Red Bull Gym Clash UK Wraps Up, ShireFit Team Heads to World Finals in Egypt
Over the past few weeks, Red Bull Gym clashes have taken place worldwide, crowning national champions.
- Winners are now one step closer to becoming Global Champions at the World Finals in Egypt early next year. There, 28 teams from around the world will compete for the title of Fittest Gym on Earth.
On Saturday, September 19, Team ShireFit was crowned the Red Bull Gym Clash UK National Champions, with CrossFit One More Rep and Kulture rounding out the top three teams after an exciting day of competition that saw 13 teams from across the UK battle for the title.
Some background: With over 75 events and 575+ global gyms participating, Red Bull Gym Clash is building momentum in the global fitness scene. The first Red Bull Gym Clash global series was held last year, with 15 markets running national events that led to a Greek World Final in central Athens.
Some details: The UK National Final was hosted at MK7 in Milton Keynes, the home of the Oracle Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team, giving participants a unique opportunity to work surrounded by Formula 1 cars and historical racing memorabilia. Harry Lightfoot, who attended the event, marveled at the venue and its impact on the participants’ experience.
- “I just think that the environment is huge, and to have it in a facility like this – you’ve got Red Bull cars all around you, in classic Red Bull fashion, like anything and everything is possible. To be able to do it in such a different and niche environment like this, it just makes it even better,” Lightfoot told Morning Chalk Up.
Red Bull athlete Jake Dearden, who has been involved in the event since its inception, agreed.
- “It’s electric. It’s really incredible. As always, Red Bull puts on a show. Today we’re working out in front of Formula 1 cars, there’s lighting, there’s a DJ, there’s Red Bull on tap. The energy is high,” Dearden told Morning Chalk Up.
How it works: Mixed teams of four (two male, two female, 18 years and older) first compete in the National Qualifiers (in Liverpool, Bristol, Glasgow, and London). The top 16 teams from these National Qualifiers advance to the UK National Final at MK7, and the winning gym from the National Finals will compete at the World Final next year.
- All four athletes on a team must be 18 or over and must have been members of the gym they represent for at least 6 months at the time of registration.
The workouts: For the event, teams had to complete three workouts programmed not only by Dearden but also by fellow Red Bull athletes Noah Ohlsen and Ida Mathilde Steensgaard. One workout tested strength, another tested endurance and power, and the third tested skill.
Lightfoot shared that watching the first workout, in which athletes found their max on a barbell complex, was the highlight of the event for him.
- “You can see guys and girls under a heavy barbell, hitting a heavy complex – you can just tell the way everyone is reacting around, that they’re going for a PB. It’s just so great to see everyone involved and see so many happy faces. It perfectly kick-started the day, going into the next event,” Lightfoot said.
For Dearden, his highlight was “seeing everyone suffer a bit,” he told us, laughing. “The workouts have been brutal, especially the endurance and skill workouts. They’ve left everyone on the floor, breathing hard, and it’s been good to see.”
The bottom line: Lightfoot, Dearden, and the athletes themselves agreed that while the event itself was a fun few hours of sweating and training, it was about something bigger.
- “I think any sort of fitness competition is a great way to give initiative to everybody in the gym – something to work towards and even better doing it on a team, something to keep you accountable,” Lightfoot said.
Dearden continued, noting that what makes Red Bull Gym Clash meaningful is that it celebrates everyday gym-goers.
- “I feel like Red Bull Gym Clash is for people that just go to the gym. It’s for the community. You have to be registered at the gym you’re competing for. And for me this makes it fair, for one, but for two, it gives everyone a chance and makes it really inclusive. It’s something to work towards; it’s something that as a team, you can work on together and get as far as you can,” Dearden said.
Go here for more info on the event, the workouts, and how you can get involved next year.
