The functional fitness landscape is evolving fast, and with it comes a new player aiming to reshape how athletes compete, measure progress, and experience competition. Enter Xenom (pronounced zen-om), a large-scale competitive format designed specifically for the global CrossFit community.
In a recent conversation with Wilson Pak, one of the driving forces behind Xenom, we explored what makes this new event series different, and why it will become a major pillar in the future of functional fitness.
What Is Xenom?
At its core, Xenom is a mass participation CrossFit competition, built to operate at scale while maintaining elite-level structure and testing.
“It’s the decathlon of fitness,” Pak explains. “We’re creating a standardized, repeatable test across 10 events over two days.”
Unlike traditional CrossFit competitions, where workouts vary event to event and scores are relative to the field, Xenom introduces a fixed, measurable system. Athletes complete the same tests and receive a score that can be compared globally, across events, and even across years.
Think of it as combining the intensity of CrossFit with the accessibility and scale of events like HYROX, but tailored specifically for those who train within the CrossFit methodology.
Built for the CrossFit Athlete
From the outset, Xenom has been deeply connected to CrossFit.
“The people we’re catering to are those training in affiliates, garages, or at home,” says Pak. “This isn’t for someone off the street. Our first event is a one-rep max snatch.”
That immediately sets the tone: Xenom is for committed athletes. Whether you’re competing in scaled, RX, or elite divisions, the expectation is clear, this is a serious test of fitness.
The Key Difference: The Elite Performance Index (EPI)
What truly separates Xenom from other competitions is its scoring system. Each athlete earns points across 10 events, with a maximum of 10,000 total points. This creates an Elite Performance Index (EPI), a score that reflects your performance independent of the competition field.
“You’re competing against yourself,” Pak says. “You walk away with a score that you can compare globally, across continents, and year after year.”
This is a major shift. In traditional competitions, your result depends heavily on who else shows up. In Xenom, your performance stands on its own. The implications are huge:
- Track progress over time
- Compare performances internationally
- Identify strengths and weaknesses with precision
For a data-driven generation of athletes, this could be a game-changer.
A Standardized, Repeatable Test
Another defining feature of Xenom is consistency. While events like the CrossFit Open change annually, Xenom’s structure is designed to remain stable, allowing athletes to train with purpose.
“You know the events. You know the environment. You know the standards,” Pak explains. “There are no unknowns.”
All competitions are held indoors, removing variables like weather and ensuring a consistent experience across all venues. From judging standards to movement execution, everything is tightly controlled.
The Real Challenge: Logistics at Scale
Programming 10 events isn’t the hardest part, running them for thousands of athletes is.
“We believe in the tests,” says Pak. “The challenge is fitting them into a weekend with 2,000+ athletes while delivering a world-class experience.”
Each competition is structured across multiple zones, including lifting, gymnastics, and cardio, allowing for efficient athlete flow while maintaining judging standards. Expect multiple layers of oversight, from lane judges to head judges, to ensure fairness and consistency.
Not Just for Elites
While Xenom includes an elite division (with prize money to be announced), its primary focus is mass participation.
“The goal is to make everyday athletes feel like professionals,” Pak says. “That’s who we’re building this for.”
Divisions include:
- Scaled (Compete)
- RX
- Elite
- Individual and same-sex pairs
This approach mirrors the success of large-scale fitness events while staying true to CrossFit’s roots.
The Bigger Vision
Xenom’s ambitions go far beyond a single competition. The inaugural event kicks off in Dallas (Frisco, Texas), followed by London’s Olympia, with plans to expand across North America and Europe. The long-term goal? Around a dozen events annually.
“We want athletes to choose events that fit their schedule,” Pak explains. “There’s no single ‘final’, it’s about consistent performance across the year.”
This flexible model could make Xenom particularly appealing to competitive athletes balancing multiple events or seasons.
A New Training Ecosystem
As with HYROX, Xenom is expected to spark its own training culture. “We think programming for Xenom will happen organically,” says Pak. “Coaches will start tailoring training toward these events.”
With known workouts and scoring benchmarks, athletes can:
- Train specifically for weaknesses
- Simulate competition conditions
- Track progress with measurable outcomes
It’s a shift toward purpose-driven training, something many athletes have been missing post-Open.
Designed for Complete Fitness
If you’re wondering whether specialists can dominate, don’t. “We’re not rewarding specialists,” Pak says. “You might win the snatch event, but that won’t carry you through the rest.”
Xenom’s 10-event structure tests:
- Strength
- Gymnastics skill
- Aerobic capacity
- Work capacity across time domains
To succeed, athletes must be well-rounded, they are staying true to CrossFit’s original ethos.
Why Xenom Matters
The timing of Xenom’s arrival feels deliberate. There’s long been a gap in the competitive pathway: between the Open and elite-level competition, many athletes lack a clear, structured outlet. Xenom aims to fill that gap.
“It gives people purpose,” Pak says. “You’re not just training—you’re training for something measurable.”
And that might be its biggest strength.
Final Thoughts
With its standardized format, global comparability, and focus on the everyday athlete, Xenom represents a bold step forward for functional fitness. It doesn’t aim to replace the CrossFit Games. Instead, it complements the ecosystem, offering something that has been missing: a scalable, data-driven, athlete-first competition model.
As Pak puts it:
“We want to elevate the sport, and give more people the chance to experience it at a world-class level.”
