The 2025 HYROX World Championships took place in Chicago, IL, and the Windy City was buzzing with all the fitness racing action taking place. Athletes from throughout the world gathered to celebrate fitness and compete for individual records and possible championships.
Matt Choi was right in the middle of all the action, competing in both singles and doubles action as well as doing his own coverage of the event for his followers and subscribers. Even as busy as he was, Choi found time to enjoy the moment and be present while pushing himself to chase new PR’s. He felt that the way the event was run helped as well.
“It was special,” he said. Choi compared the feeling of being at HYROX to being at the world’s major marathon events. The energy is contagious and he couldn’t help but embrace it.
“I think HYROX did a very good job of organizing a top class event.”
Choi’s single time was 1:05:57, which was impressive considering he is not at experienced in this sport as he is running. Unfortunately for him, there was an issue with the turf that affected some of the competitors, including him. Nonetheless, Choi kept in mind that all he can control is what he can control and not to let any negativity take over.
“I think when you look at the things that are out of your control, it’s not allowing those things to dictate how you talk to yourself and how you treat yourself in the moment.”
The big takeaway for him was his doubles time of 54:25 with partner Mason Stevens. Stevens was not his planned partner, but his original teammate was not able to compete. Considering he and Stevens had not competed together before and they had competed during the singles events, and they finished in the top 40 at the World Championships, he was proud of the effort and result.
“I felt like me and Mason did a really good job, even though we weren’t partners,” he shared. “I felt like it was a really enjoyable experience.”
Then there was the media aspect of his job. While most athletes were either resting or mentally preparing, Choi was grinding in another role. Nonetheless, he made the most of his opportunity to contribute and promote the sport. His experience with creating content served him well while juggling the roles of athlete and reporter.
“I still want to make sure I’m showing up as an athlete. If I do those things, then I think it’s easier for me to show up from the media side because I think it’s just it’s it comes pretty natural to me in that sense.”
Matt Choi
What Lies Ahead For Matt Choi
Successful people don’t waste much time looking back because there is usually something ahead, and Choi is no different. With the HYROX World Championships in the rearview mirror, he is now focused on running and preparing for multiple races, including the Marine Corps Marathon for the Kyle Peace Foundation and the 2025 Berlin Marathon. He has run marathon-length sessions on his own, but racing is a different animal, and even though he has competed in races in the past, he is looking forward to the challenge of setting a PR.
“Running is just for completion. You’re just covering the distance of 26.2 miles,” he explained. For these races, he has a chance to dedicate a full training block to improving his time, and that excites him.
“I think that is something that is really on my heart. My goal is to break sub 2:50.”
Matt Choi
How Matt Choi Prepares For Event Races
The Berlin Marathon is set for Sunday, September 21, over three months post his HYROX events. That is plenty of time to prepare, but there is more to racing in an event of that magnitude than simply running and running more. It will be a different season in a different climate, and there is a seven-hour time difference between Berlin and where he is training in Texas.
Running in the heat of summer will be different than racing in the fall, but Choi explained why that is actually a good thing for him. It gives him an opportunity to make the training harder so the race will be easier for him to complete.
Choi explained, “Progressively overloading, such as in a gym context, in running is similar. You’re increasing volume and intensity, increasing pace. I think on a week-to-week basis, that is a piece of training.”
He continued, “If I am able to hold my paces that I need to in the heat, it should only build my confidence going into a colder climate.”
The thought of dedicating a period just to prepare for a race excites him, but he won’t be shutting down his role as a content creator. He plans on taking his followers and subscribers on the ride with him by sharing his training leading up to the race.
“I’m going to be pretty open in terms of like showing the training and the behind the scenes because I’m going to be doing a YouTube series around breaking 2:50.”
The weekly episodes will provide a unique perspective on how Choi trains and prepares for the big race in Berlin. This is a new creative direction for Choi, but it is one that he feels the fans and followers will get to enjoy. The goal for Choi is not to only entertain and inspire them, but he also wants to conclude it with a new PB.
“I’m excited about it. I’m excited about this challenge.”
To see Choi’s content and episodes, subscribe to his YouTube channel. You can also follow him on all major social media platforms @mattchoi_6.
