The Hyrox Association of Macau has no ties to Hyrox. Its race is still on.

A group registered with the Macau government under the English name Hyrox Association of Macau, whose charter says it will “organise Hyrox competitions,” said on Saturday, October 17, 2026, that it has “no affiliation with any authorised or recognised organisations of Hyrox.” In the same statement, it said the race it had announced for February 20 and 21, 2027, at the Galaxy International Convention Centre would go ahead as an “independently hosted physical fitness running event.” A day earlier, the fitness racing brand Hyrox said it had not authorized the group and had told it to stop using the Hyrox name and branding.

The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported the statement on October 18. The Hong Kong daily cites public records and the Macau government gazette for the group’s registered name and charter. On October 16, the paper had quoted Gary Wan, managing director of Hyrox in Asia-Pacific: “That Macau Fitness Run Challenge is not an officially affiliated Hyrox event, and the Hyrox Association of Macao is not authorised by us.” Dimsum Daily, a Hong Kong news site, published a matching account on October 18.

No lawsuit has been made public in this case. Disputes over a third party’s use of a brand name do sometimes end up in court, as when an Indian insurer sued a critical influencer for trademark infringement.

A charter built around “Hyrox sports”

According to the Macau government gazette, as cited by the SCMP, the group filed its charter in August 2026. The charter lists it as a nonprofit with the stated aims of “promoting and popularising the development of Hyrox sports in the Macau region” and of organizing “Hyrox competitions and related activities.” Its Chinese name translates literally as Macau Fitness Run Association, but public records cited by the SCMP show it is registered with the government under the English name Hyrox Association of Macau.

On Tuesday, October 13, the group held a launch dinner, the SCMP reported, citing local media. Its president, Jofe Tam, unveiled an inaugural “Macau Fitness Run Challenge”: eight functional workout stations and an 8 km run, with the running portion held outside the venue. The plan includes elite, open, doubles and relay categories and a beginner-friendly “half-distance” tier, and the race is open to competitors from around the world.

The president said the group wants to train local athletes and coaches and help Macau competitors reach international events. He said it would work with the faculty of health sciences and sports at Macao Polytechnic University. None of the three articles we read quotes the university on the partnership.

Eight stations and 8 km, just like Hyrox

The SCMP calls the program almost identical to the format Hyrox made famous. On its website, the brand describes a race in which each participant runs 1 km and then completes one workout station, eight times over: SkiErg, sled push, sled pull, burpee broad jumps, rowing, farmers carry, sandbag lunges and wall balls. Participants can also race as doubles or in relay teams of four.

The Hyrox calendar, checked on October 19, 2026, includes Paris from December 12 to 20, 2026, Ghent from December 17 to 20, the Grand Palais in Paris from April 8 to 12, 2027, and Lyon from May 12 to 16. In Asia, Hong Kong will host a race from January 7 to 10, 2027, then the world championships from June 10 to 13. Macau is not on the list, and the SCMP notes that the city has never hosted an official Hyrox event.

Hyrox demands the group drop the Hyrox name

Wan also told the paper, in its October 16 report: “We have already engaged them to stop using the Hyrox name and branding.” The company said it had already taken official steps to stop the group from copying it, the paper reported. According to Dimsum Daily, Hyrox demanded its name be withdrawn from the event’s publicity.

Even before the brand stepped in, the announcement had raised doubts among Macau fitness fans on social media. “May I ask if this is organised by the official Hyrox or is it a high-quality imitation?” one user wrote, as quoted by the SCMP. Some locals said they were “looking forward to having a race in Macau.”

The October 17 statement

The statement, issued under the group’s Chinese name, says the group is “legally registered and established in accordance with Macau law.” It adds: “This event is not an official Hyrox event, nor has it been organised, authorised, or sponsored by Hyrox in any form.” The group pledges to “strictly respect intellectual property rights and provide accurate and reliable information to the public.” It also says prize money will go to the winners of the elite and team divisions.

Asked by the SCMP about the clarification, Hyrox said it had “no further comments at this moment.” The Macau government did not respond to the paper’s request for comment.

The open questions

No court or trademark office ruling has been made public. Hyrox has not said what its official steps are. The outcome of a dispute like this depends on each side’s registrations and on local law, which the articles we read do not describe. Checking trademarks and business registries is one of the standard steps in choosing a brand name.

The statement, as quoted by the SCMP, says nothing about the English name the group is registered under, or about the charter that dedicates it to “Hyrox sports.” Nor does it say whether the race will keep the eight-station, 8 km format. This report is based on two SCMP articles and one from Dimsum Daily. We have not seen the Chinese text of the statement, and we could not find the charter notice in the gazette’s online search.

What it means

The group disavows any link to the brand but keeps its race, dates and venue. The statement deals with the race’s affiliation and leaves open the issue Hyrox raised on October 16: the name. Hyrox, which runs races from Paris to Hong Kong, has never held an event in Macau and, according to the SCMP, lists no affiliated organization there. That is the city where, in August, a group carrying the brand’s name in English filed its charter.

Registering an association and protecting a trademark are two separate procedures, and none of the articles we read says whether Hyrox has registered its trademark in Macau. In sports marketing, the commercial use of a famous name sometimes lands in court, as in the case of an online casino suing Mike Tyson over a promotion deal.

Worth watching: whether the group changes its registered name with the Macau government, whether the February 20-21, 2027, race goes ahead at the Galaxy International Convention Centre in the announced format, and Hyrox’s next move. The brand has not said whether it plans to expand into Macau. Its world championships will take place in June 2027 in neighboring Hong Kong.