The LVMH movement that indicates Hyrox is more than just a sport

L Catterton takes control of HyroxL Catterton, an investment firm partially backed by LVMH, has acquired a controlling stake in Hyrox. This September, it acquired a 600 million euro stake, as reported by the Financial Times.If you still don't know what Hyrox is, I'll tell you. It is a sport that combines running with other more functional training tests, "CrossFit" type, and is already practiced by more than two million people worldwide. It has become so popular because it is accessible: anyone can practice it, it is not difficult and can be done alone, in pairs or in groups of up to four people, in different locations around the world.Figures and expansion The company originated in Germany, but today its events take place in 30 countries. They bring together experienced professionals, in a sport that has been practiced since 2017, as well as amateurs looking to meet a personal challenge or simply looking to have fun or even do tourism in another country. Hyrox has grown from 80,000 participants in the 2022-2024 season to more than 1.4 million this year.Philippe Blatter, one of the leaders of the Hyrox brand, explained that the decision is part of a new chapter in the company's development. L Catterton, for its part, has stakes in different companies in the fitness business, such as companies that manufacture machinery for physical activity at home. Miray Topay, from L Catterton, explained that Hyrox has done something uncommon until now in the world of sport: build a global community around a new format brand.What does this mean for the cosmetic sector?You may be wondering what the entire Hyrox ecosystem and hybrid sport (the modality to which the brand belongs) has to do with cosmetics. The answer is the consumer. We are going to take an X-ray, generalizing what the Hyrox consumer might be like, and look at other aspects that make us think that cosmetics has a market opportunity in the Hyrox atmosphere.An aspirational consumer Whoever signs up for Hyrox also does so for something aspirational. There is a kind of "aura" around this sport: there are dozens of much more economical alternatives that, for different reasons, do not awaken as much desire among hybrid training enthusiasts. The consumer buys the experience and belonging that the L Catterton executive talks about. Hyrox has the backing of hundreds of content creators and influencers who base their content on the preparation of this event, which culminates on the day it takes place.A consumer who takes care of themselvesThe person who practices this sport wants to take care of themselves and engages in physical activity, perhaps, four times a week. Therefore, they are someone who cares about their image and wants to look and feel good. They are surely passionate about taking care of themselves, and that also includes a certain concern for their physical appearance.Hyrox's bet on beautyJust ten months ago, Hyrox announced via LinkedIn that it was open to discussing with future sponsors, like all major events. That post on the social network made something very clear: "we work with brands that generate a positive impact on our athletes and help them to be better from start to finish". What better than a cosmetic brand to fulfill this motto? In the same text, it named some sectors with which it would be interested in strengthening ties, and the first to be mentioned was beauty.Future consumersThe beauty sector must take into account that future consumers are also here. Hyrox recently created a space called Hyrox Youngstars, which has up to 4,000 young athletes and more than 12,000 family members gathered. More public, more opportunities.Hyrox's collaborations with brandsFashionApart from its relationship with Puma, which is the official supplier of sportswear and footwear for the competition, Hyrox has collaborated with ooia, a women's intimate apparel brand that was one of the sponsors of the event held in Germany. The brand is ooia, and it is also a brand that was born in Germany, just like the sport.Personal care Gillette Labs (Procter & Gamble)Procter & Gamble also entered Hyrox this year through its Gillette Labs brand, also in Berlin, at the longest-running event in Hyrox's history, which lasted eight days. For this razor blade brand, the move was focused on men.NiveaThis same year Nivea also joined the Hyrox wave. It has done so in South Africa, at the event held in Cape Town and Hyrox, used a formula that we will discover adapts to the different sectors with which it collaborates. You will understand me below. In this case, Nivea became the Official Personal Care Partner of the event. Nivea had brand ambassadors, who were athletes competing in that event: Khanya Mzobe, Teal Hogg, Unathi Mkhize and Tebogo. Nivea sought to position itself at the event as a solution for high-performance athletes that cared about maximum skin protection during competition and for more than 72 hours. Facial cosmeticsMaybelline New York in ParisMaybelline New York, a makeup brand, was an official sponsor of the Paris event. Apparently, according to some Parisian media, the success was such that the company will repeat next year, in an event that will extend practically for a week, from April 8 to 12, 2027, in one of the most iconic locations of the French capital: the Grand Palais