Women are driving the growth of fitness racing, accounting for 55% of arena competitors and 56% of affiliate event participants, according to new data released by fitness racing brand DEKA.
Created by the team behind Spartan, DEKA’s 2026 statistics reveal that more than 80% of its female competitors are first-time entrants. The data highlights broad participation across age groups ranging from 10 to 72 years old, with women also comprising over 62% of team entries and half of female arena competitors aged 40 and over.
At the grassroots level, DEKA recorded 7,437 athlete entries through its affiliate-hosted gym events in 2026, with women representing 56% of those participants. DEKA integrates affiliate gym events with its larger arena competitions by uploading local results to a unified international DEKA leaderboard.
Liz Paxton, a 72-year-old DEKA competitor who began serious training in her mid-sixties, said “Appearance has never been much of an issue for me, that’s not why I train, but I love the change of compliments from a generic ‘you look nice in that outfit’ to ‘boy, you have guns!’ I love it even more when the compliments come from other women and I try to encourage other women to develop their strength and fitness.”
Paxton added “When I hear the excuse ‘I am too old to start at my age’ I usually find that they are a decade or so younger than me and I make sure they know that I didn’t really start until my mid-sixties.”
The DEKA event ecosystem incorporates ten fixed functional fitness zones – including rowing, SkiErg, weighted lunges, farmer’s carries, sled push and pull, dead-ball wall overs, and burpees – paired with varying running distances.
The format offerings include DEKA STRONG (no running), DEKA MILE (one mile of running), DEKA FIT (five kilometres of running), DEKA ULTRA (extended endurance distance), and DEKA RUCK (carrying a weighted pack).
Female participation remains strong across formats, with women making up 59.3% of entries in STRONG, 54.8% in MILE, 52.6% in FIT, and 50% in RUCK. DEKA FIT registered the highest total volume of female entries at 2,566.
Women are also filling leadership and operational roles within the DEKA organization. Libbie Joyce, 18, serves as DEKA Youth Race Director alongside her active competition schedule.
Libbie Joyce, Youth Race Director at DEKA, said “It’s incredibly important for young girls to see women not only competing in sport, but coaching, leading, and building full careers within it. Visibility shapes belief.”
Emily LeRoux, Vice President at DEKA International, said “Sport gave me the blueprint for everything I’ve done but becoming a mum reshaped my understanding of what women are capable of. Sport continues to shape my personal and professional goals – it’s the lens through which I want my sons to see strength, and the reason I’m contributing to building a world where the next generation doesn’t have to fight to be noticed the way I did.”
Eileen Percival, US Air Force Officer, mother, and DEKA athlete, said “Sport has completely changed the way I see what I’m capable of. Every time you do something you once thought was impossible, lift a heavier weight, finish a difficult workout, compete on a bigger stage, or simply keep going when your mind is telling you to stop, you build evidence that you are capable of more.”
Percival continued “For me, fitness has taught me that strength isn’t about never struggling. It’s about trusting yourself enough to keep showing up, taking risks, and being willing to find out just how much you can do.”
The next UK arena event on the schedule is the London West DEKA Trifecta Weekend, taking place on November 28–29, 2026 at the Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre, featuring the DEKA STRONG, MILE, FIT, ULTRA, and RUCK formats.
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