Issue No. 362 of Fitt Insider spotlighted a shift Cadoo has been betting on from day one: operators big and small are turning members into competitors. CrossFit put competitive workouts on the map, HYROX mainstreamed fitness racing, and now gyms are reinventing in-house challenges to keep members training with purpose.
The issue's own framing says it best — gym-run competitions create "purpose, progression, and belonging," the stuff that, per Fitt Insider, outlasts willpower. That is the entire thesis behind Cadoo.
Fitness-as-a-sport is going mainstream
The issue lays out how fast in-club competition is scaling:
- HYROX is mainstreaming fitness racing, and Orangetheory Fitness became an official HYROX affiliate partner, per Fitt Insider.
- Life Time, The Athletic Clubs, and Alpha Fit Club have all rolled out in-club "Games" to spotlight member performance, per the issue.
- Australia's REVL Training gathered 450+ athletes for its global Team Games, per Fitt Insider.
These are industry references, not Cadoo partners — but they prove members crave competition, progression, and a reason to show up that a discount can't buy.
New formats, same insight: competition drives engagement
The issue shows the format multiplying across the industry:
- Part race, part spectator sport, events like NYC's Urban Iron and Red Bull's Gym Clash are scaling hybrid competition, per Fitt Insider.
- Technogym launched a treadmill world championship to sanction remote races, per the issue.
- Even the equipment is going competitive — Aviron unveiled a gamified core trainer, per Fitt Insider's News & Notes.
The takeaway from the issue: borrowing the owned-events playbook, gym-run competitions build purpose and belonging. The hard part for most operators is running one that's fair, social, and repeatable — every week, for every member, not just a once-a-year event.
Cadoo makes fitness-as-a-sport an everyday habit
Cadoo turns any gym, studio, or app into a competitive arena its members can enter from their phone. Members bet money with friends on reaching fitness goals, so every challenge carries real stakes — competition and community without staging a live event. Recurring challenges fill the weeks between marquee races, keeping members training with purpose year-round.
It stays fair because it's verified. Cadoo-verified workouts confirm the effort: the camera counts reps only, form-scoring each one. Steps and distance come from Apple Health or Google Health Connect, so operators get honest engagement data and members get a level playing field.
Turning competitors into your marketers
Every finished challenge can produce a skinned, shareable video branded to your gym — so members promote your competitions to their friends the way HYROX athletes flood social with race clips. Social accountability plus money on the line is what keeps a competitor coming back for the next round.
On our roadmap (not live yet), winnings could convert into credit or perks at your business, closing the loop between competition and revenue. Explore it at cadoo.games/brands or reach the team at Tim@cadoo.io.
Frequently asked questions
How does Cadoo bring fitness-as-a-sport to my gym without staging a live event?
Members enter money-backed challenges from their phone and compete with friends and fellow members on shared goals. It delivers the competition, progression, and belonging of an in-club Games without the logistics of a physical race, and it runs every week instead of once a year.
How does Cadoo keep the competition fair?
Every rep is camera-verified and form-scored, so only real work counts. Steps and distance come from Apple Health or Google Health Connect. That verification gives members a level playing field and gives operators trustworthy engagement data.
Why do competitive challenges drive retention better than discounts?
A discount is a one-time transaction; a live competition with friends and money on the line is an ongoing reason to keep training. Members mid-challenge don't cancel, because they're mid-community and mid-competition.
Can members redeem their winnings at my business?
Redeeming winnings for credit or perks at a partner brand is on our roadmap and not live yet. Today, Cadoo's value is competitive engagement between visits and shareable branded content members create for you.
