A new Dutch generation is knocking on the door

The Dutch HYROX elite is facing an increasingly assertive group of new challengers. In episode nine of Station Negen, host Hidde Weersma sat down with talented athletes Cem ter Burg and Sam Schoeman shortly after HYROX Maastricht to talk about their race, their development and their ambitions. The conclusion is clear: the next generation is ready to break into the national and international top.

From amateur football to HYROX

Both Ter Burg and Schoeman made the switch from football to HYROX relatively recently. Both played at a serious amateur level for years before discovering, through a chance race entry, that their physical qualities were well suited to the fast-growing sport.

For Ter Burg, the adventure began with a doubles race during a free football weekend. That race immediately earned him a World Championship ticket and turned out to be the starting gun for a new sporting career.

"I was instantly in love," he said about his first encounter with the sport.

Schoeman followed a similar path. He too combined football with strength training and CrossFit-style workouts before running his first HYROX races. His rapid progress convinced him to commit fully to the sport.

Step by step toward the top

What stands out in the conversation is the level-headedness with which both athletes view their development. After HYROX Maastricht, their self-assessments were critical. Neither spoke of a perfect race.

Weersma sees that self-awareness as an important quality. According to the former world record holder, sustainable progress is not about a one-off peak performance but about consistent improvement.

On Schoeman, he said he is most impressed by the steady upward trend. Athletes who take small steps each season, he believes, ultimately have the greatest chance of competing at the top over the long term.

That approach seems to fit perfectly with the mindset of both athletes. Both Ter Burg and Schoeman emphasised that they see their development as a multi-year project.

The biggest challenge lies in the running

Although both athletes are now competing at a high level, Weersma still sees one clear area for improvement: running.

While many HYROX athletes focus on stations such as the sled push, burpee broad jumps or wall balls, the experienced Dutchman argues that running ability is increasingly becoming the decisive factor. At the top, the differences between athletes on the stations have become relatively small.

Ter Burg acknowledged that point straight away. In doubles, he can compensate a great deal with his strength and efficiency on the stations, but at the individual level he believes the biggest gains still lie in raising his base speed over the running kilometres.

Schoeman also sees that as his most important margin for growth. The goal is not simply to log more kilometres, but to learn to run more efficiently and faster within the specific demands of HYROX.

New names for a new phase

The fact that Weersma explicitly named both athletes as ones to watch says a great deal about their current position within the sport. Ter Burg has already formed a promising doubles partnership with Maarten Enthoven, while Schoeman is increasingly setting his sights on a breakthrough in the individual races.

HYROX itself is also entering a new phase. The level is rising quickly, the competition is becoming more international and the margins are getting smaller. That naturally creates space for new faces who can put pressure on the established names.

The future is close

The Netherlands has had strong HYROX athletes for years, but the sport thrives on new talent coming through. The conversation in Maastricht showed that Ter Burg and Schoeman fall squarely into that category.

They are not yet where they want to be. Their races are not yet perfect. Their running still has room to grow. But that is precisely what makes them interesting.

The coming years will reveal just how high their ceiling really is. One thing already seems clear: the next generation of Dutch HYROX athletes is no longer knocking quietly on the door. They are already in the hallway.