Josh van Zeeland From International Rugby to HYROX's Elite
Josh van Zeeland turned up to his Elite 15 debut at ~86kg with a rugby background and ran one of the fastest splits in the field.
Quick facts
| Nationality | 🇬🇧 England |
| Background | International rugby (incl. sevens) |
| Division | HYROX Elite 15 |
| Claim to fame | One of the fastest run splits on Elite 15 debut (5th, Melbourne) |
| Fun fact | Thinks the air fryer is the greatest invention of all time. Despite being a ROXFIT athlete. |
From the rugby pitch
Josh is British, with Luxembourg heritage through his grandparents. He represented Luxembourg in international rugby and rugby sevens through that eligibility, captained the University of Melbourne 7s, and was part of the university’s Elite Athlete Program at Melbourne.
Rugby built the foundation. Sevens in particular demands short, explosive high-intensity efforts with minimal recovery between them. Repeated aerobic stress that translates directly to HYROX’s structure. At ~86kg, his running speed in the sport is all the more striking for it. Bigger athletes can run at the front. Josh is the evidence.
A fast climb
Josh raced Open in 2024, set a regional Open record, and beat established names on the way to Pro. He was in the Elite 15 within a single season.
His standout moment came on his Elite 15 debut at Melbourne: a 5th-place finish with the fastest run split in the entire field. He was coached into that result by Chris Bayens, one of the most respected coaches in elite HYROX, who also works with Cole Learn. Josh also coaches athletes himself through Shredded Health Performance in Melbourne, which shows in how he approaches his own preparation.
A coach’s approach to training
Josh trains by data and principle, not by feel or ego. His methodology:
Consistency over intensity. The goal is never the perfect session. It’s stacking small wins week after week. One bad day doesn’t derail anything. One great day doesn’t mean much either without the weeks behind it.
Threshold, not above. Three hard runs per week, all at threshold. He deliberately avoids suprathreshold work to manage fatigue and keep the quality high across the full week.
Zone 2 off your feet. Long aerobic work happens on the bike or StairMaster rather than on the road. The aerobic stimulus is the same; the injury risk is significantly lower. Long runs are capped at around 70 minutes. Sessions are structured by time, not distance.
HRV as a daily check. Josh monitors HRV every morning to guide intensity decisions. If the number is low, the session adjusts. If it’s high, he pushes. The one exception: he stops checking in the days before a race. The data is there to support performance, not to undermine confidence on the start line.
Fuelling as a performance lever. Fixing chronic calorie deficits changed his training, his recovery, and his mood. He credits better nutrition as one of the biggest unlocks in his development, not just for performance in the race, but for handling the training load required to get there.
Key results
| Year | Event | Time | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HYROX Melbourne (first race, Open) | 56:47 | 1st (AG) |
| 2025 | HYROX Sydney (Pro) | 55:20 | 1st |
| 2025 | HYROX World Championships (Pro) | 57:39 | 3rd (AG) |
| 2025 | HYROX Seoul (Pro) | 54:57 | 1st (Pro PB) |
| 2025 | HYROX Melbourne Elite 15 | 55:38 | 5th (Elite debut) |
Questions about Josh van Zeeland
How did Josh van Zeeland do on his Elite 15 debut?
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Read more
- How to Structure Your Running Week for HYROX
- How to Recover After a HYROX Race
- What Actually Has to Change to Move Through the HYROX Divisions Fast
Josh is one of the ROXFIT athletes. Join the ROXFIT Ultra waitlist for what’s next.
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Results accurate as of mid-2026.
