'We want to show women strength has no age limit'

Two mothers said they were "shocked and proud" to have qualified to represent England at this year's Hyrox World Championships at the ages of 51 and 49.

Hyrox is a global indoor fitness competition which combines endurance running and functional fitness. Only the top 0.5% of competitors worldwide qualify to compete for the title of world champion each year.

Sarah Best, 51, from Horsmonden, Kent, said: "Never in our wildest dreams did we think we would be competing in a Hyrox World Championships in the 50-54 age category.

"Now we really want to inspire and show other women that it is never too late to do what you want to do, strength has no age limit."

Best and Emma Holmes, 49, qualified to compete in the Hyrox World Championships after finishing first in the Women's Pro Doubles 50-54 age category in Valencia in October 2025.

Holmes, from Sevenoaks, first started running in 2014 to raise money for the hospital that had cared for her daughter when she was younger.

She said after running her first marathon she realised she was "quite good at it".

She has just completed her 150th marathon.

"Every race you do, whether it's a marathon or a Hyrox, you are surrounded by people who are younger and fitter than you and that is when the doubts can creep in but it's about focusing on your own race," said Holmes.

"I think to do Hyrox at this level, at our age, is a very positive thing.

"I feel very proud because I was never that sporty and it feels good to be a role model to young and older women out there."

Holmes said she had different "strengths and weaknesses" compared with her teammate, Best, but said it was "all about working together" and it was "so much fun to share this experience with a friend".

Best switched careers at the age of 43 to become a strength and conditioning coach.

She said: "My 30s was mainly spent looking after my three children and it was only in my early 40s that I started to get back into fitness again.

"It is amazing what your body can still do."

Best said "time" and "juggling commitments" was often the biggest barrier to fitness for older women.

"It's just about finding the little nuggets of time that you can spend on yourself," she said.

"Getting stronger in later life enables you to keep doing the things that you love. We both want to age well and age strong and we want to inspire other women to do the same."

The Hyrox World Championships 2026 runs between 18-21June in Stockholm, Sweden. Best and Holmes will be competing on 20 June.

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