Austrian HYROX Elite 15 pro reclaims his own world record ahead of 2026 HYROX World Championships.
Austrian Alexander Rončević made history in Poland on Thursday when he became the first athlete in HYROX history to finish under 52 minutes as the HYROX Elite 15 pro prepares to try and reclaim his title at the 2026 HYROX World Championships across June 18-21 in Stockholm. Here is all you need to know:
– The 33-year-old went into the grand finale of the 2025/26 HYROX Major season looking to lower his personal best time further, after he opened the season with a world record of 53m 15s in Hamburg only to lose it just weeks ago to Hidde Weersma of the Netherlands in London.
– The PGE Narodowy stadium in the heart of Warsaw is the setting this week for the final Major of the season where some of the world’s finest athletes are competing hard in the hybrid fitness competition that has taken the world by storm.
– England’s Luke Greer set the pace early on while Rončević sat just behind in front of reigning 2024/25 World Champion Tim Wenisch, the latter two pulling clear after exiting the SkiErg – the first functional section of the event.
– Rončević looked focused throughout and he controlled the sled push and sled pull phases before rising star Sebastian Ifversen of Denmark edged ahead of him during the burpee broad jumps.
– It was turning into a duel for the ages at the halfway mark with Rončević drawing on all his experience to come out in front on the rowing section, and then pull away from Ifversen as he hunted down a new world record.
– With the crowd on their feet, Rončević dug deep on the final run and the wall balls, his wall ball split of 3m 29s the fastest in the field and opening the path to clocking a brilliant, new world record time of 51m 59.37s.
– American Dylan Scott finished fast to post a time of 52m 40s – that would also have beaten the previous world record – with Ifversen third in 53m 17s and Rončević’s Elite 15 Doubles partner Wenisch fourth at 53m 18s as the world’s best HYROX athletes served up a treat for fans worldwide.
– After slicing nearly 45 seconds off the previous world record, the 2023–2024 World Champion said: “I saw that a 52 is possible and pushed a little bit more at the end. Obviously, it’s nice to have it back. When I come to a Major, I just go for the win. I don’t care about the time that much.”
– With the quality of competition getting better event on event, he added: “It’s crazy. We are eight, nine years into the sport – and the young ones keep coming and getting faster and faster. Congrats to him [Ifversen] for qualifying for Worlds. It’s going to be a great battle there.”
– Having also set a Men’s Pro Doubles world record (47m 40s) in March at the European Championships at ExCeL London, the Austrian will contest his seventh World Championships in the form of his life.
– The former swimmer from Vienna admitted: “I have two coaches now, one for running and one for strength and HYROX conditioning (Tiago Lousa). I feel like I’m on another level than last season. I’m going to go as hard as possible (in Sweden), enjoy it, and try to bring back the title.”
