Two dogs, no excuses, and one shot at the Elite 15

Tom Rodgers didn’t have a margin for error. Racing in Barcelona’s last-chance qualifier, he faced one of the deepest fields of the season—and came away with a breakout win, crossing the finish line in 56:05. A full-time police officer from rural Australia, Tom trains alone, often with nothing but two dogs for company, and fits in workouts around erratic shifts and late nights.

The Hybrid Letter spoke with Tom about what it took to break into the Elite 15, the mental edge that comes from solo training, and how he’s preparing for his biggest race yet.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The Hybrid Letter: How did you first find Hyrox, and how was that first race?

Tom Rodgers: In 2019, I did a couple of Spartan races and started following guys like Hunter McIntyre and some Aussie athletes—Chris Woolley in particular. I saw them competing in Hyrox around 2020, but it hadn’t made it to Australia yet. I actually emailed the organization and said, “You’ve got to bring this sport here.” They told me they were planning to, but it didn’t happen until 2023. As soon as it launched, I jumped in.

My first race? The sleds absolutely cooked me. I remember thinking during the event, This is ridiculous. I do not want to do this again. But as soon as I crossed the finish line, I was like, Okay, this is actually a really cool sport.

THL: Were you always into athletics?

TR: I ran and swam as a kid, and I got into triathlons around 2009. I stuck with that for nine or ten years, up until about 2017. After that, I just tried to stay fit. I hadn’t competed in anything again until I discovered Hyrox.

THL: How do you balance your full-time job with training?

TR: I’m a police officer. I tried to make it as a triathlete at one point, but the sport didn’t have the financial support I needed to make it viable. Fitting in training is tough with shift work—sometimes I’m training at 6 a.m., other times it’s midnight. I often end up doing two quality sessions back to back, which isn’t ideal, but it does build that fatigue resistance you need for Hyrox. It’s all about managing time well—prepping meals, organizing gear, and being disciplined.

THL: Do you work with a coach?

TR: I have two. Ryan Gibney is my strength coach—he also coaches Michael Sandbach—and then I have a separate running coach. I kind of blend their programs myself and handle all of my own conditioning. I live out in the country in Victoria, so there aren’t many people to train with. I do most of my running with my two Kelpies. They’re great pacers.

THL: How did the start of this season go for you?

TR: The Aussie races kicked off pretty early—June of last year. I always had this goal in the back of my mind to break into the Elite 15, but it wasn’t until I ran a couple of sub-59 races that I thought it might be possible. Then Hyrox announced the qualification process, which averaged your two best times. That was frustrating, because course conditions can vary so much. I decided to target Barcelona instead, where it was all about head-to-head racing. That gave me a single shot, and I geared all my training toward that one race. Fortunately, it worked out.

THL: How do you maintain such a high level of performance in training?

TR: Coming from an endurance background, I had to focus on building strength and power, especially for the sleds. After each race, I analyze my performance—where I gained time, where I lost it—and I use that to adjust my training. It’s a process of trial and error, adding new elements and seeing if they produce results.

THL: What gives you an edge over your competitors?

TR: My mentality. I’m all in. I never miss sessions. I’m disciplined and extremely driven, and I think that commitment gives me a real edge. I also train alone most of the time, which builds mental toughness. If you can push yourself without anyone else around, that translates really well to racing.

THL: What was going through your mind heading into Barcelona?

TR: Honestly, it was surreal. I was standing at the start line next to athletes I’ve been following on social media for years. It was incredible to compete against some of the best guys in the sport. The depth of the field was insane—27 men finished under 60 minutes. That level of competition brought out the best in me.

THL: Did you stick to your race strategy?

TR: I did. I figured a lot of guys would go out hard since so many of us were at a similar level. My plan was to stay controlled early, especially on the SkiErg. I’d struggled with the sled pull in my last race in Auckland, so I was nervous about that. I eased into the race, got through the sleds, and then started pushing. That was when the real race began.

THL: Was there any part of the race that didn’t go as planned?

TR: Overall, it was a smooth race. I did step on the line during my first lunge, which meant I had to go back and redo it—cost me a few seconds. And I got seven no-reps on the wall balls. I think I was throwing the ball too high and missing the sensor. That’s something I need to tighten up.

THL: When did you feel confident you had secured a qualifying spot?

TR: My only goal was to finish in the top three. During the farmers carry, I realized three of us had pulled ahead a bit. That’s when my mindset shifted—I wanted to win. But I never felt like I had it in the bag. Even throwing my last wall ball, I waited to see the counter hit 100 before sprinting to the finish. In the video, you can see me glance over my shoulder as I cross the line. I needed to make sure.

