Even if you’ve missed out on securing a race spot, there is still every opportunity to be part of the excitement as the very first HOPEROX event launches in Oswestry. The community is encouraged to gather at Active8 Gym tomorrow, Saturday 22 November, to cheer on athletes, bring friends and family, and help raise vital funds for Hope House & Tŷ Gobaith Children’s Hospices.

HOPEROX is a unique, inclusive community fitness event blending endurance, strength, and purpose. This hybrid-style fitness race features six functional fitness stations and six cardio segments, designed to test strength, speed, resilience, and teamwork. With two divisions, the event ensures accessibility for all:

  • 🏆 PRO Race – For elite and competitive athletes: 6 stations + 6 x 500m run segments

  • 🌟 HOPE Race – A family-friendly, inclusive format: 6 stations + 6 x 1km BikeErg segments, suitable for beginners, children aged 12+, and adaptive athletes

All funds raised will directly support Hope House & Tŷ Gobaith Children’s Hospices, whose work provides essential care, comfort, and support to children with life-threatening conditions and their families. These hospices are places of compassion, courage, laughter, and love — reflecting the very heart of what HOPEROX stands for.

With just one day to go until the inaugural event, HOPEROX founder Bethany Blackburn is calling on the community to help create a final wave of excitement and awareness across social media.

For Bethany, HOPEROX is rooted in personal experience and purpose.

“Like so many others, I’ve faced moments of darkness and challenges with mental health,” Bethany shares. “Movement helped me find my way through — one step, one breath, one workout at a time. It taught me that healing takes strength, and that strength grows when we move, together.”

From this spirit of resilience and unity, HOPEROX was born — an event designed to bring people together not only through fitness, but through shared mission. This year, that mission shines brightly: ensuring Hope House and Tŷ Gobaith can continue offering life-changing support to local families.

“This fundraiser isn’t just about fitness,” Bethany says. “It’s about hope, healing, and community spirit. Every pound raised helps make a meaningful difference. Together, we can support families, strengthen our community, and remind one another that even in loss, there is light.”

The HOPEROX team invites everyone to join the movement — whether by attending in person, donating, or spreading the message online. Supporters can stay up to date through the HOPEROX Charity Fitness Event Facebook page.

Join us. Support us. Help make the first-ever HOPEROX event a day to remember — one step, one workout, and one act of kindness at a time. Together, we can find hope in strength.

Event founder Bethany Blackburn.