This article is a part of Poland Unpacked. Weekly intelligence for decision-makers
A million participants and competitions at Warsaw’s National Stadium are among the ambitions of Fitness IQ’s founder. He wants to capitalize on the global fitness-racing boom and Poland’s reputation to build a brand that inspires lasting loyalty. His target audience: ordinary gym-goers who dislike running.
German-born Hyrox, a competition combining running and strength exercises, is taking the world – including Poland – by storm. In less than a decade, it has become a business worth around EUR 600 million (PLN 2.6 billion). This year, it is expected to generate more than EUR 200 million in revenue and tens of millions of euros in profit.
Jarosław Bieniecki, the creator of Runmageddon, Poland's largest obstacle-course racing event, is throwing down the gauntlet. He created Fitness IQ for gym-goers who are not particularly fond of running. And his ambitions are global. He points to Poland's excellent international reputation for economic progress, clean cities, safety and many other aspects of life.
"We should have long since abandoned our inferiority complex towards Western Europe, which may have been partly justified several decades ago. Yet we still haven't created a global 'love brand' on the scale of Apple, Harley-Davidson or, in fitness, Hyrox.
"I want to build one and then use it to promote other Polish brands around the world. Polish entrepreneurs have created world-class producers of nutritional supplements, functional foods and meal delivery services. Some are already expanding internationally. It's time to take this to a much bigger scale," says Jarosław Bieniecki, founder of Runmageddon and CEO of Fitness IQ.
Fitness IQ: "Hyrox without the running"
This year, after 12 years, Bieniecki handed over day-to-day management of his company. Milivoj Puškar took over as CEO with a clear target: PLN 100 million in revenue, more than double the current level, and a 20% profit margin by 2028. After taking the helm, Puškar suggested that an indoor competition format would be a useful addition.
Bieniecki came up with two concepts. He may yet return to one of them – an indoor version of Runmageddon. The other became Fitness IQ, which can be described, in very simplified terms, as "Hyrox without the running."
"I know perfectly well that plenty of people who regularly work out at the gym and are willing to compete simply don't like running. That's why we're offering them an alternative better suited to their expectations.
"Several major formats have emerged in fitness racing around the world, but almost nobody has managed to break away from the Hyrox formula, which constantly alternates intense exercises with running. We have," says Bieniecki.
Who's who
An entrepreneur hungry for success
Jarosław Bieniecki spent the first decade of his professional career working for corporations including Orange, Energa and McKinsey & Company. He admits that when he entered business, he expected to achieve something on a scale comparable to what he has built today.
"I even put similar figures into an Excel spreadsheet at the beginning. Of course, you can make a spreadsheet say anything. I was worried about whether I could actually run a business of that size.
"But when I looked into the early careers and educational backgrounds of many of Poland's wealthiest people, I realized that successful entrepreneurs aren't some special breed," says Bieniecki, founder of Runmageddon and CEO of Fitness IQ.
He stresses that he has not yet achieved anything extraordinary and does not consider himself a major businessman. Last year, he joined The Company, a business community in which most members run companies generating more than PLN 100 million in revenue.
"To me, they're running fairly large businesses, but they're tiny compared with Poland's richest entrepreneurs. And even those people are small fish in the ocean of global business.
"I know where I stand in the food chain. At the same time, I know that a person's worth isn't measured by revenue or profit," he concludes.
Learning from a global rival
The founder of Fitness IQ identifies several areas in which he draws inspiration from Hyrox. Above all, the German competitor creates the atmosphere of a major sporting event.
"Amateurs get something close to an Olympic-style experience and are willing to pay accordingly. Another important element is building an international community and encouraging sports tourism.
"Global standardization also matters enormously. I can track improvements in my performance and compare my results with participants around the world.
"Another crucial ingredient is promotion by ordinary people. Hyrox doesn't build its brand around celebrities, but around regular gym-goers," Bieniecki explains.
He sees Fitness IQ's main distinguishing feature as limiting running to a single one-kilometer stretch. Many competitors, he argues, will never achieve strong results in Hyrox because running is their weakness.
"I'd like fitness competitors, in a few years' time, to fall into two groups: 'runners' who compete in Hyrox and those who choose Fitness IQ.
"With both Bieg Rzeźnika and Runmageddon, I wanted to create something interesting. That's exactly what I'm trying to do again," says Bieniecki.