in Paris.The brand had the presence of influencers and content creators related to sports, as well as athletes from the competition itself, to present the effectiveness of its ultra-sweat-resistant products, usable during physical activity. The athletes tested their ultra-setting foundation, mascara, and setting sprays.Maybelline x Hyrox ParisMake OverIn this case, makeup also found its place at a Hyrox Bangkok event. The brand took advantage of the massive event to test the effectiveness of one of its products, which has now become a social media viral: the Powerstay Glazed Lock Lip Pigment. The brand tested the lipstick at the event to demonstrate that it was able to resist sweat and extreme fatigue. Make Over knew how to highlight the technology contained in the product that prevents the lipstick from cracking or becoming sticky during training without sacrificing high pigmentation. Make Over Biotherm stands as Official Skin Care PartnerIn May of this year, Hyrox announced its relationship with Biotherm, a brand of the L'Oréal group, which has become its Official Skin Care Partner. Positioning: Hyrox explained to its community that Biotherm positioned itself as an expert in Skin Fitness and would be present at the World Series of Fitness Racing, the major competition that brings together the best athletes in the discipline and travels to 10 different cities around the world. Impact and international presence guaranteed. Reach: Biotherm, as I said before, will be in 10 competitions and will travel around the world hand in hand with Hyrox. In turn, Hyrox presented it to its athletes as a brand capable of satisfying skin needs in high-intensity fitness. Presence at events: Biotherm has already accessed the community through pop-ups at events, where athletes and participants can try, discover, and experience its skincare solutions. They also have a cold cabin to aid recovery.The skincare routine for athletesBiotherm took the opportunity to present a "skincare routine for athletes": Cleanser: announces a compound that maintains constant freshness and keeps the skin dry, thus avoiding friction. Gel: its formulation contains electrolytes, which responds to the Skin Fitness trend. The topic of electrolytes resonates with Hyrox athletes, but until now they had been nothing more than a supplement. Sunscreen: enriched with proteins and vitamins. Facial care product: contains creatine and caffeine, and also perfectly responds to Skin Fitness.But... What is Skin Fitness?At a time when sport, physical activity, and the world of fitness are booming, it's hardly surprising that this has translated into skincare. Definition: "Skin Fitness" is a modern concept of personal care that treats the skin as if it were a muscle and focuses on "training" and strengthening it to improve its resilience and long-term health. Priority: optimize the health of the skin barrier against external aggressions.Biotherm and its sports ingredientsBiotherm has managed to capture this small niche and is committed to incorporating ingredients used in sports supplementation into its skincare products. It has done so in the cream with creatine and caffeine mentioned before, but also in a serum with electrolytes: the Electrolyte Dewy Gel. It is inspired by Korean cosmetics, fills in expression lines, and is enriched with electrolytes. According to the brand, it is inspired by sports hydration and is formulated to provide up to 100 hours of hydration.Biotherm montibello and the aesthetic salonBiotherm is not the only brand that has joined the fitness wave. Montibello has also done so, from a different point of view that takes into account the role of the aesthetic salon. At the beginning of the year, it presented the SkinFit Workout Treatment, where the in-cabin treatment became a true facial gym. As one of the main attractions of Skin Fitness, the barrier function is also present in this range.SkinFit Workout - montbello Sport and cosmetics increasingly have more in commonBoth fields seek a common purpose: to feel good. Wellness has always been among them as a kind of bridge, but now it seems that it is no longer necessary. Cosmetic brands must see Hyrox as a group, a community that trains, shares routines, moments, and even trips, and that builds part of its identity on an active lifestyle.Hyrox has also impacted other sectors: this year the Hyrox in Malaga was held and the automotive industry also had a place here: Leapmotor assumed the Title Partner and is an example that Hyrox also becomes a lifestyle platform. In the case of Seoul, Air Asia, made a firm commitment to relate sport with tourism and turn Hyrox into a race-cation: a trip that invites to compete. Of course, the category of tracking and sports technology could not be left out. Hyrox works in all editions with Amazfit, which is the official partner in performance measurement, training, and recovery with its devices. Sport can now become a new element in the equation, helping to segment and target a specific audience. For these reasons, Hyrox and other sports can become a new marketing and consumption asset, and stop being just a sports trend.

The LVMH movement that indicates Hyrox is more than just a sport

An investment of 600 million euros puts Hyrox on LVMH's radar and opens a door to the beauty sector through Skin Fitness

Miriam Mora

Journalist and Editor