THL: Is there any part of the race you’d do differently?

TR: There’s always room to improve. I look at someone like James Kelly—he’s probably putting 10 seconds on me per station. I need to shave off time at every stage. My sled work is improving, but it’s still a weakness. The sport’s so new that we’re all figuring out the best ways to train. It’s just about consistency and making small gains over time.

THL: Where was your head during the race itself?

TR: I have a few mental cues and motivational things I remind myself of. Certain things people have said to me that fuel me when the race gets hard. But I also stay focused on pacing—coming into each station, I think about what I need to do to avoid redlining.

THL: Are you planning to change anything going into the Elite 15 race?

TR: I’ve thought about going out a bit harder to see if I can hang with the front of the pack, but I also know that could ruin my race. Barcelona went so well because I stuck to my plan. At the end of the day, it’s about who finishes fastest—not who starts strongest. Going five seconds faster on the SkiErg might cost you a minute later.

I’ve never raced in the U.S. before. Barcelona was my first time competing in Europe. For Chicago, I’ll fly in the Saturday before, race the Elite 15 on Thursday evening, and then do doubles on Saturday. I’ll keep intensity up for a couple of days once I arrive, then taper and focus on sleep. In Barcelona, I was sleeping 10 or 11 hours a night. That made a huge difference.

You can follow Tom on Instagram.

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Data Corner: What's getting faster (and slower) in Hyrox?

Our friends at RoxOpt looked at the average station times in the Hyrox Men's Pro and Women's Pro divisions for each element of the race from 2022 to the present.

While Elite 15 times have declined significantly over this period, the average times for Pro racers on many elements of the race have not gotten faster. One possible explanation: there are more people competing in the Pro division in 2025 than there were in 2022, which means more newcomers who may be unprepared for certain elements.

The station that has gotten significantly slower for men and women since 2022 is burpees. This could be because the movement standards are more strictly enforced. Course layout could also be a factor. In prior years, burpees were sometimes one long lane, which is rarely the case now.

The station that has seen the biggest improvement in times is the sled push. Many people would attribute this to the introduction of the Centr sleds in 2024. But while the Centr sleds do seem to have helped, RoxOpt data shows that sled push times were declining beforehand. So it could be a station where people have improved due to widespread adoption of more efficient techniques like the hook grip.

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Athlete of the Week: James Cantwell

Name: James Cantwell
Age: 40
Hometown: Chicago, IL

When did you start hybrid racing? I don't have a fitness or running background. I started running at the end of college to lose weight—I had peaked at over 200 pounds. That kicked off my fitness journey. I enjoy challenging myself, and when I learned about Hyrox, it seemed like exactly the kind of brutal challenge I needed. I started hybrid classes in August 2023 to train for my first Hyrox race in Chicago that November. Now I’m in my second year of hybrid training. One of the best parts has been the Hyrox community—meeting new people, hearing their stories, and cheering each other on.

Favorite race to date and why? I’ve done five Open races and one Mixed Doubles with my wife. Each one has had its own challenges—forgetting my insoles, straining my wrist scooping ice cream the week before, accidentally grabbing a 9 kg wall ball instead of a 6, calf cramping—you name it. But my most recent race in D.C. this March was different. Everything clicked. I hit a personal best of 82 minutes flat, which was a four-minute improvement. I minimized the calf cramping by adjusting my foot strike, and the whole event was incredibly well organized—the layout, the judges, the warm-up area. It all came together.

Do you have a race goal? This fall, I want to bring my Open time down to 75 minutes. I’m spending the next six months really focused on running and getting stronger at a CrossFit gym. I’d love to do a Pro race in 2026, but I need to get my cramping issues under control before I take that on.

Favorite station? Usually, the sled push and sled pull. I’m still relatively fresh in the first half of the race, so I feel like I can power through those.

Least favorite station? There’s only one answer: wall balls. Anyone who says they like wall balls is lying. It’s the hardest movement for me, and it’s at the worst possible time—right after lunges when my legs are shot and I’m on the verge of cramping. No matter how good I feel going in, I’m humbled almost immediately. I’ve tried sticking to plans—like descending sets from 16 to 9, or opening with a big set—but my plan always goes out the window.

Things you wish you knew when you started racing? I’ve learned how important consistency and patience are. I didn’t come into this with an athletic background, and I’ve only been focused on Hyrox training for less than two years. Early on, I tried to rush things by doing too much at once, and I ended up with small injuries. Now I focus on steady progress, recovery days, and trusting the process. I also realized how crucial it is to follow a running program outside of gym classes. Hyrox is half running—those long, steady zone 2 runs pay off.