A fitness score as a key competitive advantage
Bieniecki considers the ability to express physical fitness through a single score to be another advantage of his concept. The metric shares its name with the competition: fitness IQ.
"Half-jokingly, if people start including their fitness IQ in their Tinder profiles in a few years, we'll have achieved our goal.
"The reference to an IQ test is deliberate, although the result is less controversial when applied to physical fitness. We avoid the debate about different types of intelligence that are difficult to express with a single number.
"We measure strength, endurance and explosiveness across 15 events: 14 exercise stations, including box jumps, rowing machines and barbell bench presses, followed by a one-kilometer run," Bieniecki explains.
Participants earn points in each event. A score of 100 represents a "decent result for a healthy young person," while 200 indicates outstanding performance in a particular discipline.
Importantly, the scoring system is nonlinear. The curve rises steeply towards 100 points before flattening out.
"Getting 100–110 points should be relatively easy, but 130–140 will be achievable only by people in exceptional shape.
"The final score is calculated as the average across all events. We'll also provide an age-adjusted version, with additional points awarded for every year above 35. As a 46-year-old, I therefore receive an 11-point 'bonus'," the entrepreneur explains.
Measuring progress across multiple disciplines
Bieniecki identifies precise measurement at each exercise station as the third key element intended to drive Fitness IQ's popularity. This should make it easier for participants not only to track their progress but also to compare their performance with others.
"I might lose to a professional athlete in the overall ranking but still outperform them in particular events. That's a source of satisfaction and an additional boost to motivation.
"Ultimately, though, the most important benchmark will be your own previous result. That should encourage people to compete again and improve," Bieniecki argues.
The resulting score could also provide valuable feedback for personal trainers. Improvements in a client's performance would demonstrate that their training programme is working.
Developing proprietary training plans and a multi-level Fitness IQ certification system for trainers is one of the company's potential growth directions.
Gyms are already adapting to Hyrox by introducing not only dedicated equipment and facilities but also group training sessions.
Fireside chat
How Fitness IQ could replicate Hyrox's success
XYZ: What explains Hyrox's global success?
Małgorzata Burdziełowska, COO of Fit Style: Above all, its founders understood the changing needs of physically active people.
Today, more and more people no longer want simply to work out, improve their appearance or lift heavier weights. They want a specific goal, a way to measure progress, an opportunity to compare results and, above all, a sense of belonging to a larger community.
Hyrox brought together several crucial elements: a simple, repeatable competition format, measurable results, accessibility to a broad range of participants and the excitement associated with major sporting events.
Importantly, it also created a new motivation for regular gym attendance. Training stopped being an end in itself and became preparation for a specific challenge.
How does Fitness IQ fit into this model?
Fitness IQ has an opportunity to capitalize on a similar mechanism while reaching a somewhat different audience.
Poland has an enormous community of people who regularly do strength training but do not necessarily identify with running or endurance sports.
Yet they, too, want to test their abilities, compete and receive objective feedback on their fitness levels.
The multidimensional assessment of fitness, covering strength, explosiveness and endurance, is particularly interesting.
Participants receive not just a position in the rankings but also specific information about their strengths and areas requiring improvement.
That could provide an excellent starting point for setting new training goals.
Is that a recipe for success?
I wouldn't assume that Fitness IQ will succeed automatically. Hyrox already has an established brand and community, which a new competitor still needs to build.
The biggest challenge will not be generating interest in the first event, but creating a desire to return to competition regularly.
Participants must feel that their initial result is only the beginning of a journey and that they can test themselves again a few months later to see how much they have improved.
What other challenges does Fitness IQ face?
Another important element will be cooperation with fitness clubs and personal trainers. They could become the format's natural ambassadors.
If Fitness IQ becomes part of everyday training routines, with clubs organizing preparation sessions, internal challenges and rankings, the event could move beyond the model of a one-off competition and become part of fitness culture.
Accessibility will also be important.
The competition must appeal not only to the most advanced participants but also to people who train regularly without ever having entered a sporting event.
Clear rules, appropriately designed categories, a fair scoring system and a positive experience at the first competition will all be crucial.
What will ultimately determine whether this new fitness project succeeds or fails?
