Celia Duff, 71, is a retired doctor who lives near Cambridge. She has two children and two grandchildren. She signed up to Hyrox, an international fitness competition, after picking up running in the Covid-19 lockdown. Here, she tells us about competing at such a high level, working towards longevity and how taking part has changed her life. Interview by Victoria Young.
For most of my life I have done some kind of activity. I used to row at university, and in the 80s I had the leotard and leg warmer aerobics phase. I’ve always been a member of a gym but it’s so easy to go to a gym, chuck a few weights around and do a few star jumps without any real aim. What I have realised is that unless something is incremental, you will remain fairly static in your fitness.
When lockdown hit, I realised I could sit watching Netflix and eating chocolates, or use the time to start running again with my dog. I chose the latter, and as I got fitter my daughter, Alice, said: “I bet you could do Hyrox – why don’t you have a go?” I had no real knowledge at all of what the it was, other than the fact it was some sort of fitness event she had been doing.
I got a ticket and then thought I had better understand it. (But those were the days when you could get tickets more than an hour after they went on sale – now they sell out in a flash.) I read the rule book and thought: “Oh my god – what have I done?”
Hyrox involves eight kilometers of running interspersed with eight different workout stations, including activities like sled pushing, sandbag lunges and rowing; a combination of cardio and weights which are designed to break you. There are very specific and exact rules around the components and the standards of each movement. I realised that half of it was running and I needed to be jolly strong. Having bought the ticket in June, I set about training for my first Hyrox in October – I had 12 weeks to train.
My focus was on being able to run eight kilometres and lift those weights. I designed myself a programme, had a weekly PT session and did the best I could, but I was flying slightly blind. However, when I have decided to do something, I commit: if the schedule says that today is a run, then I’ll run. If I have it planned, I will do it – if I haven’t, the temptation to say “no” is huge.
Celia Duff has competed in eight Hyrox competitions in the last three yearsI did complete my first competition but I very nearly didn’t; the sled-pull nearly defeated me. It was so hard, I nearly walked off – then gave it one more heave and managed it. I learned so much doing that competition and I still broke the world record – largely because there weren’t many people of my age doing it at that time. That qualified me for the world championships that summer which were in Manchester, so I had another seven months to prepare for that and, in that time, I learned a huge amount about how to pace myself and what I needed to work on.
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I joined a gym near me called Ovrload, which runs various different types of classes for strength which are slow, heavy full ranges of movement for muscles and joints; brilliant for mobility, maintaining muscle mass and flexibility. There are also conditioning classes which involve low weights and high repetitions, to get the heart rate up. And what they call Zone two classes, which are indoor endurance training doing skiing, rowing, cycling and the treadmill. I do a mix of all three classes and train five times a week. When I’m preparing for a race I will run three times a week; one long and slow run of 10 kilometers, plus a shorter run at race pace, and sprints or interval training of 400 meters. I take two rest days a week which are really important, and do yoga and pilates once a week each, which is great for core and flexibility.
Celia Duff uses the instagram handle @badass_gran1 to share her journey and connect with other fitness fansSleep is also really important for rest and recuperation and I am lucky that I sleep for eight or nine hours a night without a problem. I’m very conscious of how fortunate I am to be able to give the time to my training and that I am able to prioritise it and feel the benefit. I know that some people are not able to do that.
The social and mental health side of fitness is also hugely important. I love the community contact and being part of a group of people. Hyrox is fun and a lovely way to meet people. I have made great friends at the gym, where I have encountered so much support and kindness, but also on social media.
Since my first competition I have gone on to become a Double World Hyrox Champion in my age group: 65-69 in 2023 and 70-75 in 2024. I have done several solo competitions, as well as mixed doubles, including one with a 39-year-old man I met on Instagram, and same-gender doubles – including one with my daughter in October 2024. We came second which was huge fun.
The elements of Hyrox are so broad and so different and so hard – it’s the perfect thing for me. I thoroughly enjoy it. But my primary aim is longevity and well-being. Rather than training to look good I want to remain independent in my older age for as long as possible. I want to protect myself from injury, heal more quickly if I do get injured; be able to get up without any trouble, and reach above my shoulders as nimbly as a 50-year-old would.
My daily diet
Breakfast: Porridge or some kind of oats with fruit and kefir. I keep chickens on my allotment, so I might also have a couple of poached eggs after the gym. I take a vitamin D supplement and creatine for muscle repair when I am doing heavy training.
Lunch: Toast and hummus
Supper: Chicken or salmon, lots of veg from the allotment. I eat a lot of salad and Greek yoghurt with fruit – for calcium. I don’t drink alcohol.
I probably don’t eat enough protein and often have a protein drink as a way of getting more protein in after a lunchtime class.
Since starting this training, I am more flexible and taller. I can lift heavier things on my allotment, run up the stairs and am generally fitter and stronger than I was five years ago, without a doubt – which, at my age, is incredible.
I had pre-planned knee surgery to repair two torn and herniated menisci the week after the October 2025 Hyrox and was back in the gym a week later. I strongly suspect that because I was so strong pre-op, my recovery time was dramatically reduced.
I am currently preparing for the World Championships in Stockholm next June. Hyrox is really bloody difficult, and I have conquered it which gives me huge satisfaction because it’s tough – it really is. Every time I finish I think: “What have I just done?” Ten minutes later, I feel fine and start asking: “When is the next one?”
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