A new functional fitness competition, Xenom, is launching in London this weekend at Kensington Olympia. The event, which its creators call the “decathlon of fitness” due to its 10 events including weightlifting, gymnastic, and endurance challenges, is only the second competition of its kind, following an initial event in Dallas in June.
Xenom was founded by Keith Barlow, who previously contributed to the growth of Hyrox. The venture secured $15m (£11m) in funding from WNDR, a private equity firm established by Dreamworks co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg and former Dropbox CFO Sujit Jaswa.
The London event, taking place over Saturday and Sunday, attracted over 2,000 early registrations of interest. It is open to all levels, with notable CrossFit athletes like Sam Briggs and Kelly Friel expected to compete.
Barlow stated that Xenom aims to provide a consistent way for the functional fitness community to benchmark progress and compare performance. The functional fitness industry was valued at £6.5bn in 2025.