Keith Barlow has built a new fitness empire in the functional fitness space, aiming to provide a standardized benchmark for athletes worldwide. His venture, Xenom, blends the endurance elements of CrossFit with the structured format of the Hyrox race series. The organization recently secured $15 million in funding from investors including Jeffrey Katzenberg, the co-founder of DreamWorks, and Sujit Jaswa, the former CFO of Dropbox. This financial backing signals a strong vote of confidence in the sector, which was valued at £6.5 billion in 2025.
London hosts the sport’s second event
London will play host to the second Xenom competition of the year this weekend, following the sport’s debut in Dallas in June. The event takes place at Kensington Olympia, a venue also hosting padel’s London debut this month. Early registration has already surpassed 2,000 for the London date, indicating strong community interest. The competition spans two days, offering athletes a chance to compete against others of all skill levels.
While the doors are open to everyone, some of England’s most accomplished CrossFit athletes are expected to compete. Sam Briggs and Kelly Friel are set to participate, adding star power to the event. Xenom consists of 10 events designed to test endurance, weightlifting, and gymnastic abilities. Barlow describes it as the “decathlon of fitness,” a title that reflects the broad range of physical demands placed on participants.
Related: Business confidence rises as consumer spending strengthens
Creating a repeatable test for athletes
Barlow argues that the functional fitness community in the UK has expanded rapidly, yet lacks a consistent method to benchmark performance. “The functional fitness community in the UK and specifically London has exploded over the past decade, but there’s been no consistent way to benchmark progress or compare performance across different competitions,” he said. The format allows athletes to track improvement season after season.
The industry is seeing growth similar to that of other endurance sports. Barlow draws parallels to the success of Ironman triathlons, noting that long-term vision and capital deployment are highly valued in the market. “When you look at the value placed on successful IP-led events business, you can see that a long-term vision and the ability to deploy capital smartly and tap into consumers who are deeply passionate about their sport are highly valued across the market,” he added.
London is a strategic location for this expansion, following its role in hosting the world’s biggest Hyrox event at the ExCel last year. The city also staged the Pro Climbing League this year. After the London event, Xenom plans to hold another competition in Miami in December. The organization aims to expand globally next year with events in Malaga and Paris, targeting 8 to 10 competitions annually.