Global fitness phenomenon faces a familiar challenge as local group launches lookalike competition using Hyrox name

The world’s fastest-growing fitness racing brand has found itself at the centre of an increasingly public trademark dispute in Macau, highlighting the intellectual property risks facing sports and event operators as they expand across Asia.

Hyrox, the global fitness racing series known for combining endurance running with functional workout stations, has moved to distance itself from a planned Macau competition after a local organization using the name “Hyrox Association of Macau” promoted an event bearing striking similarities to the internationally recognized race format. 

The controversy erupted after the Macau-based association announced plans for the inaugural Macau Fitness Run Challenge, scheduled for February 20 to 21, 2027 at the Galaxy International Convention Centre. Promotional materials and the organization’s English-language name immediately prompted questions from athletes and fitness enthusiasts about whether the event had official links to Hyrox. 

HYROX says it does not.

HYROX requests an end to use of its name

According to reports, Gary Wan, Asia-Pacific managing director of Hyrox in Hong Kong, confirmed that the company had contacted the Macau organization and instructed it “to stop using the Hyrox name and branding.” The company subsequently stated that both the association and its planned event were unauthorized. 

“That Macau Fitness Run Challenge is not an officially affiliated Hyrox event, and the Hyrox Association of Macau is not authorised by us,” a senior Hyrox executive told media outlets. “We have already engaged them to stop using the Hyrox name and branding.”

The dispute is particularly notable because the planned event closely mirrors HYROX’s signature competition format. The organizers have proposed a race consisting of an 8-kilometre run interspersed with eight functional workout stations, a structure that has become synonymous with official Hyrox events globally. 

The similarities quickly attracted attention within Macau’s fitness community, where participants questioned whether the event was an authorized Hyrox competition or an unaffiliated imitation. 

The association’s response

The Macau association issued a public clarification acknowledging that it has no official relationship with the global brand.

The organization stated that it was “legally registered and established in accordance with Macau law” but admitted it had “no affiliation with any authorized or recognized organizations of Hyrox.” It further acknowledged that the planned competition was not an official Hyrox event and had not been organized, authorized or sponsored by Hyrox in any form. 

The clarification raises interesting IP questions because government records reportedly show that the association was formally registered under the English name “Hyrox Association of Macau”, despite its Chinese name translating more closely to “Macau Fitness Run Association”. Documents filed with Macau authorities in August also reportedly listed the promotion and development of Hyrox sports in Macau among the organization’s objectives. Macau’s Identification Services Bureau has clarified that approval to use an association name does not confer trademark rights or authorize an event.

Brand protection across jurisdictions

For IP practitioners, the matter illustrates a challenge increasingly confronting sports, entertainment and lifestyle brands across Asia. Global events often generate significant consumer awareness in markets where organizers have not yet launched official competitions. That popularity can create opportunities for third parties to establish local organizations, promote similar events or attempt to capitalize on brand recognition before rights holders have fully established a market presence.

Macau is a particularly interesting example. It has its own legal and trademark system, separate from China and Hong Kong. As a result, companies sometimes find that brand protection strategies have not kept pace with commercial interest.

The dispute also demonstrates how IP issues increasingly extend beyond logos and names. Even where trademark rights are clear, event organizers must also consider questions surrounding goodwill, consumer confusion, unfair competition and the commercial value of distinctive event formats.

For Hyrox, the issue comes at a time of rapid international expansion. The fitness racing series has established itself as one of the fastest-growing participation sports globally, attracting thousands of amateur and elite competitors through a standardized race format conducted across multiple jurisdictions. Official events in Asia continue to expand, with the company already promoting authorized competitions throughout the region, including Hong Kong. 

Despite acknowledging the lack of affiliation, the Macau group has indicated that it intends to proceed with the February event while pledging to respect IP rights and provide accurate information to participants. 

Whether Hyrox pursues further legal action remains unclear. However, the episode serves as a timely reminder that for modern sports brands, trademark protection cannot be an afterthought. As fitness, esports and participation-sport events expand across Asia, rights holders increasingly need to secure and enforce their brand assets before local imitators seize the opportunity.

- Darren Barton