If you loved Physical: Asia, you might like the World Fitness Project – here’s all you need to know

Hyrox, Physical: Asia and other fitness competitions are likely dominating your Instagram feed, but a new contender has entered the ring.

The World Fitness Project is a new fitness competition designed to test the best fitness athletes in the world (Getty)

Fitness competitions are in fashion like never before. Hyrox is the main culprit, with CrossFit competitions, AthX Games and other similar events bringing thousands of sweaty fitness fans together to test their mettle.

Recently, another fitness competition has been cropping up as a popular query on Google: the World Fitness Project. So what’s it all about?

Put simply, this is a competition pitting some of the world’s top fitness athletes against each other in a test of strength, gymnastic skill and endurance. There are three events over the course of a year-long season, with each one comprising a series of physical tests where the athletes can rack up points – think Physical Asia, but formalised.

The winners will be decided at the World Fitness Finals in Copenhagen, Denmark, this weekend, where they will face tests including swimming, Olympic weightlifting and an obstacle course to be completed while walking on their hands.

Better yet, the Brits are in with a shot at winning. Aimee Cringle from the Isle of Man topped the women’s leaderboard coming into the finals, while Nottingham’s Lucy Campbell sat just behind in joint second.

If you like the sound of a sport that subjects athletes to a wide range of physical tests, and might end up with an English athlete atop the podium, here is all you need to know.

What is the World Fitness Project?

The World Fitness Project (WFP) launched in 2025, and unlike Hyrox and other fitness competitions, not just anyone can compete. It is designed for the best of the best in the fitness world, with athletes needing to be invited or prove themselves through a qualifying event. There are divisions for men, women and teams of four.

“The World Fitness Project is a global professional fitness series designed to elevate the sport [of competitive fitness] through a true season-based structure,” says WFP co-founder and director of sport Will Moorad.

Historically, only the top performers at fitness competitions earn prize money, while all others operate at a loss – footing the bill for accommodation, travel and a considerable amount of food to fuel their endeavours.

WFP instead hands athletes a season-long contract and helps with these expenses in an aim to professionalise the sport. Those who do well within the season will maintain their contract for the following year, while those at the bottom of the pile risk being replaced by up-and-coming athletes in the feeder “challenger” division.

WFP also has a hybrid competition open to all called Project 1. It involves a gruelling mix of 800m runs, farmer’s carries, stints on exercise machines and sandbag box step-overs sure to catch the attention of fitness racing fans. The challenge is to complete it within 55 minutes, with organisers teasing a high likelihood of an event in the UK sooner rather than later.

When are the World Fitness Project World Fitness Finals?

The World Fitness Project season culminates this weekend with the World Fitness Finals in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The events start at 8am on the morning of Thursday, 18 December, with athletes challenged to flit between a swimming pool, SkiErg machine and exercise bike in a test of skill and endurance.

A total of nine physical tests will then run from roughly 9am to 6pm each day until Sunday. You can find the full schedule above, although bare in mind it is displayed in local time, so you will need to subtract an hour from the times listed if you are watching it in the UK.

How to watch the World Fitness Project

The World Fitness Finals can be streamed live on the World Fitness Project website or the World Fitness Project YouTube channel, below.

Athletes to watch

The leaderboard makes for pleasant reading for UK-based fitness fans. “Heading into the World Fitness Finals this weekend, Aimee Cringle of the United Kingdom and James Sprague from the United States are leading the season-long points race,” explains WFP analyst and expert Brian Friend.

“Major threats in hot pursuit of the championship are Laura Horvath from Hungary and Lucy Campbell, also from the United Kingdom, on the women's side, and Roman Khrennikov and Dallin Pepper who are both representing the United States.”

There is also a team competition, where teams of four – two men and two women – work together to complete varied fitness tests.

What next for the World Fitness Project?

This year marks the WFP’s inaugural season. But with the growth of competitive fitness as a sport, organisers and sponsors including Adidas already have one eye on next year.

“Both Adidas and the WFP organisers have the same vision: to build a globally recognised professional [competitive fitness] league, and one that athletes can plan careers around and fans can follow year after year,” says WFP co-founder and director of business development Ryan Husband.

“Fitness racing, specifically the hybrid format, is one of the fastest growing sports in the world, so being a part of such an esteemed fitness competition like World Fitness Project is exciting,” adds Adidas global senior vice president Aimee Arana.

“Athletes today are not defined by a single discipline; they are strong, fast, skilful, resilient and adaptable. WFP recognises this reality and has built a competition model that reflects the modern athlete, putting their long-term development and professionalism at the centre.

“We see WFP not just as an event series, but as the very foundation of a sustainable global sport, valuing consistency, fairness and opportunity that enable athletes to build genuine careers.”

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