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Alexander Rončević and Tim Wenisch joined forces for one last time to claim their first HYROX Elite 15 Doubles World Championship title in Stockholm, Sweden on Friday after they went hard from the start and held on for victory in the booming fitness event. Here is all you need to know:
– After they missed out on the Elite 15 Singles title 24 hours earlier, Rončević and Wenisch dug deep over the demanding course to triumph in their final competition together as a pair.
– 2024 Elite 15 Singles champion Rončević, 33, declared: “That was the most beautiful end to the season you could imagine. One last dance with Tim in the Elite category.”
– HYROX is a unique race combining eight 1km runs with eight workout stations, including SkiErg, rowing, Sled Push, Sled Pulls and Wall Balls that blends endurance, strength, and pacing strategy.
– In Doubles, two athletes share the workout stations while both complete every run – dividing the workload strategically based on their strengths. Rončević and Wenisch lined up for the final time together as new rules require Elite Doubles partners to share the same nationality from next season.
– In a tightly contested Elite 15 Singles race on Thursday evening, Wenisch dropped to third after receiving a penalty, while Rončević paid the price for an early fast pace and finished sixth.
– Rončević and 2025 Singles champion Wenisch were confident of Doubles success, though, after setting a world record earlier this season when they combined for 47m40s in London.
– Ahead of Stockholm, Rončević admitted that racing on back-to-back days is never easy. He revealed: “The next day, you’ve got sore muscles all over, but you know in your head that you have to race again. Adrenaline definitely helps with that. And it’s always good to know that Tim is your partner, as when things get tough, we can push each other and get through it.”
– The friends off the track set a hard pace right from the start with the McIntyre-Williams pairing charging past them at the Sled Push second station only for the momentum to shift again after another round of running at the Sled Pull, where the eventual champions moved back into first place.
– Once back in control, they steadily increased their lead over the last stations and never looked back – finally celebrating after the final wall balls to close out the win in 48m58s.
– Rončević, 33, said: “We’ll continue to have a good friendship, have a lot of fun, train together, push hard, and move the limits in HYROX. We’re not that old yet!”
– With the next HYROX World Championships due to be played out in Hong Kong next June, Wenisch, 26, added: “To share the victory with Alex feels even better – almost like winning the title on my own.”
