The Grand Palais delivered one of European HYROX's most electric weekends on April 26–27, 2026. Around 4,000 athletes descended on Paris for a race staged in the iconic venue that hosted judo and wrestling during the 2024 Paris Olympics. The glass-and-iron nave, natural light flooding in, crowd noise amplified by the architecture — it's the kind of setting that makes athletes run faster.
Here are the full results, standout performances, and everything worth knowing from Paris 2026.
The Venue: Grand Palais Delivers
HYROX's decision to use the Grand Palais paid off. The circular architecture forced a rethink of the station layout — SkiErgs under the glass roof, Sled Push on a specially prepared surface, RowErg finishing at the far end of the nave. It worked. Athletes reported excellent sightlines and consistent footing, and the crowd packed into elevated stands had views of nearly every station simultaneously.
Men's PRO: McIntyre on Top Again
Hunter McIntyre (USA) won the Men's PRO category in 57:14, threatening the course record and extending his dominant 2026 season. Germany's Jens Ruttmann ran a smart race to claim second in 58:42, while France's Maxime Leconte — racing in front of a partisan crowd — held on for third in 59:03 to a thunderous reception.
McIntyre's pacing was clinical: he came off the SkiErg section 18 seconds ahead of the field and never let that gap close.
Women's PRO: Leonie Beck Dominates
Germany's Leonie Beck made it look easy. Her 1:03:28 in Women's PRO was the best women's performance recorded at this venue and included the day's fastest Wall Balls split (2:41). Australia's Lauren Weeks (1:04:52) and Britain's Amy Bateman (1:05:17) rounded out the podium in a genuinely competitive race that wasn't decided until the final running lap.
Mixed Doubles and Pro Teams
The Mixed Doubles category produced some of the weekend's best racing. French pair Mercier/Dufour won the national category with 1:08:15, executing transitions with the precision of a relay team. In Pro Teams, British squad All-In Racing dominated at 54:32, leveraging flawless synchronization on the paired stations.
By the Numbers
4,200 athletes registered. 38 nationalities. 12,000+ spectators across the weekend. Paris 2026 is already being called one of the five biggest European HYROX events in the sport's history.
The dropout rate was a record-low 2.3% — a sign that the average participant is arriving better prepared. The most punishing station? Sled Push: 23% of athletes lost more than 30 seconds against their target pace there.
Next Up: Barcelona (May 22–24, 2026)
The circuit heads to Barcelona for May 22–24. For athletes targeting the World Championship in Nice (June 2026), Paris was often the final qualification window. A French contingent to watch in Nice, with several athletes having secured their slot this weekend.
Paris 2026 raises the bar for what a HYROX event can look like — world-class venue, deep international field, and an atmosphere that pushed athletes to performances they hadn't expected. The sport keeps growing in France, and this weekend confirmed that Paris belongs on the permanent circuit calendar.