Majors in Hamburg and Phoenix. He too has gone pro recently, opening up more time to train. We can expect to see this reflected in his performance in Sweden.
Elite Women to Follow
BOXROX will be paying close attention to these top female athletes:
Joanna Wietrzyk
Wietrzyk is the definition of an all-rounder. The Australian combined strength and speed to beat the Women’s Singles Pro world record at the Warsaw Major (54:25). This gave the sub-3-hour marathon runner a “Grand Slam” of Elite 15 Major wins, following successes in Hamburg, Melbourne, and Phoenix.
The 22-year-old has now beaten the Singles Pro record twice in 2026, having shaved 20 seconds off the time in Phoenix. Wietrzyk travels to Sweden in the hope of going one better than last year, when she was beaten by Germany’s Linda Meier by just 21 seconds.
The former tennis player and F45 coach will also form a formidable partnership with Jess Pettrow, who recorded a top 10 finish at the 2025 HYROX Worlds.
Alyssa McElheny
Alyssa McElheny came into HYROX with 23 years of running experience and has quickly established herself as a rising force, securing two first place finishes in Pro Women races in her first season.
Last year she also ran a 2:34:27 marathon which qualified her for the 2028 US Olympic trials. This combination of running speed and improving station execution has enabled her to compete with and beat some of the best HYROX athletes out there. She told BOXROX that for her, a HYROX feels short, as she is used to running marathon distances.
Lauren Weeks
Weeks has enjoyed a strong season. She finished in the top three at all four majors in 2026 and is one of the favorites for the Doubles title in Stockholm, where the American will team up with Vivian Tafuto.
“The biggest goal would obviously be to stand on the top of the podium. The reason being I have not got to do that with my daughter yet”. It’s clear to see Weeks’ motivation, and only Wietrzyk and Linda Meier finished ahead of her at the World Championships 12 months ago.
Linda Meier
Meier produced a flawless performance to be crowned World Champion in Chicago last year. The German set a PB of 58:56 to win. This season she finished fourth at the Phoenix Major. One of the few Elite competitors to retain a full-time job, Meier recently spoke of her future in HYROX: “Every time I think it might be my last race, there’s another great race coming up where I surprise myself.”
Lucy Procter
A time of 1:00:54 meant that Procter finished fifth at the 2025 World Championships. The British athlete produced her best-ever Elite performance after finishing third at the Melbourne Major. She has her heart set on another strong showing in Sweden, stating, “In terms of positioning, I would love a top 5 finish. That was my goal last year. I did it. This year, the competition is even more crazy, and if the best version of me is there on race day, then I can target the podium.”
Wrapping it Up
Stockholm will deliver one of the strongest HYROX World Championship fields in recent memory. In the men’s race, Austrian Alexander Roncevic enters as a major favorite after becoming the first athlete in history to break the 52-minute barrier with his world-record performance in Warsaw. However, he faces serious challenges from 2025 World Champion Tim Wenisch, EMEA champion Hidde Weersma, and three-time World Champion Hunter McIntyre. Dylan Scott is always worth a bet as well. Emerging contenders such as Sean Noble and Tomas Tvrdik add further depth, each arriving in Sweden after career-best seasons and significant improvements in training conditions.
The women’s competition will be equally exciting. Joanna Wietrzyk has established herself as the athlete to beat after claiming all four Elite 15 Major victories and breaking the world record twice during the 2026 season. Yet reigning World Champion Linda Meier has proven her ability to deliver under pressure, while Lauren Weeks continues to demonstrate elite level consistency with podium finishes at every Major this year. Alyssa McElheny’s exceptional running pedigree and rapid rise in HYROX, combined with Lucy Procter’s growing confidence following her breakthrough 2025 campaign, ensure that the battle for podium positions will be fiercely contested.
With world champions, record holders, and breakthrough athletes all converging in Sweden, the 2026 HYROX World Championships will be a memorable weekend.
Learn how to improve your own HYROX performances with top tips from Gabrielle Nikora-Baker, fellow Kiwi Beau Wills and endurance star Alyssa McElheny.
