0
0
Selected from approximately 1,300 applicants worldwide, coaches gathered in Brazil to explore athlete development, performance systems and evidence-based decision making through the theme “The Beautiful Game of Performance.”
Red Bull HYROX Coaches Camp brought 60 coaches from 28 countries to the Red Bull Bragantino Soccer Academy in Bragança, Brazil, from 2026-09-20 to 2026-09-22 for its second edition. Selected from an applicant pool of approximately 1,300 coaches worldwide, participants took part in a three-day development programme led by experts from the HYROX 365 Academy and the Red Bull Athlete Performance Center. Designed to elevate coaches to an elite level, the camp explored how coaching systems, performance environments and decision-making processes influence athlete development and long-term performance.
As HYROX continues to grow globally, coaches are playing an increasingly influential role in athlete preparation, skill acquisition, recovery strategies and long-term performance development. Red Bull HYROX Coaches Camp was created to support that development by connecting coaches from across the international HYROX community with experts in coaching, sport science, strength and conditioning, and athlete performance from the Red Bull Athlete Performance Center and HYROX 365 Academy.
Built around the theme The Beautiful Game of Performance, the programme drew inspiration from football and explored coaches as the playmakers behind athletic success. Through classroom sessions, practical workshops and collaborative learning experiences, participants examined how coaching decisions shape performance outcomes across different environments and athlete profiles.
Key Facts
Event: Red Bull HYROX Coaches Camp 2026
Dates: 2026-09-20 to 2026-09-22
Location: Red Bull Bragantino Soccer Academy, Brazil
Theme: The Beautiful Game of Performance
Participants: 60 HYROX coaches
Countries Represented: 28
Applicant Pool: Approximately 1,300 applicants worldwide
Focus: Coaching development, performance education and knowledge exchange
Mission: Elevating coaches to an elite level
Featured Experts: Piers Plowman, Dr. Adam Storey, Dr. Bryna Chrismas, Jack Birch
Camp Overview
Coaches immersed themselves in the high-performance environment of the Red Bull Bragantino Soccer Academy during a three-day development programme.
Sessions reframed the coach as a multidisciplinary playmaker responsible for connecting athlete understanding, diagnostics and decision making.
Participants applied systems-based approaches to analyse performance demands and identify opportunities for athlete development.
Workshops connected strength and conditioning principles with skill acquisition, race literacy and race-specific learning environments.
Coaches tested athlete-centred approaches to performance, health and individual coaching decisions through practical case studies and applied learning.
Participants examined how heat and humidity influence athlete preparation, performance and wellbeing, translating research into coaching practice.
Experts explored the similarities and differences involved in coaching female and male athletes, with a focus on health, performance and athlete specificity.
Practical sessions combined diagnostics, testing and collaborative problem solving to address real-world coaching challenges.
The programme concluded with coaches exchanging insights from across the global HYROX community and identifying actions to implement within their own performance environments.
Core Learnings
Role of the Coach – The Beautiful Game: Led by Jack Birch and featuring insights from Red Bull athlete Sandro Dias, the opening session explored coaches as the playmakers behind performance. Participants examined how observation, diagnostics and environmental design influence athlete development. The key takeaway was that great coaches create the conditions for success rather than prescribing every action.
Connecting strength and conditioning with skill acquisition: Piers Plowman and Dr. Adam Storey explored how physical preparation and skill development can work together to create more adaptable HYROX athletes. Coaches designed and tested race-specific learning environments that challenged decision making under pressure. The session reinforced that performance is built through both physical capacity and the ability to adapt and execute.
Temperature and Humidity – The Effects on Human Performance and Health: Dr. Bryna Chrismas and Dr. Adam Storey guided coaches through the impact of environmental conditions on athlete health and performance. Participants tested cooling strategies, collected physiological data and evaluated practical interventions. The key learning was that effective preparation requires balancing evidence, athlete feedback and context rather than relying on universal solutions.
Coaching Female vs Male Athletes – Same, Same but Different? Dr. Bryna Chrismas and Jack Birch encouraged participants to move beyond assumptions and focus on the individual athlete. Through case studies and athlete profiles, coaches examined how factors such as health, recovery, fuelling and life circumstances can influence performance. The session reinforced that effective individualisation begins with asking better questions and understanding the person behind the athlete.
Coaching Themes
Coaching Themes: Systems Thinking, Skill Acquisition, Athlete-Centred Coaching, Decision Making Under Pressure, Environmental Physiology, Strength and Conditioning, Individualisation, Performance Diagnostics and Athlete-Specific Coaching.
