Two great guests today on the Hybrid Fitness Media Podcast

Mark Day:

• Rich Ryan’s wall ball controversy and judging inconsistencies at Elite 15 events
• The subjectivity of movement standards and depth requirements
• Need for professional judging pathway and transparency at Elite 15 level
• Box squat debate: should athletes use a standardized depth marker?
• Judge accountability: should we know who’s judging Elite 15 events?
• Technology solutions: squeaky toys, iPads, and manual counters
• Super shoes debate: placebo vs. performance gains across all levels
• Mark’s military background and transition from football to the British Army
• Combat sports influences: boxing, judo, and modern MMA
• Battle Group Training philosophy: military mindset meets community fitness

Lauren Stockley:

• Lauren’s Welsh background and competitive swimming/running journey from ages 8-16
• Birmingham open to Elite 15: qualifying through the old open pathway
• The devastating Phoenix DNF: throwing up on the rower in her first Elite 15 race
• Stockholm 32-second penalty for a tipped kettlebell
• Doubles success with Charlie and why doubles feel less pressured than singles
• Teaching full-time as a PE teacher while training twice a day at 5am
• Nike’s Unbeatable Training backing and the women’s relay world record
• American culture shock: big trucks, Walmart aisles, and colorful cereal

Summary: Matt sits down with two guests to unpack judging controversies and athlete experiences from recent Elite 15 events. First, Mark Day, British Army veteran and founder of Battle Group Training, breaks down his viral videos analyzing Rich Ryan’s wall balls and Lauren Weeks’ lunge walks. Mark explains why movement standards need immediate attention as HYROX professionalizes, discussing the mechanics of squat depth, why bouncing out of the bottom matters, and whether boxes or technology could solve subjectivity issues. He advocates for a professional judging pipeline similar to Premier League referees, with pre-season testing and clear educational pathways.

Mark shares his 23-year military career, his near-professional football opportunity at 16, and how military physical training shaped his coaching philosophy today. They discuss super shoes (Mark swears by Nike AlphaFly 2s), combat sports fandom, yomping/rucking culture, and the evolution of hybrid fitness events including DECA’s new dumbbell option.

Then Lauren Stockley joins to discuss her heartbreaking DNF at Phoenix after throwing up on the rower in her first Elite 15 race as the first Welsh woman in singles. Lauren walks through her athletic journey from competitive swimming (5am pool sessions for years) to 800/1500m running, field hockey at University of Birmingham, and eventually finding HYROX. She explains the 32-second penalty in Stockholm for a kettlebell tipping out of the box, the pressure of trying to get a second qualifying time while teaching full-time as a PE teacher, and why doubles with Charlie feel more fun and less stressful than singles. Lauren shares her training schedule, being backed by Nike’s Unbeatable Training program, holding the women’s relay world record, and her impressions of racing in America.

Guest Links: | Battle Group Training | Lauren Stockley |

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