The 'HYROX Association of Macau' Isn't HYROX. Its Lookalike Race Is Still On

HYROX now has a knock-off problem, and it’s in Asia’s biggest gaming city.

What happened

A fitness group in Macau announced the inaugural Macau Fitness Run Challenge for February 20–21, 2027 at the Galaxy International Convention Centre. The format is the one every HYROX racer knows: 8 km of running plus eight functional workout stations, with the running held outside the venue and prize money planned for elite and team winners.

The group’s Chinese name translates to Macau Fitness Run Association. But according to the South China Morning Post, government records list its English name as “Hyrox Association of Macau.”

HYROX’s response

Gary Wan, HYROX’s Asia-Pacific managing director, told the SCMP that HYROX contacted the group and told it to stop using the HYROX name and branding. HYROX also warned fans that the association isn’t part of the global brand and has no authority to run HYROX races in the city.

The group’s answer: “not an official HYROX event”

After the backlash, the association issued a clarification. It said it is legally registered under Macau law, has no affiliation with any authorised HYROX organisation, and that its race is independent and not sponsored by HYROX. Association president Jofe Tam said the goal is to promote the sport and develop local athletes, and that the group will respect intellectual property rights.

The race, it says, will go ahead.

HYROX told the SCMP it had no further comment after the clarification, and the Macau government did not respond to the paper’s questions.

Why this matters for racers

HYROX’s value to athletes is the standard: the same course, weights and rules in Las Vegas, London and Hong Kong, so a time in one city means the same thing in another. That’s also why official races feed the Elite Series and Challenger 15 pathway and World Championships qualification.

A lookalike event can be a fun race. It can’t give you:

• A comparable HYROX time. Different equipment, weights and judging mean different results.
• Qualification. Only official HYROX races count toward World Championships spots.
• Official results. Your time won’t appear in HYROX’s results, which matters more now that HYROX is cracking down on third-party results sites.

How to spot an official HYROX race

1. It’s on hyrox.com. Every official event is in HYROX’s calendar.
2. Tickets go through HYROX’s official ticketing. Be wary of links in DMs or social ads.

For Asia-Pacific racers who want the real thing, the big one is close: HYROX’s 2027 World Championships head to Hong Kong.

We’ll update this story if HYROX takes further action or the Macau event changes.