Red Bull Experiences
Beyond the classroom and practical sessions, participants experienced elements of the World of Red Bull:
Behind-the-scenes access to Red Bull Bragantino’s high-performance football environment
Q&A session with legendary Red Bull athlete Sandro Dias
Immersion in Brazilian culture through a live samba band show
Networking events designed to encourage knowledge sharing across the global HYROX community
A custom-built HYROX training environment – HYROX Training Zone (HTZ) – created exclusively for the camp, providing a space for testing, coaching sessions, workouts, photography and participant portraits
Hero workout combining the worlds of football and HYROX, bringing the theme “The Beautiful Game of Performance” to life in the camp’s closing workout
Voices From the Camp
What is the achievement in your coaching career that you’re proudest of, and why does it stand out?
“We opened our HYROX Training Club with 80 students already committed to the project, and in less than three months, we were approaching 250. We didn’t just open a gym; we built a community that reflects everything I believe in as a coach.” – Marianna Salomao, Brazil
“I coached a client who had never exercised, learned to swim or ridden a bike to complete a 70.3 Ironman in exactly one year. Seeing her cross the finish line gave me more pride than any of my own sporting achievements.” – Jess Towl, United Kingdom
“My proudest achievement was helping Alexander Roncevic become World Champion in 2024 and break the world record in both the Open and Pro divisions.”- Tiago Lousa, Portugal
“Six months ago, HYROX had almost no presence in Yuma County. Today, more than 11 teams have registered for HYROX Anaheim, and people who once said, ‘I can’t do that,’ now see themselves as athletes.” – Heather Padilla, United States
Expert Quotes
What does the Red Bull HYROX Coaches Camp mean to you, and what do you hope coaches take away from the experience?
“We’ve created an exciting program of educational sessions designed to take coaches on a truly transformative learning journey, equipping them with new perspectives, practical knowledge and experiences they can bring back to their athletes and communities.” – Piers Plowman, United Kingdom
“While the formal sessions are incredibly valuable, some of the most meaningful learning happens through the conversations between them. Bringing coaches together face-to-face creates opportunities to share experiences, build connections and learn from one another in ways that simply can’t be replicated online.” – Dr Adam Storey, New Zealand
“This camp brings coaches, researchers and experts together to learn from one another, share experiences and work collectively to improve health and performance across the global HYROX community.” – Dr Bryna Chrismas, United Kingdom
“The goal is for coaches to leave with practical tools they can apply immediately, while embracing a mindset focused on the future of the sport and the evolving needs of their athletes.” – Jack Birch, United Kingdom
Why it matters
While competition outcomes are measured on race day, many of the factors that influence performance are shaped long before athletes step onto the course. Coaching influences how athletes train, recover, develop skills and adapt to the demands of competition.
As HYROX continues to expand globally, the quality of coaching environments will play an increasingly important role in athlete progression across the sport. By bringing together coaches from 28 countries, Red Bull and HYROX created a platform for sharing knowledge, challenging assumptions and accelerating coaching development at a global scale. The programme reflects a growing recognition that long-term performance is driven not only by athletes, but also by the coaches, systems and environments that support them.
Looking Ahead
The camp concluded in Brazil, but its impact extends far beyond the event itself. Coaches return to 28 countries equipped with new frameworks for athlete development, performance coaching and informed decision-making. The ideas exchanged at the camp will now be implemented across gyms, training groups and high-performance environments throughout the global HYROX community.
About the Camp Experts
Piers Plowman is an endurance sports coach with a postgraduate degree in Sports Coaching from Loughborough University. He has coached athletes within British Triathlon’s Olympic Pathway and Paralympic World Class Programmes and also competes in HYROX. As HYROX 365 Academy Education Manager, he plays a key role in developing coaches through the HYROX Academy.
Dr. Adam Storey is a strength and conditioning coach and Senior Research Fellow at AUT University. He has coached Olympic, World and Commonwealth champions while conducting research in strength and power development. Storey is also a competitive HYROX athlete and competed at the 2025 HYROX World Championships.
Dr. Bryna Chrismas is an applied exercise physiologist, sport scientist and HYROX coach with more than 20 years of coaching experience. She specialises in athlete health and performance and serves on the HYROX Sport Science Advisory Council. Chrismas is also the author of the Female Athlete Health content within the HYROX Level 2 Coach Course.
Jack Birch is a strength and conditioning coach at the Red Bull Athlete Performance Centre, where he supports world-class athletes across rehabilitation and performance. With more than 12 years of experience in elite sport, he leads performance support for Red Bull Surf and Skate athletes and has worked with more than 3,000 athletes across board sports, football and motorsport.
