Exeter’s Riverside Leisure Centre is taking part in a global running competition, allowing runners to compete against people across the world for top prizes.
The Technogym RUN X Challenge gives Riverside gym users the opportunity to go up against runners in their designated age category and climb the leaderboard using their Technogym-powered equipment.
The competition is the first of its kind, with three stages culminating in the world finals, where the strongest runners in each category across the globe will compete for glory.
RUN X has been created by Technogym, a global sports and leisure company with equipment available in Exeter Leisure gyms, in partnership with World Athletics.
The challenge centres around a 5K treadmill run, with participants able to compare their times on a global leaderboard. Those taking part can compete against other runners in their own age group as well as see how they rank overall.
Entry is open to runners aged 18 and over. Entrants don’t need to be an elite athlete to get involved. Whether looking to complete a first 5K or beat a personal best, RUN X gives everyone something new to work towards.
The championship has three stages:
- Qualifications – 23 October 2026 to 24 January 2027: Complete an official 5K run at a designated RUN X centre and get onto the leaderboard.
- Regionals – January to February 2027: The top 25% of runners in each eligible category progress to the regional stage.
- World Finals – 20–21 March 2027: The leading runners come together to compete for the world titles.
Participant’s age groups are based on their age as of 31 December 2026. There are categories for different age groups, allowing everyone to see how they compare with runners in their own category.
Riverside’s gym is equipped with the Technogym Skillrun, giving members the opportunity to train for the 5K challenge in their local Exeter Leisure facility.
To take part, gym-users must follow the RUN X registration and on-screen instructions to complete their qualifying run on the designated Technogym treadmill equipment. To ensure their result is recorded, runners will need to use their RUN X ID.
Once the result has been recorded, participants can check the RUN X leaderboard to see how they compare with other runners.
Entrants can keep training and aim for an even better time during the qualifying period. Runners can complete one official qualifying run per day, with their best qualifying time used for the final qualification rankings.
Qualifying rounds begin from 23 October 2026 and close on 24 January 2027.
For more information on how to get involved, speak to a member of the Riverside gym team.
For full competition rules, registration information and updates, visit the official RUN X rules.
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