ATHX Miami Beach 2026: Everything You Need to Know About ATHX Games in the US

ATHX Is Coming to the US for the First Time

ATHX Games, the hybrid fitness competition that has been growing rapidly across Europe since launching in the UK in 2023, is making its North American debut on Miami Beach. The ATHX Invitational Miami Beach, presented by adidas, takes place on 21 to 22 March 2026 and marks a significant moment for the event: its first ever competition outside of Europe and the debut of the ATHX Elite Individual format.

Whether you are competing, spectating, or just trying to understand what ATHX is and whether it is worth your time, this guide covers everything you need to know about the Miami Beach event.

Key Details: ATHX Miami Beach 2026

Event: ATHX Invitational Miami Beach, presented by adidas

Dates: Saturday 21 March to Sunday 22 March 2026

Location: Miami Beach, Florida

Format: ATHX Miami Invitational featuring the debut of the ATHX Elite Individual competition, alongside ATHX-themed workouts, classes, and workshops

Categories: Lite, ATHX, and Pro divisions (Individual and Pairs)

Duration: The core ATHX competition is a 2.5-hour continuous challenge across six zones

What Is ATHX?

If you have not come across ATHX before, it is a 2.5-hour continuous fitness competition divided into six zones. Unlike HYROX, which alternates between 1km runs and functional stations, ATHX flows through distinct phases that each test a different aspect of fitness: pure strength, sustained endurance, and high-intensity metabolic conditioning.

The competition targets three core pillars: Strength (compound barbell lifts), Endurance (running and rowing intervals), and Metcon-X (a functional fitness circuit). Athletes move through the zones in sequence with timed windows for each section. There is no going back. Once a zone closes, your score is locked.

ATHX was founded by functional fitness coach Ollie Marchon and has grown from five UK events in 2023 to a full European tour across 10 countries in 2026, with 14 confirmed events. The Miami Beach event marks the first step into North America.

The Six Zones Explained

Every ATHX event follows the same six-zone structure. Here is what each zone involves and how it works in the 2026 format.

Zone 1: Warm-Up (30 Minutes)

A structured preparation phase where athletes mobilise, activate, and get competition-ready before stepping onto the competition floor. This is not optional downtime. ATHX provides a guided warm-up protocol designed to prepare you for the immediate demands of heavy lifting in Zone 2. Use this time wisely. If you are still warming up your squat when the clock starts on the Strength Zone, you have already lost time.

Zone 2: Strength (18 to 20 Minutes)

This is where ATHX separates itself most clearly from other hybrid fitness events. The Strength Zone tests genuine maximal strength through three compound barbell lifts, performed in sequence with fixed time caps for each.

The 2026 format is:

Minutes 0 to 6: 1RM Strict Press. You have six minutes to build to a one-rep max strict overhead press. You can attempt as many weights as you want, but every rep must be a full lockout with no leg drive. Technique and tempo matter here.

Minutes 6 to 12: 3RM Back Squat. Immediately after the press window closes, you have six minutes to complete three reps at your heaviest back squat. Depth and control are judged. No half reps.

Minutes 12 to 18: 5RM Deadlift. The final strength block gives you eight minutes for five deadlift reps at your heaviest load. This is where fatigue from the press and squat starts to bite.

Your score for the Strength Zone is the total weight lifted across all three movements. For Pairs, it is the combined total.

Zone 3: Refuel (10 Minutes)

A dedicated recovery and nutrition window between the Strength and Endurance zones. ATHX nutritionists are on hand with hydration and fuelling products. This is your chance to bring your heart rate down, take on carbohydrates, and mentally reset before the endurance test. Do not waste this window. Sit down, eat, drink, and plan your pacing for Zone 4.

Zone 4: Endurance (22 Minutes)

Twenty-two minutes of continuous running and rowing intervals. Athletes alternate between the two modalities, swapping each time they complete a set distance. The distances vary by division:

Lite: 500m run per interval

ATHX: 750m run per interval

Pro: 1km run per interval

In Pairs, Athlete A starts on the run while Athlete B starts on the row. You swap every time you complete your set distance. The score is total distance covered by the pair (or individual) within the 22-minute cap.

This zone rewards consistent pacing. Going out too fast on the first run interval will cost you dearly by interval four or five. Find a sustainable pace early and hold it.

Zone 5: Recovery (30 Minutes)

A longer recovery window equipped with recovery technology to prepare you for the final push. This is the gap between the endurance test and the Metcon-X finisher. Learn from athletes who have competed before: do not sit still for 30 minutes. Keep moving gently to prevent lactic acid from pooling in your legs. Light walking and gentle stretching will serve you far better than collapsing on a bench.

Zone 6: Metcon-X (25 Minutes)

The final zone. Created by the team at Marchon Training, this is a high-intensity functional fitness circuit with a 25-minute time cap. The faster you finish, the better your score.

The 2026 Metcon-X includes:

60 cal ski-erg

60 alternating ground-to-overhead (Men: 20kg / Women: 12.5kg)

Sandbag carries

Box jump-overs

Walking lunges

Burpee broad jumps

A final round of ski-erg to finish

This zone is where races are won and lost. Athletes who paced the endurance zone sensibly and used the recovery window properly will have a significant advantage over those who are already running on empty. Breaking the Metcon into manageable chunks and maintaining consistent movement will beat going fast and having to stop.

Strength. Endurance. Conditioning. All in one event, all in one day. Sound familiar? That is exactly what Edge programmes for you every week. While other apps give you a running plan or a gym split, Edge builds your strength, running, and conditioning as one system. Your squat supports your run. Your conditioning feeds your recovery. Nothing competes, everything connects. Try Edge free and train the way ATHX tests you.

