Dubai is set to welcome a new hybrid fitness competition as XDubai prepares to launch HYBRDX at Kite Beach from January 15-17, 2027.
Developed with Dubai Sports Council as strategic partner, the homegrown event aims to attract 3,500 participants for three days of running, strength and functional fitness challenges.
Organisers have announced an AED 1 million prize pool, which they describe as the third-largest in the hybrid fitness category worldwide.
The prize money will be distributed between the Invitational and Elite categories.
In addition, the inaugural competition will be supported by BEYOND Developments as Title Partner and Adidas as Performance Partner.
Meanwhile, eight founding athletes from Dubai’s fitness community have helped shape the event, including four women whose experiences reflect different approaches to motherhood, resilience and competitive sport.
HYBRDX combines running, strength and endurance
HYBRDX will challenge competitors to complete eight 800-metre runs, each followed by a workout station.
Together, the running segments cover 6.4 kilometres, alongside eight functional fitness challenges that test participants’ endurance, strength and ability to perform across different disciplines.
Designed for athletes with varying levels of experience, the competition will offer four categories: Elite, Everyday, Juniors and Invitational.
The Elite and Everyday categories are open to adults, with solo entry priced at AED 399 and doubles entry at AED 798.
Meanwhile, the Juniors category will welcome athletes aged 14 to 16 competing in doubles, with entry priced at AED 500.
No qualification is required for the Elite, Everyday or Juniors categories.
However, the Invitational division will be reserved for invited athletes.
The AED 1 million prize pool will be allocated to the Elite and Invitational fields, subject to the competition’s official terms and conditions.
Registration is now open through the official HYBRDX website.
XDubai introduces a homegrown competition
HYBRDX has been developed as a new sporting event that reflects Dubai’s growing interest in competitive fitness and active living.
The competition aims to connect local and international athletes, fitness clubs, coaches and sporting communities while establishing a new event on the city’s sporting calendar.
Mohammad Javad, Executive Vice President, Leisure & Entertainment at Shamal Holding, said:
“Dubai has become a global stage for sport, with the sector’s economic contribution targeted to reach AED 18.3 billion by 2033 under the Dubai Economic Agenda D33. HYBRDX is XDubai’s contribution to that momentum, a homegrown competition created to add to the city’s growing culture of active living.
Having two renowned partners, BEYOND Developments and Adidas, believe in HYBRDX from its first edition gives it the credibility to get there.
Our ambition is for HYBRDX to become part of how Dubai competes and connects, giving people here a new challenge while welcoming the world’s leading competitors.
We want it to raise the standard of hybrid competition while staying rooted in the community that inspired it.”
Meet the Eight Athletes Shaping HYBRDX
Under the theme “What’s Your X?”, eight founding athletes from Dubai’s fitness community have helped shape HYBRDX, each bringing a different motivation for training and competing.
Four women are among the founding athletes, highlighting different experiences of motherhood, resilience and taking on new challenges.
Amal Murad, an Emirati athlete and coach specializing in calisthenics and obstacle course racing, defines her X as “Showing that motherhood is a reason, not an excuse.”
Following her return to competitive sport after two pregnancies and a serious injury, she hopes to inspire more women and mothers to pursue their sporting ambitions.
Jamie Greene, an experienced CrossFit and functional fitness athlete, says her X is “Proving to herself she can.” After undergoing four major surgeries, she continues to balance competition and coaching while contributing to the UAE’s fitness community.
Sara Lodhi, a runner and hybrid fitness coach whose sporting journey began after motherhood, defines her X as “Proving it’s never too late to start.”
Her experience highlights how women can discover new athletic ambitions at different stages of life.
Sara Faloughi, a strength and indoor cycling coach preparing for her first hybrid competition, says her X is “Choosing to try instead of wondering if she can.”
She hopes to encourage others to embrace new challenges regardless of their experience.
Four More Athletes Bring Their Own Motivations
The four male founding athletes bring their own motivations. Yousef Al Gurg’s X is “Valuing the process, not the goal,” while Jake Hendry focuses on “Dominating what he can control.” For Anthony Bousleiman, it is “Teaching his son not to shy away from challenges,” while Jacob Mariano hopes to “Inspire others to be their best.”
Together, their stories reflect HYBRDX’s aim to make competition meaningful for athletes with different backgrounds, abilities and personal goals.
BEYOND Developments joins as Title Partner
BEYOND Developments has joined HYBRDX as its Title Partner, supporting the competition from its inaugural edition.
The partnership connects the Dubai-based developer with an initiative focused on wellbeing, movement and community participation.
Adil Taqi, CEO of BEYOND Developments, said:
“At BEYOND, we believe the environments and experiences around us can positively shape how people live, and wellbeing has always been central to that thinking.
HYBRDX allows us to extend that belief beyond the places we create and into a platform built around movement, personal motivation and community.
As a company born in Dubai, we are proud to support a homegrown initiative from its first edition and contribute to the city’s growing culture of active living.
What resonates most with us is the question at its heart, ‘What’s Your X?’ because behind every challenge is something deeply personal: a reason to begin, to keep going or to discover something new about yourself.”
Adidas backs HYBRDX as Performance Partner
Adidas has also confirmed its involvement as the competition’s Performance Partner, bringing its experience in athletic performance and hybrid training to the event.
The partnership comes as hybrid fitness continues to combine running, strength and endurance into a single competitive format.
Bilal Fares, SVP & General Manager, adidas EMC, said:
“Hybrid training is changing the way athletes approach performance, bringing together speed, strength and endurance in a way that challenges them to be more versatile than ever.
At Adidas, we’re focused on supporting athletes through every part of that journey, with performance innovation designed for the demands of hybrid training and competition.
As Performance Partner of HYBRDX, we’re excited to work alongside XDubai to help bring a new homegrown competition to Dubai and give athletes across all levels a platform to test themselves, compete and push what they’re capable of.”
HYBRDX prepares for January 2027 debut at Kite Beach
The inaugural HYBRDX competition will take place over three days, bringing together athletes from different training backgrounds and levels of experience.
With its combination of running and workout stations, multiple competition categories and an AED 1 million prize pool, the event will add another competitive fitness opportunity to Dubai’s sporting calendar.
The involvement of the eight founding athletes also highlights the different motivations behind participating in sport, from elite performance and personal wellbeing to returning from injury and balancing training with family life.
HYBRDX will run from January 15-17, 2027, at Kite Beach, with registration open at hybrdx.ae.
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