Shokz expands HYROX North America partnership

Shokz said on May 21 that it had expanded its partnership with HYROX North America for the 2025/2026 season, adding a larger activation at NYU Langone Health HYROX New York and a six-stop gym training tour across North America. The open-ear audio company said the push will center on its OpenFit Pro headphones and on-site programming tied to the New York race. HYROX, which stages fitness racing events built around running and functional workout stations, has been growing its North American calendar during the current season. HYROX’s event page says the New York competition will run across two weekends, from May 28 to June 1 and June 3 to June 7. ### What exactly changed in the partnership? PR Newswire said the May 21 announcement described the move as an elevation of an existing agreement, not a new partnership launch. Shokz had already joined HYROX North America in September 2025 as the official headphone partner for the 2025/2026 season, with plans to appear at 14 races across the United States and Canada. (prnewswire.com) The new announcement shifts the emphasis to New York and to a broader training push. Shokz said it would deepen its collaboration through a heightened presence at the New York City race and a six-stop gym training tour across the continent, introducing OpenFit Pro as part of that activation. (prnewswire.com) ### Why is HYROX New York the focal point? HYROX said NYU Langone Health HYROX New York will be its largest event in North American history, with 50,000 athletes scheduled to compete over eight days. The event page says the race returns to New York across two separate blocks and offers qualifying pathways to the 2026 World Championships in Stockholm, Sweden, set for June 18 to June 21. (prnewswire.com) Shokz’s own event marketing ties the partnership directly to that scale. A company page for its “Fit Month” campaign says the brand will appear on the floor at HYROX New York as the official headphone partner and is using May gym events and the New York race as linked parts of the same campaign. ### What is Shokz putting in front of athletes? Shokz said OpenFit Pro is the product at the center of the New York activation. (hyrox.com) The company’s HYROX partnership page says it is pitching its open-ear earbuds around secure fit and awareness during running and functional movements, while the May 21 release says the New York event and training tour will showcase the product to North American athletes. (shokz.com) Shokz previously used the HYROX tie-up to launch a co-branded OpenFit 2+ edition in September 2025. The newer release signals a product handoff inside the same sponsorship, with OpenFit Pro taking the lead in the late-season activation. That is an inference based on the two company announcements. (prnewswire.com) ### How does this fit into the season Shokz already bought into? Shokz said in September 2025 that the HYROX North America deal covered the full 2025/2026 season and 14 races. The company said at the time that the partnership would support “everyday athletes” through race-day experiences, athlete tie-ins and product launches. (prnewswire.com) The May 21 update narrows that broad season-long sponsorship into a late-season showcase. HYROX’s New York stop begins on May 28, one week after the announcement, and sits near the end of the season before the Stockholm world championships in June. (prnewswire.com) ### What happens next? NYU Langone Health HYROX New York is scheduled for May 28 to June 7 in New York, according to HYROX’s event page. Shokz said its expanded activation there will be followed by a six-stop gym training tour across North America, while HYROX said qualifying athletes from New York can secure places at the World Championships in Stockholm on June 18 to June 21. (prnewswire.com)