This October, highly popular national workout challenge, The FORTIS Championships, will be returning to Harrow Lodge Leisure Centre operated by Everyone Active.

The contest, which is open to everyone and free to enter, challenges teams to sweat, squat and lunge through a HIIT class like no other, for the chance to be named the ultimate FORTIS champions and meet TV star and fitness fanatic, Ben Shephard at the finals, plus win a host of top prizes.

Returning for its second year, the formidable FORTIS Championships have been devised following the popularity of FORTIS, powered by Speedflex classes, which have been running at the centre since 2021. The inclusive class, favoured by football legends Alan Shearer and Dion Dublin, is a 30-minute workout, that promises to deliver ‘HIIT without the Hurt’. The workout is based around a unique personalised resistance concept, allowing every participant to train at their own level, no matter their fitness ability.

Harrow Lodge Leisure Centre will also be hosting the finals for the second year in a row – with Speedflex Ambassador Ben Shephard attending the event to crown the champions in November.

The championship consists of teams of two, competing against others from across the country, completing a series of high-octane, low-impact challenges. Contestants will make their way up the leaderboard by collecting points awarded for time spent exercising in each individual’s personal heart rate zone. In this way, effort and tactics become far more important than fitness levels, making the FORTIS Championships a challenge that anyone can win!

Those who make it to the concluding stages of the contest will bag themselves a place at the FORTIS Championship star-studded final, taking place on Saturday 25th November at Harrow Lodge, Everyone Active Leisure Centre and hosted by Speedflex ambassador and TV superstar Ben Shephard:

“Last year we ran the first ever FORTIS Championships and with incredible success, so we’re really excited it’s going again for the second year and we can’t wait to welcome everyone to the classes!

It all involves the hugely popular, FORTIS, powered by Speedflex classes, at Everyone Active Leisure Centres. It’s a 30-minute, inclusive workout, based around Speedflex’s unique personalised resistance concept, that allows every person to train at their own level. I’ve never trained with anything like it! I love the sense of community and energy in the class; you feed off everybody else’s hard work.

It’s amazing to see the Speedflex community growing nationally and people from across the country getting involved. I look forward to seeing who steps forward to take on the FORTIS Championships and wish all challengers the best of luck.”

Finalists from each participating centre will bring their A-game to the final challenge class for the chance to be crowned the supreme FORTIS Champions and win prizes including £500 cash, an Everyone Active annual membership and a luxury spa day and overnight stay for two.

As Garry Firth, General Manager at Everyone Active’s Harrow Lodge Leisure Centre says, “We loved hosting the finals of the FORTIS Championships at Harrow Lodge last year and we’re so impressed with absolutely everyone who got involved in the competition. Going into it this year, we hope even more people from the local area will join us and enjoy the inclusive, fun and accessible workout challenge, as it’s a brilliant community to be a part of.”

The contest will kick off on 30th October, with special edition Challenge Classes taking place weekly at the Harrow Lodge Leisure Centre, FORTIS studio as well as at studios across the South East including: Spelthorne, Westgate, Harpenden, Basildon, Fareham, Hemel Hempstead and Watford Woodside.

The challenge is open to anyone and everyone from 18-80+. To enter, sign up your team of two, by booking two spaces in a Challenge Class via the Everyone Active App. Booking opens on 16th October. Single participants are also encouraged to sign up to be matched with a compatible challenge partner. The challenge is open to both Everyone Active and non-Everyone Active members and is completely free of charge.