After more than 25 years in the industry, I believe the concepts with the greatest potential today are those that can turn regular physical activity into long-term emotional engagement.
People don't become attached solely to training. They become attached to goals, achievements, communities and a sense of belonging.
That's why I see Fitness IQ's potential positively, particularly in Poland. Nevertheless, its ultimate success will depend on whether the organizers create not just an attractive competition but an entire ecosystem.
Thousands of running events, but few competitions for gym-goers
Bieniecki is convinced there is substantial untapped demand for this type of event.
He notes that several million people in Poland either run or go to the gym, with only partial overlap between the two groups.
The country hosts around 3,000 running events but only a handful of competitions aimed at fitness-club members. Yet gym-goers are undoubtedly interested in competing too.
"Almost every sport has at least amateur competitions: running, swimming, cycling, even bridge and chess.
"Until recently, fitness didn't have them, even though half of those who say they are physically active work out at the gym.
"This business opportunity had been there for everyone for decades, but nobody seized it," says Bieniecki.
Hyrox was the first to do so. However, Bieniecki believes the market needs several global players to develop fully. Fitness IQ wants to become one of them.
"We have the firepower to compete effectively with Hyrox. For us, the sky is the limit.
"Hyrox wants to exceed one million participants this season. With several years of hard work, that level could also be within our reach under a positive scenario," the entrepreneur believes.
A competition accessible to everyone
Bieniecki is pleased with the results of Fitness IQ's trial event in July, which attracted just under 100 participants. He says the feedback was enthusiastic and that there were no injuries.
"Many people warned me that participants wouldn't be sensible about choosing the right weights.
"We expect several hundred participants at the November competition at Ptak Warsaw Expo. We see this as our 'edition zero,' where we'll finalize the format.
"Within a few years, we want to be ready to organize Fitness IQ at Warsaw's National Stadium," says Bieniecki.
He was particularly pleased to see people who do not train intensively taking part in the trial event. For him, this demonstrates that the competition can appeal to ordinary people rather than just dedicated athletes.
"Every beginner gym member is capable of performing the exercises we've selected. We deliberately excluded exercises such as pull-ups.
"I want to create a competition accessible to both my 75-year-old father and my 18-year-old son," Bieniecki emphasizes.
Several events planned for next year
Fitness IQ's plans for 2027 include at least four events in Poland and one pilot competition abroad. Bieniecki is targeting tens of thousands of participants.
Organizing the events will be expensive, particularly in the early stages.
"At Runmageddon, we need 150–200 people working on-site. At Fitness IQ, we'll eventually need around 500 judges alone across 14 competition lanes, taking shift rotations into account.
"We plan to replace at least some of them with AI-based tools, but it's too early for that.
"Even so, we're 20–30% cheaper than Hyrox. Entry fees range from PLN 300 to PLN 400, depending on the category and when participants register," says Bieniecki.
He notes that Hyrox generates around 70% of its revenue from entry fees and additional services. Merchandise, sponsors and gym licensing each account for roughly 10%.
Fitness IQ is aiming for a similar revenue structure, although it expects sponsorship to play a larger role initially.
Expert's perspective
Fitness IQ is not a copy of Hyrox. That is both an advantage and a problem
The competition itself is the final stage of a funnel that begins at the gym.
The results are visible in the numbers: 14,000 competitors in Warsaw in April, twice as many as a year earlier, and 8,800 in Gdańsk two weeks ago. Globally, Hyrox attracted more than 1.5 million participants last season.
Fitness IQ is not a copy of Hyrox. That is both its advantage and its problem.
Fourteen four-minute stations, breaks, judges and a scorecard covering three dimensions of fitness – this is a fitness assessment, not a race.
Unlike Hyrox, it offers diagnostic information, but it lacks the finish line, the finishing time and the excitement that persuade people to pay PLN 350 and bring supporters along.
Moreover, its first event is taking place in an exhibition hall, with tickets combined with admission to a trade show. For now, it is an attraction at a trade fair rather than a standalone event.
There is certainly a market for this kind of competition. Millions of people train in Polish gyms, and Hyrox has demonstrated that tens of thousands are willing to pay for a weekend of competition.
But the argument about "gym-goers who don't like running" is weak. Hyrox has already attracted many of them. And someone unwilling to compete because they dislike running is unlikely to pay for a supervised fitness test either.
