Derry's iconic Ebrington Square set to host one of Ireland's biggest Hyrox races this summer!

Over 1,000 participants are expected to descend on the 29 acre former military heritage site located on the magnificent Foyle riverfront for the 'epic' two-day fitness event on Saturday and Sunday, August 2nd and 3rd.

Hyrox is an endurance race that combines running with functional fitness exercises and it has exploded in popularity since its inception eight years ago in Germany.

With tickets for official affiliated Hyrox races across the world becoming increasingly hard to come by, the inaugural Ebrington race offers a fabulous alternative with the River Foyle and Peace Bridge and scenic views across the city's west bank providing a unique setting.

And who better to organise and help design the course than Ireland's FOURTH fastest Hyrox athlete and 2025 World Championship qualifier Sean McLaughlin.

As if the 39 year-old local fitness coach, bricklayer and father-of-five hasn't enough on his hands, he's now spearheading what he expects to be an unforgettable, massive scale fitness event which is 'here to stay'.

As a Derry man he's delighted to secure Ebrington Square as a venue and promises to 'do it justice'.

"It's tried and tested," he said of the course having completed a trial run alongside Ireland's hyrox professional champion Sean Noble. "It's a three-lap course. Exactly 1km. The whole profile of the course is perfect for hyrox."

Sean has competed at three official hyrox events so far and broke the hour mark with a stunning performance in Glasgow last March which cemented his place among Ireland's elite athletes in the sport.

He's off to the 2025 world championships in Chicago next June and felt Derry deserved to have a stellar event of its own given the demand for tickets and growing popularity of the sport among gym goers in the city and beyond.

"I really think it will be an event which will be here for a very long time as hyrox is only going to get bigger. It's getting harder and harder to get an official ticket so our thinking is to give people as close to an official race as possible.

"It was a friend of mine, Darryl McDermott and Sean O'Neill from MFC Sports, they were discussing over a coffee about how good a venue it would be," explained Sean when asked how the idea came about. "They mentioned it to me and I just thought it would be unreal and it snowballed from there.

"It's actually been smooth enough getting it over the line. So a two-day event in Ebrington Square - a family orientated event and the whole square will benefit from it, from the hotel to the bars, coffee shops and bakeries."

Catering for hundreds of participants each day, it promises to be a spectacular scene and one which Sean expects to attract more people to the sport.

"It's great to watch," he enthused. "It's fast-paced. There's so many different stations and it's really dynamic. I think people in and around the square will get a great buzz. Even people who, at this moment in time, don't know anything about Hyrox, will be very interested in it by the time the two day event is over.

"Everyone is capable of completing a hyrox. There's no crazy movements. The functional stations are easy enough to learn so I think that's what the big appeal is.

"The likes of London Hyrox and Cardiff, these events are nearly 20,000 people and are getting sold out in nearly 20 minutes, it's insane how big hyrox has become.

"Because of the size of the venue at Ebrington, we're not limited to any capacity. We can hire more equipment so if the numbers were to grow then there would be no limit on the participants.

"The venue is huge. It's all open planned for spectators so you can walk in through each station. In an official hyrox you can walk right up to your friend or whoever you're there supporting and see them skiing or rowing right in front of you. We will have it all broken up inside the marquee so it's going to be epic."

For those who have been hiding under a rock and unfamiliar with hyrox, it's an all-round athletic challenge involving an 8km run in total but after each kilometre a specific functional exercise has to be completed - including pushing and pulling a weighted sled, 1km each on row and ski machines, burpee broad jumps, sandbag lunges, farmers carry and wall balls.

It might take under an hour for an elite athlete but several hours for others. The beauty of the sport is that it's accessible for all and Ebrington Square will be a spectator-friendly course.

"The marquee that's coming for the stations is 50x30m," explained Sean. "That will be centred in the square with spectators all around the square. It's a three lap course and the scenery the whole way around is unbelievable.

"It's going to be a really fast course as well. The square is somewhat flat and the views, whether you're looking across the Peace Bridge or down the River Foyle are fantastic.

"The run circuit is around that square and it's going to be very spectator friendly because of that. You're never going to lose sight of whoever you're there supporting.

"We hope we can attract 1,000 people over two days - that's our goal. I think when people see how amazing the spot is.

"The plan is to have a 7 metre finishing truck from Unit 7 and Red Bull. It's getting done right," he promised. "You can't bring a hyrox to Ebrington Square and to it half measures. So there will be no stone left unturned to ensure we do it justice.

"We're catering for everyone. We're doing male and female open, Tri-Rox, relays and there might be an hour we can allocate for juniors on the Sunday morning. So we're trying to make it as inclusive as possible.

"In Derry alone every single person I've talked to wants to experience Ebrington Square Hyrox because the people of Derry know how good of a venue it is. Once the people from outside the town realise that I think they'll be looking to be involved. I think it will just hit different."

So whether you're a seasoned athlete and in it to compete, challenge yourself or soak up what's sure to be an electric unforgettable atmosphere, this is the Hyrox 'sim' you do not want to miss!"

Stick it in your calendar and get your ticket as they're selling fast!

Sean has made the transition from triathlons and ironmen competitions to hyrox with relative ease and he can't wait to represent his country in Chicago this summer.

"I've found it a lot easier than triathlon to get good at. All the years doing triathlons and working on the building sites have really helped me. The top boys, they're doing 55 minutes and 56 minutes and so to be only a couple of minutes off them already is really encouraging and I don't think I've reached my potential yet.

"So by next year I should be at my best. I'll be 40 then but I'm nowhere near my potential as far as Hyrox goes. I'm still working on the strength side of things but I was very happy with Glasgow. It was the fourth fastest from an Irishman and I was the overall winner for my age category so to be so competitive so early, three races in, it's nice."

Tickets for Ebrington Square Hyrox can be purchased here