Record holder Stockley targets Hyrox World Champs

"I just love a challenge really, that's my problem."

Welsh PE teacher Lauren Stockley draws a smile as she plots out another busy year.

Not content with just heading to the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Nice in September, she has her sights set on more Hyrox glory.

For those unfamiliar, Hyrox is a global fitness racing competition designed to test an athlete's endurance and strength.

It has become hugely popular and last year thousands descended on Cardiff for a three-day event at the Principality Stadium.

Stockley, 26, has proved a natural talent. A little over a year after completing her first Hyrox, she was part of a quartet who set a women's world record in London in December 2025.

Hyrox comprises of 8km of running with eight exercise stations in between.

Competitors endure 1km on a standing ski machine, 50m sled push, 50m sled pull, 80m burpee jumps, 1km indoor rowing, 200m kettlebell carry, 100m sandbag lunges, and to finish, 100 throws and catches of a medicine ball.

"I've always been involved in sport in my whole life really," Stockley said.

"I was a competitive swimmer and runner from a young age.

"When I went to university I enjoyed a lot of hockey but after that I got into a bit of CrossFit, so I've sort of done everything.

"With CrossFit I enjoyed the Olympic lifting but it compromised my running quite a bit and that's when I saw Hyrox as this big fitness event and thought I'd like to give that a go."

Stockley's Hyrox debut came at an open event in Birmingham with her performance earning her qualification for the World Championships in Chicago.

"I was like 'right I actually need to do a bit of training for this,'" she said.

"I did first pro in Glasgow, the weights increased and I won that in my age group.

"I was fifth in my age group at World Champs in 2025 and it's been going in a nice trajectory ever since."

In her first year of professional Hyrox races, Stockley could have been forgiven for easing herself into the sport, but by the year's end she had set a world record alongside Alexandra Hill, Saskia Geddes and Allana Falconer.

"I'd met them before but we'd never actually raced together so we were sort of put together in this team," Stockley recalled.

"It was never an aim for us [to set a world record]. We were always going to give it a good go, it was the last race of London Hyrox, so it was like, 'right let's do this.'

"We looked up at the board and said 'oh my gosh I think this is a world record', it was a surprise but we went as hard as we could.

"Once we'd finished I think the realisation set in and the announcer realised 'oh my God this is a world record'".

Stockley is now preparing for the Elite 15 competition in Phoenix, Arizona which serves as one of four Hyrox majors.

The State Farm Stadium, home to NFL's Arizona Cardinals, will serve as host for the event, with Stockley competing in the singles on 29 January before returning two days later for the age group doubles.

The top three finishers at each earn automatic qualification to June's World Championships in Sweden.

Stockley says competition will be fierce.

"To be with those top girls, they're running under that hour mark so that's definitely a goal," she said.