Realistically, I see Fitness IQ attracting several hundred to a few thousand participants annually, ideally as a fitness-assessment product offered through gym chains.
I consider the prospect of creating a "second Hyrox" without a racing format and a fitness-club ecosystem highly unlikely.
Three things will be particularly difficult.
First, giving people a reason to return. Tracking improvements in a scorecard can already be done for free through an app.
Second, becoming an established assessment standard in gyms' regular training schedules. That is the only real source of scale.
Third, logistics. Judging 14 different stations, measuring weights, heights and distances for thousands of participants, severely limits throughput and undermines profit margins.
I respect Jarosław Bieniecki for his courage. He knows how to build event brands from scratch.
But in its current form, Fitness IQ is not competing with Hyrox. It is competing with the absence of a perceived need.
To win over thousands of people, it must either become a race or establish itself as a standard fitness assessment in gyms.
Trying to achieve both simultaneously at a trade fair is biting off far more than it can chew.
Global ambitions backed by investors
To launch Runmageddon in 2014, Bieniecki sold a studio apartment inherited from his grandmother for approximately PLN 100,000 and persuaded two investors to back the project.
In 2026, the group, which also includes an online store, 16 RMG Gym fitness clubs and children's day camps in more than a dozen cities, expects revenue to rise by 5–10% to around PLN 43 million.
Approximately 100,000 people have taken part in various Runmageddon formats this year, compared with around 80,000 in 2025. Since its launch, the total number of participants has exceeded 500,000.
"I'm starting Fitness IQ from a completely different position in terms of financing, experience and contacts.
"I have people around me who are willing to invest substantial amounts in interesting projects, and I have a track record of success that gives me credibility.
"Twenty years ago, I co-created the Warsaw Half Marathon, followed by Bieg Rzeźnika. I've been developing Runmageddon for more than a decade and the RMG Gym chain for several years.
"All these ventures are doing well," says Bieniecki.
He insists that he has a solid foundation for building a global project. He has already reached preliminary understandings with several investors and sponsors behind nationwide beverage and nutritional supplement companies.
"I'm counting on their financial and promotional support.
"The group's revenue has grown from PLN 6 million during the COVID-19 pandemic to more than PLN 40 million in 2025.
"That rapid growth has required continuous investment. That's why I need external support to realize our ambitions," says the Fitness IQ founder.
Several million PLN to get started
Bieniecki points out that Hyrox went through more than EUR 10 million of investors' money while building its global presence.
He himself needs several million PLN initially to test and validate Fitness IQ in Poland.
"In roughly a year, we'll carry out another funding round, at least twice as large as the first. I expect it to take place at a substantially higher valuation.
"The money will finance expansion across Europe and, subsequently, beyond.
"I don't want to give up too much equity at this stage, so I'm keeping the first round as small as necessary.
"Nevertheless, I hope it will be enough to create a marketing tornado," Bieniecki concludes.
Key Takeaways
- Global ambitions. "We should have long since abandoned our inferiority complex towards Western Europe, which may have been partly justified several decades ago. Yet we still haven't created a global 'love brand' on the scale of Apple, Harley-Davidson or, in fitness, Hyrox," says Jarosław Bieniecki, founder of Runmageddon. He wants to create such a global brand by developing Fitness IQ as an alternative to Hyrox. The first full competition, excluding trial events, will take place in November. In 2027, he plans several events, including one abroad.
- An underserved market. Bieniecki argues that Poland has several million runners and gym-goers, but the number of competitions available to these two groups differs dramatically. Germany's Hyrox has capitalized on this opportunity by combining running with strength exercises. Bieniecki points to several factors behind its success: creating an Olympic-style atmosphere, standardizing results worldwide and building its reputation through ordinary fitness enthusiasts rather than celebrities. These are areas in which he draws inspiration from his competitor.
- The Fitness IQ concept. Bieniecki wants to build Fitness IQ's competitive advantage around several elements. The first is limiting running to a single one-kilometer stretch, making the competition more attractive to people who struggle with running. The second is a single fitness IQ score, calculated as the average number of points earned across 15 events. These include 14 exercise stations featuring activities such as box jumps, rowing and barbell bench presses. The third is precise performance measurement, allowing participants to track their progress and compare results with others in individual disciplines.