HYROX Phoenix Race Recap: Podium Finish, Sub-54, and the Truth About What Happened
By Rich Ryan | RMR Training
The dust has settled in Phoenix, and I’ve had just enough sleep to put real thoughts together.
This one was a mixed bag in the best and worst ways.
On paper?
10 out of 10 outcome.
🥉 3rd place in a stacked HYROX Pro field
🌎 Qualified for Elite World Championships
⏱ Snuck under 54 minutes for the first time (PR by ~30 seconds)
🥈 2nd place in Pro Doubles
If you told me before the race that’s how the weekend would go, I’d take it every single time.
But performance is layered. And Phoenix gave me a lot to unpack — physically, mentally, and competitively.
Let’s get into it.
The Goal: Qualify for Worlds (Mission Accomplished)
Coming into this race, the goal was simple:
Top 5. Punch the ticket. Avoid chasing qualification overseas.
The North American Championship has one qualifying spot. Warsaw is far. Family matters. Time matters.
So Phoenix had weight.
This wasn’t just “let’s see how it goes.”
This was strategic.
And the field? Stacked.
Alex Ronovich (world record holder and reigning champ), James Kelly, Sean Noble, Tomas, Lucas — killers across the board.
I knew if I was going to qualify, I’d have to earn it.
Getting third in that field isn’t luck. It’s readiness.
Sub-54: What Actually Changed Physically
This was one of the hardest training blocks I’ve ever had.
Not because of volume.
Because of life, injuries, and adjustments.
Calf issue
Quad setback
Lifestyle changes
Back-to-back race prep
But here’s what worked:
1️⃣ Farmers Carry & Lunges
These were weaknesses last season.
This block? I attacked them directly.
More intentional loading
Faster efforts
Confidence under fatigue
No breaking on farmers (non-negotiable mindset)
Result:
6th in lunges
6th in farmers
2nd fastest run splits
That’s not accidental. That’s targeted development.
And the full training block is documented inside the RMR Training App — scaled for beginner, intermediate, and advanced athletes.
If you’ve got 9–10 weeks to prepare for a HYROX race, you can literally follow what I did.
The Mental Shift: Wanting vs Thinking vs Believing
This might be the biggest takeaway.
There are levels to competing.
Level 1: Wanting to Win
Everyone wants to win.
But wanting doesn’t mean you’re prepared.
It doesn’t mean you believe it’s possible.
Level 2: Thinking You Can Win
This is where I’ve lived for a while.
“I think I can win if everything goes right.”
But thinking isn’t the same as knowing.
Level 3: Believing You Can Win
This is new.
I came into the final wall balls neck-and-neck with Alex Ronovich — the current world record holder.
He was one second off his world record that day.
He didn’t have a bad race.
And I was right there.
That’s evidence.
That’s belief.
That changes how you train.
That changes how you race.
That changes how you show up at Worlds.
I’m not chest-thumping. I’m not changing my personality.
But internally?
There’s a shift.
Back-to-Back Races Are Brutal
Let’s talk about something not enough people discuss:
Evening pro race → drug testing → no food until midnight → wired nervous system → sleep at 3am → up again to race.
Now do that twice.
That’s what Pro Singles + Pro Doubles feels like.
You don’t sleep.
You can’t eat properly.
Your nervous system is on fire.
And then you’re expected to perform at world-class intensity.
Lauren Weeks has a phrase:
“It doesn’t matter how you feel. You have a job to do.”
That carried me through doubles.
We finished second. Not the win we wanted. But mission accomplished: qualification secured.
Will I do back-to-backs again?
I don’t know.
That recovery equation needs solving.
The Hard Part: Judging Issues in HYROX
Now we get to the uncomfortable piece.
I can’t pretend it didn’t affect the race.
During wall balls, I received repeated no-reps for depth that I could not correct — despite maintaining consistent movement.
I called for a judge change multiple times.
It didn’t happen immediately.
Momentum broke.
That sequence cost time. It cost position. It may have cost prize money.
And it wasn’t isolated.
Inconsistent burpee standards
Confusion around lunge extension
Yellow cards on technicalities that don’t impact performance
Athletes adjusting movement mid-race to survive judging, not to express fitness
Here’s the issue:
HYROX is a fitness race.
If judging becomes the deciding factor instead of fitness, that’s a problem.
Sled weight being heavy for everyone? Fine.
Course layout being tough for everyone? Fine.
But inconsistent station judging lane to lane?
That undermines competitive integrity.
I care about this sport deeply. That’s why I speak up.
HYROX has shown willingness to improve. I believe that.
But accountability and better judge training have to be part of the evolution.
Athletes should walk to the start line thinking:
Am I fit enough?
Am I mentally ready?
Not:
I hope I get a judge who understands the standards.
What’s Next?
Right now?
I’m wrecked.
Calves are smoked.
Quads are torched.
Sleep is catching up.
Vegas singles is likely off the table. Not because I can’t — but because I won’t force it.
Worlds is the focus.
And here’s the big question I’m asking myself:
How do I stop training to be as good as everyone else…
and start training to be better than everyone else?
That’s the shift.
Not more volume.
Not reckless intensity.
Intentional, intelligent progression.
The Bigger Picture
I’m 39. Turning 40 soon.
And I’m still rising with the sport.
But I don’t want to just rise with the tide anymore.
I want to move it.
Phoenix proved something to me:
I belong at the front.
I can race the best.
And I can win.
Now it’s about building that last 1%.
Train Like a Pro (Scaled for You)
The exact training block that led to:
Sub-54 finish
Podium at a Major
Worlds qualification
…is inside the RMR Training App.
✔ Muscular endurance focused
✔ Fully structured 9–10 week progression
✔ Scaled for beginner, intermediate, and advanced
✔ Direct access to me, Meg, and Ryan K for Q&A
If you’ve got a HYROX race on the calendar and want to train with purpose instead of guessing…
This is it.
👉 Download the RMR Training App and start building your race.
If you were in Phoenix — thank you.
The support means more than you know.
We’re just getting started.
See you at the next one.
Keep crushing.
