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In 2017, a competition known as HYROX began in Hamburg, Germany, and has since seen significant growth, now with races in more than 11 countries and more than 30 cities throughout the world. The event, which has no qualification requirements to enter and no restrictions regarding a finishing time, begins with a 1-kilometer run and then includes eight different stations—ski erg, sled push, sled pull, burpee broad jumps, rowing, farmer’s carry, sandbag lunges, and wall balls—with another 1-kilometer run before each station (for those who need some help with the math, you run a total of 8 kilometers).

Dallas resident David Cerezo took part in the HYROX Dallas 2024 event, which was held at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center on November 23. He said he first learned of the fitness competition through British YouTuber Mark Lewis, who documented his experience at HYROX in London, but also knew a few friends who participated in HYROX last year.

“When it came time to register for HYROX 2024, a lot of my friends in the running community decided to join again for either their first or second times,” he said. “I didn’t want to have FOMO, so I knew I would eventually join.”

Cerezo said he signed up rather late and didn’t have an adequate amount of time to train but still made concerted efforts to ensure that he would be ready on race day.

“I only had two weeks of actual HYROX training leading up to the competition,” he said. “But the training I did have with HYROX coach Bernie Gutierrez at the gym alongside other individuals helped me understand the rules and strategize a plan to perform to the best of my ability.”

And when that anticipated day came around, Cerezo said he found himself battling both physical and mental struggles.

“During the event, it was grueling,” he said. “It was exciting, and death chased for my soul a few times during the burpee broad jumps and lunges. Unfortunately, the final station, wall balls, was my worst performance of all stations since I had very little training with that. But it’s giving me a reason to do this again just to attack that station better.”

Dallas-area resident Christie Biggs Andrew was also among the participants at HYROX Dallas last month, though she knew what to expect. She initially heard of the competition through her sister in 2022, and this was their fourth time completing a HYROX race. For Biggs Andrew, challenging herself in such an event simply made sense.

“I’m always looking for reasons to race, train, and set new goals,” she said. “My sister was always back and forth on running Spartan races with me, but HYROX was one that she was interested in, so I jumped on board immediately.”

Because of her previous experiences completing HYROX competitions, Biggs Andrew was aware of what she needed to do to properly prepare for this year’s race.

“I joined a different gym about a year and a half ago because it has all of the equipment needed to train for HYROX,” she said. “It also has special classes starting 10 weeks out from the race. I wasn’t able to make all of them, but they definitely helped.”

Although Biggs Andrew and her sister live in different cities and aren’t able to train together, they were still able to enjoy the competition alongside one another among the other approximately 6,300 racers.

“The competition itself is amazing,” Biggs Andrew said. “The environment is incredible—it’s crowded, but it’s also spectator-friendly. HYROX knows how to put on a great event, and this year’s numbers doubled from Dallas last year. We also added in the team relay this year, which is a good intro to HYROX if you’re worried about it being too much.”

Despite the challenges and feelings of exhaustion HYROX puts participants through physically and mentally, it manages to keep people coming back year after year. Cerezo said he will absolutely be signing up for another HYROX race.

“Even though it felt like hell at times to perform, the confidence boost it gives you at the end is amazing,” he said. “It’s also great to be able to cheer and support your friends in the community who completed something so badass and amazing.”

And you can bet that Biggs Andrew will continue to show up for HYROX events. Even though she has already completed multiple such races, she said she and her sister are always looking to add more and are potentially going to take part in HYROX Houston in March 2025.

“Hyrox is for everyone,” she said. “There are heats going off every 10 minutes, so no one knows if you’ve been out there for 45 minutes or 2 hours. It’s a great challenge, and I highly recommend it for anyone looking for something to push their training or challenge themselves.”

Beavers, the second-largest rodents in the world (after the South American capybara), can stay underwater for up to 15 minutes and have a set of transparent eyelids that allow them to see as they swim.

For many individuals, the holiday season brings an array of traditions, such as adorning one’s home with decorations, attending annual gatherings, baking cookies, driving around or riding in horse-drawn carriages to look at Christmas lights, counting down days with an Advent calendar, and watching favorite seasonal movies.

As with most holidays, Hallmark has entered the chat.

Hallmark Christmas movies have become both loved and loathed forms of entertainment during this time of year—cherished by some individuals for their charming characters and heartwarming stories and criticized by others for their predictability and recycled plots. Dallas resident Juliette Vielhauer said she is a supporter of such films and enjoys watching them each year.

“Even though each new Hallmark holiday movie follows a familiar formula, they all have a way of making you feel nostalgic,” she said. “There’s something comforting about knowing what to expect and still being able to enjoy the warmth and cheer they bring.”

