Jake Williamson, an out gay Hyrox fitness athlete in the UK, is now part of the record books.

With a time of 56:44, and running in London, Williamson set a world record for his age group — 25-29 — and also set an overall British record.

Williamson said he was surprised by the result, as he had back surgery just five weeks ago and had lost some weight, dropping him down in weight class.

“I guess it reduced the training load and the body was more fresh,” Williamson told Outsports. “It felt quite comfortable on the day so I’m excited to go even faster. I just now need to be able to do the same at that heavier weight.”

So what is Hyrox?

The sport was, according to its UK-based website, born in Germany in 2017, growing quickly across the fitness world from there.

“Participants from all around the world compete in the exact same format,” the website says of the sport. “The race starts with a 1 km run, followed by 1 functional movement, which repeats 8 times, taking place in large indoor venues, creating a unique stadium-like atmosphere for all participants.”

Williamson is also a former semi-pro soccer player, who says he was rejected by some of his soccer teammates after coming out to them.

Where are the Hyrox gays?

Williamson isn’t aware of any other publicly out gay Hyrox athletes, certainly not amongst the Elite 15. Though he says there are so many competitions and categories, he’s sure they’re out there.

Still, he finds it a bit odd that Hyrox hasn’t publicly celebrated his recent accomplishment.

“Hyrox as a business hasn’t mentioned the record or the fact I’m a gay athlete at all yet,” he said. “I fear people who haven’t gone through certain difficulties just don’t have an awareness of how powerful visibility Is.”

With most of the world’s fastest men in their late-30s, Williamson may have his best years ahead of him. His ambition is to earn a spot in that Elite 15.

“The next goal is to enjoy Christmas with my family and put in some solid training,” he said, “and start to go back to the pro weight category.

“Whilst open was fun, I want to be the best in the world at the hardest category.”

The next stop for Hyrox in the United States is in Los Angeles, Dec. 16.

You can follow Jake Williamson on Instagram and on X.

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