ATHX Divisions: Lite, ATHX, and Pro

ATHX offers three competition tiers so that athletes can compete at a level appropriate to their fitness.

Lite is designed for first-timers and regular gym-goers who want to test themselves in a competitive environment. Movement standards are accessible, loads are lighter, and the endurance intervals are shorter (500m runs). If you have been training consistently for six months or more and can handle compound barbell movements, Lite is a good entry point.

ATHX is the standard competition tier. Loads increase, endurance intervals extend to 750m runs, and the Metcon-X demands more volume. This is where most experienced gym-goers and hybrid athletes will compete.

Pro is for serious competitive athletes. Heavier loads, 1km run intervals, and stricter movement standards. If you are chasing leaderboard positions or have competitive CrossFit, HYROX, or functional fitness experience, this is your division.

Athletes can enter as Individuals or in Pairs (Male, Female, or Mixed).

What Makes Miami Beach Different

The Miami Beach event is not a standard ATHX competition. It is billed as the ATHX Invitational, which means it operates as a showcase edition with several distinctive features.

First, it marks the debut of the ATHX Elite Individual competition, a format not yet seen at any other event. This is ATHX's first step toward building an elite competitive tier that sits above the standard Pro division.

Second, the event runs across two days (Saturday and Sunday) rather than the single-day format used at most European events. The weekend includes ATHX-themed workouts, classes, and workshops alongside the main competition, making it more of a fitness festival than a pure race day.

Third, it is taking place outdoors on Miami Beach rather than inside a convention centre or arena. The venue and setting alone make this a unique edition on the ATHX calendar.

How ATHX Compares to HYROX

If you have done HYROX and are wondering how ATHX stacks up, there are meaningful differences.

HYROX is structured around eight 1km runs alternated with eight functional stations. The format is highly standardised and running-heavy. Athletes who are strong runners with decent work capacity tend to do well.

ATHX places much more emphasis on genuine maximal strength. A 1RM strict press and 3RM back squat are serious barbell tests that reward athletes who have spent real time under a barbell, not just athletes who can grind through bodyweight movements. If you are strong and fit, ATHX may suit you better than HYROX. If you are primarily a runner who does some gym work, HYROX is probably the more natural fit.

The other key difference is pacing. HYROX is a race from start to finish where every second counts. ATHX has built-in recovery windows (the Refuel and Recovery zones) that create a different tactical dynamic. Managing those transitions, knowing when to rest and when to fuel, is a skill in itself.

Both events sit in the growing hybrid fitness space, and many athletes compete in both. They test overlapping but different qualities, and training for one will make you better at the other.

How to Train for ATHX Miami Beach

With the event on 21 March, you have approximately three weeks from the date of this article. If you are already registered, here is how to focus your remaining training.

Strength: Test your current 1RM strict press, 3RM back squat, and 5RM deadlift so you know your numbers going in. Do not try to set new personal bests in the final two weeks. Instead, practise hitting 90 to 95 percent of your maxes with clean technique and fast setup times. On competition day, you are working against the clock, so efficiency matters.

Endurance: Practise alternating between running and rowing at race-specific distances. Run 750m (or your division's distance), then immediately row 750m, and repeat for 20 to 22 minutes. Find a pace you can maintain across all intervals without blowing up on the first one.

Metcon: Simulate the Metcon-X circuit using the published movements. Practise transitions between ski-erg, ground-to-overhead, sandbag carries, box jump-overs, walking lunges, and burpee broad jumps. The goal is not to go fast in training but to learn your pacing strategy and identify which movements drain you fastest.

Transitions: One of the biggest lessons from experienced ATHX competitors is that the recovery windows between zones are tactical opportunities, not rest periods. Practise your refuelling strategy (what to eat, what to drink, how to stay warm) so it is automatic on race day.

Preparing for the Miami Beach Conditions

Competing outdoors on Miami Beach in late March means heat and humidity will be factors. Daytime temperatures in Miami in late March typically sit between 24 and 28 degrees Celsius (75 to 82 Fahrenheit) with moderate to high humidity.

If you are travelling from the UK or mainland Europe, this is a significant climate difference. Arrive early enough to acclimatise. Stay hydrated in the days leading up to the event, not just on race day. Bring sun protection. Consider how the heat will affect your pacing in the Endurance Zone and Metcon-X, as both will feel harder than they would indoors in a temperature-controlled arena.

The 2026 ATHX Calendar

Miami Beach is part of a packed 2026 ATHX calendar. If you miss the Miami event or want to compete at another location, here is where ATHX is heading in 2026:

The European tour includes events in London, Munich, Madrid, Milan, Dublin, Copenhagen, Berlin, Paris, and Amsterdam, with four UK stops and events running from January through November. Full dates and tickets are available on the ATHX Games website.

ATHX has also announced plans to expand further into the US, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region, though specific dates and locations for those markets have not been confirmed yet.

Why ATHX Matters for Hybrid Athletes

The growth of ATHX alongside HYROX reflects a wider shift in the fitness industry: more and more athletes want to be tested across multiple disciplines, not just one. The era of choosing between being strong or being fit is ending. Events like ATHX reward the athletes who refuse to specialise and instead build genuine all-round capability.

If you are already training across running, strength, and conditioning, you are training for ATHX whether you know it or not. The format is essentially a structured test of the kind of hybrid fitness that many people are already pursuing in their daily training.

Edge programmes exactly this kind of training: strength, running, and conditioning as one integrated system. If you are preparing for ATHX, HYROX, or any event that demands all-round fitness, Edge builds your weekly programme around all three pillars so that each session supports the others rather than competing for recovery.

For a full breakdown of the HYROX format and how it compares, read our complete guide to HYROX London Olympia 2026.