Dallas-area resident Madison Royal is also a fan of Hallmark movies and said she appreciates that they don’t require her to think much.

“I can turn my brain off and don’t really have to pay attention,” she said. “It’s such an easy storyline to follow.”

As mentioned, several Hallmark holiday films involve similar situations—a small-town business is struggling, and a good-looking corporate man somehow ends up in the town and saves the day while falling in love with a local, or a career-focused woman gives up her big-city life when she returns to her hometown and falls in love with an attractive man who captures her attention and her heart.

“I think that they are all the same because they don’t spend a lot of money on the writers,” Royal said, “and there are only so many ways you can tell a cheesy romance story.”

The similarities in stories don’t bother everyone, though, as evidenced by the continued success of the franchise and the dedicated viewership.

“Hallmark holiday movies tend to follow a predictable formula, which is part of their charm,” Vielhauer said. “There’s an element of consistency in the storylines—whether it’s the small-town romance or the holiday miracle—that makes them easy to enjoy. This predictability is part of what makes them so comforting for viewers.”

However, there are certainly plenty of individuals who opt not to spend their time watching movies with titles such as A Christmas Detour, A Cozy Christmas Inn, A Very Merry Mix-Up, and To Have and to Holiday. Dallas resident Craig Borkenhagen is one of those people.

“I don’t enjoy Hallmark Christmas movies,” he said. “They’re just not good. Compared to regular Hallmark movies, they’re even more full of cheesy dialogue, thin plots, and subpar acting.”

While Borkenhagen said he believes that all movies boil down to the same story arcs—the hero’s journey, rags to riches, coming of age, and so on—he will also be one of the first to affirm the claim that Hallmark holiday movies, in particular, lack uniqueness.

“There is absolutely no doubt the plots and storylines are similar,” he said. “I guess the reason for that is that we know what sells around the holidays. People want warm and fuzzy, and that’s what will give them warm and fuzzy. It’s a cheap formula, but it works.”

Facts show that the formula does, indeed, work. Nielsen viewership data indicated that more than 80 million individuals tune in for at least some of a Hallmark movie each Christmas season. Like research gurus, Borkenhagen acknowledges that the appeal of these movies is likely not going to change anytime soon.

“These movies remain popular because there will always be that target audience wanting exactly this kind of cheap hit of nostalgia,” he said. “There’s also the target audience of people who want to see a ‘hot (topless) Frosty,’ but I’m going to leave that alone.”

Borkenhagen is referencing Hot Frosty, one of this year’s popular holiday flicks, which stars Lacey Chabert (Gretchen Wieners in Mean Girls and now basically a Hallmark queen) and Dustin Milligan (Ted from Schitt’s Creek) and focuses on a young widow who places a magical scarf on a snowman, bringing him to life. Though it’s not a Hallmark movie, the festive romcom offers its audience a similar vibe. You can watch Hot Frosty on Netflix, and all of your options for Hallmark holiday miracles and love stories can be found here.

Vielhauer said the predictability of these movies that often make viewers feel like they’ve entered into real-life snow globes is actually what makes them ideal entertainment options throughout the Christmas season.

“Hallmark movies provide a reliable dose of holiday cheer, and their lighthearted nature makes them great for background viewing while you’re decorating, cleaning, or just relaxing,” she said. “They create a festive atmosphere and bring a sense of joy, no matter how many times you watch them.”

WEEKLY PHOTO OP

The Aggies didn’t win, but the NatNews staff and some dear readers still enjoyed a lovely evening together 

Monday, December 2: Merry & Bright Christmas Drone Show at Historic Main Street in Grapevine
Tuesday, December 3: Free Rooftop Movie — Elf at Sundown at Granada; Dallasites101 Speed Dating & Singles Mixer (ages 25–35) at LOCAL Public Eatery
Wednesday, December 4: Candlelight — Tribute to Nirvana at the Filter Building; Nick Swardson at the Majestic Theatre
Thursday, December 5: Turtle Creek Chorale at Lovers Lane United Methodist Church; 45th Annual Parade of Lights along Historic Main Street in Grapevine; Lights of Ennis Parade, Block Party, and Christmas Market
Friday, December 6: The Adolphus Great Tree Lighting; Merry & Bright Night at the George W. Bush Presidential Center; The Boho Market at Preston Hollow Village; Justin Timberlake at the American Airlines Center; A Very 80s Christmas — 80s Mixtape at Legacy Hall
Saturday, December 7: WRRC Saturday run from Taco Joint; Dallas Holiday Parade (begins at Commerce and Houston streets); Tree Lighting Celebration at Klyde Warren Park; Dickens in Downtown Plano; The Village Holiday Main Street Fest
Sunday, December 8: Stars vs. Flames at the American Airlines Center