THIRD CYCLONE RACE HELD IN HORSHAM

More than 400 people took part in the Cyclone Race 2026 at Horsham Rugby Club on 5 July. This was the third consecutive year that the hybrid fitness race has been staged, with each proving to be more successful than the last. The event was created by Donato De Vita and Katie Warman, co-founders of Horsham Fitness, in collaboration with Dan Purchase, owner of Horsham web design and digital marketing business, Britweb. 

As well as offering group and personal training, Horsham Fitness hosts Hyrox sessions every Friday evening, combining running with functional workouts. The popularity of the Hyrox Fitness Race inspired them to create a more accessible event which could also be held outdoors.

Dan said: ‘Hyrox is now a hugely popular hybrid fitness race, with millions of people around the world taking part. However, it can be intimidating for those new to fitness, and participants also have to travel to convention centres in London and other major cities for the larger events. So, we discussed the idea of creating our own event around the grounds of the rugby club, where Horsham Fitness is based, making it less elite and more inclusive. 

‘Our aim was to make it a friendly and accessible event that encouraged a wider range of people to take part, yet at the same time challenge elite athletes. Don and Katie had the resources to organise the event, while I used my expertise to create a website and promote it. We had never organised anything on this scale before, but Horsham Rugby Club allowed us to use its grounds and facilities and we recruited a fantastic team of volunteers. The first event attracted 168 competitors and we’ve built on that initial momentum.’

The concept of the Cyclone Race bears comparisons with Hyrox, with the main difference being that it’s staged outdoors, with six rotations of running and exercises instead of the eight of Hyrox events. Competitors start by running a lap of the field (around 800m, whereas Hyrox has one-kilometre runs) before exercising on cardiovascular equipment or with strength movements. Six runs alternate with exercises, which include 1000m on a Concept2 (C2) rowing machine, 1000m on a C2 ski machine, 2000m on a C2 bicycle, 70m of Burpee Broad Jumps, 100m Walking Lunges with kettlebell goblets (16kg for men, 12kg for women) and ground-to-shoulder repetitions with a D-Ball (sand-filled exercise balls), before a 70m sprint to the finish. 

As well as providing encouragement and hydration, a team of volunteers also assist Katie in ensuring that everyone competes within the rules. Katie said: ‘Although there is a friendly feel to the event, you need to apply standards for the safety of participants and to respect the competition. So, one of my roles was to organise the judges at the various apparatus to ensure all of the disciplines were carried out correctly.’

From the outset, the organisers wanted to attract other gyms and fitness centres from across Sussex and beyond. They have achieved this, with Training Ground in Bognor Regis taking along a team of 70 athletes as they won the Team Trophy, while The Performance Zone in Southwater and Bluecoat Sports among the other fitness centres that were well represented.

There were solo races for men and women, won by Sam Webb (The Training Ground) and Emma Footman from RyanFitHub in Littlehampton, respectively. In the doubles races, both competitors were required to run each lap, but could split their efforts on the training apparatus, which inspired great camaraderie. The men’s doubles was won by Shane Skinner and Andy Rolstone from The Training Ground, while Charlotte Kent and Katarzyna Zlotowska claimed top honours for the same gym in the Women’s Doubles. 

A highlight was a closely-fought mixed doubles race, with Matt and Amy Twelvetrees of Bluecoat Sports edging out the second-placed team of Paul Gillingham and Faye Grouwstra (FG Fitness in Pease Pottage) and third-placed duo Sophie Rance and Jared Perks (RH20 Fitness and FitLab Worthing). The organisers also present a Spirit of the Games award. In previous years, this has been handed to a competitor taking part after recovering from breast cancer, and a woman who completed the event at the age of 72. 

Energise PT, an Ashington-based business owned by personal trainer and Pilates instructor Meika Hendriksen, was another gym with a strong contingent in the women’s solo and doubles races.

Meika said: ‘I’ve been running the business for about six years and our slogan is Empowering Women’s Strength and Fitness. We have built up a wonderful community of women, mostly aged 30 – 60, who want to find balance and stay active through one-to-one strength training, group sessions and Reformer Pilates. My fitness sessions are also based outdoors, so we decided to come along to the Cyclone Race for the first time this year. 

‘It’s a lovely, inclusive event, with lots of different strength elements that suit people of all ages and abilities. The format also means that it’s not always obvious who is leading, which is good for those at the back, who can compete at their own pace. We entered 10 teams in the women’s doubles, so our team spirit has grown throughout the day as we’ve encouraged one another around the course.’

FUTURE CYCLONES

This year, the event attracted over 400 athletes, with about 1000 people attending on the day to support family and friends, enjoying food vendors, ice cream, a licensed bar and bouncy castle. There were also stalls by mental health charity The Woodpecker Project, as well as a hybrid fitness clothing stand and a massage area. Having surpassed initial expectations, the event’s founders hope the race can become an annual event in Horsham and potentially expand.

Donato said: ‘The event has been great for Horsham Fitness, as it complements our own Hyrox classes and provides an added incentive for members to train. It’s also great to see other local gyms, such as Dual Strength and Fitness, Nomads CrossFit, and Bluecoat Sports, being represented at the race. Part of the appeal is that it offers something different, as it’s not a triathlon or fun run, but a relaxed event that gives people a fantastic workout without taking up the whole day.

‘As the event has grown, we’ve needed lots of support, so we’re grateful to our amazing volunteers, as well as sponsors including Harris Wickens Estate Agents, Rocketeers Childcare and Britweb. Beyond next year, we have mooted the idea of staging an indoor Cyclone Race in the winter, if we can find the right venue. We have also discussed the franchising potential, and perhaps in future new Cyclone Races can be introduced across the country. However, for now, the important thing is to focus on staging the best event we can in Horsham.’ 

Further information: For results and details of future events (when available) visit www.cyclonerace.co.uk

First published on 2 August 2026. Photos: Alan Wright Photography/Words: Ben Morris