KUALA LUMPUR – On a hazy Monday afternoon in September, I joined my first Hyrox class. Why would a 38-year-old, largely sedentary, slightly overweight journalist join an extreme fitness class that is the toast of the social media world featuring sweaty, super-fit people?

I was intrigued by an Instagram post about a Hyrox race in Shanghai. And more people in KL seemed to be doing the sport, which had arrived in Malaysia only in 2022. I was curious about the hype.