Hidde Weersma is the 2026 HYROX EMEA champion and has raised the standard for the men’s pro division with a 52:42 finish, becoming the first man to break the 53-minute barrier.
We sat down with Hidde in London to review his record-breaking performance from start to finish and give him questions from our audience. Why was he so confident ahead of the race? What is so special about his Sled Pull (and Burpees)? And why does he wear gloves for the Sandbag Lunges but not the Farmer’s Carry?
I was in the building for the race and watched as Tim Wenisch sprinted into an early lead at the first corner and fellow big names like Sean Noble and Luke Greer set a blistering pace. At the SkiErg Hidde was down in 9th place but he assured us this was all part of his plan. A strong first station saw him move into the top 5 and he stayed in touch with the leaders until after the Sled Push.
Before the race Hidde said that “Everybody needs to take a good look at my Sled Pull” and we watched to see if he would make a move there. A 2:48 at that station meant he was firmly in contention.
One thing we were not expecting was just how decisively he would move ahead at the Burpees. Hidde trailed Sean Noble and Tim Wenisch at that station but would go into run 5 with a clear lead as he overtook them with relentless pacing and big jumps. Even better for Hidde, both Tim and Sean picked up penalties at the Burpees meaning he was not only ahead on the track but had extra time in the bag against the chasing pack.
Thereafter he led for much of the race but Tim Wenisch overtook him on the last run to be first to the Wall Balls. They stayed neck and neck at that last station despite Hidde initially struggling to grip the special white medicine balls that are only available in the Elite races. Tim actually finished first but with a 30-second penalty still to serve, Hidde finished his Wall Balls and cruised across the finish line in a spectacular 52:42 – the first man ever to go under 53 minutes in a Men’s Pro race.
Hidde has somewhat flown under the radar this season after qualifying for the world championships at the first attempt in Hamburg. He then missed the majors in Melbourne and Phoenix, but what a way to return to the Elite 15.
Hidde Weersma on His London Win
The top of the HYROX field looks incredibly competitive with veterans like Alex Roncevic, Dylan Scott, Tim Wenisch and Hunter McIntyre asserting their elite status with brilliant performances at the majors. With wins at the Regional Championships, now Weersma and Cole Learn have firmly put themselves in the mix.
And let’s not forget about the third-placed finisher in London – Tomas Tvrdik set a new personal best of 53:18, the fifth-fastest time ever and enough to earn him a World Championships qualification spot.
The season finale in Stockholm is going to be a very special race. Check out Hidde’s splits below. Slide right to see every run and station broken down.
So why was he so confident before the race? Hidde is also a HYROX coach and has a series of benchmark workouts in which he had been performing exceptionally well in the run up to London. That gave him a big confidence boost going into the race.
His Sled Pull is strong partly because he is the tallest man in the Elite 15 at around 6 foot 3. He can use his long levers to his advantage at this station. Interestingly, he prefers dropping the rope as it allows for better breathing, this is in contrast to athletes like Alexander Roncevic who always like to have the rope in their hands to maintain near constant tension on the pull.
As for the gloves, Hidde explains how he likes to use them in the video. Check out the full breakdown of his race and let us know any questions or comments.
