DEKA, The Global Fitness Racing Brand Announces New Partnership And Lanuch of Dedicated School Fitness Racing Event: DEKA Youth East Midlands 2026

April 14, 2026

Manchester, United Kingdom (April 14, 2026) /OUTDOOR SPORTSWIRE/ – DEKA, the decathlon of fitness racing and hybrid racing from the creators of Spartan™, is thrilled to announce its official partnership in the UK between DEKA YOUTH and EXCLSR, a revolutionary fitness challenge designed to supercharge physical education in schools through fitness racing. Through this partnership, DEKA has launched the inaugural event that is set to take place on 11th September 2026 at Derby Arena & Velodrome, a dedicated day to youth fitness racing, a global first for the brand.

Forged from the unyielding spirit of Spartan, DEKA YOUTH empowers the next evolution in fitness racing, engineered to be universally accessible and objectively measurable. By partnering with EXCLSR, unlike traditional races, DEKA YOUTH focuses on collaboration, strategy, and fun, providing a unique platform for schools to invest in student well-being and strengthen peer to peer bonds. To be held in such an iconic sporting venue, the Derby Arena debut represents a perfect synergy between functional strength and endurance, creating an inclusive arena where every student, regardless of athletic background and standard, is set up with the right tools to succeed.

“The arrival of our youth fitness racing program in the UK marks a transformative moment for how we engage the next generation with movement,” said Emily leRoux, Vice-President of DEKA. “We are incredibly excited to partner with EXCLSR to bring this innovative format to schools and young athletes across the country and celebrate fitness together in Derby this September. This collaboration is rooted in our shared mission to provide a high-energy platform, foster young people’s resilience and confidence necessary for a lifelong connection to sport, and to build a vibrant, inclusive community where every young person has the opportunity to train, race, and earn their DEKA Mark.”

Empowering Every Athlete

DEKA YOUTH is the ultimate challenge for children between the ages of 14-18 and has been created for every level of ability, from curious first-timers to sports enthusiasts. DEKA YOUTH offers young people the chance to have the race-day experience, taking this and reconceptualising it for the younger audience. The race features a strategic race format where teams of two, available in male, female, and co-ed categories. Each must work together to complete 10 DEKA Zones, ranging from weighted lunges and rowing to the sled push and pull with all 10 zones connected by 160m intervals. While the first and last laps are run as a duo, the rest of the race can be split up at the team’s discretion.

EXCLSR delivers functional fitness for young athletes who train, race and rise. Founded by Bryce McMurray and Peter Northing, EXCLSR is a pioneering youth functional fitness platform designed to transform how children train, compete and engage with physical activity. Built for year-round development and high-energy competitive experiences, EXCLSR combines age appropriate structured training programmes with large-scale showcase events to inspire long-term participation in fitness.

In partnership with DEKA Youth, the global innovator in fitness racing, EXCLSR brings an internationally recognised competition format into schools, adapted specifically for young athletes. Together, they are creating a new category of youth sport that blends strength, endurance and functional challenges in a format designed to be not only inclusive and measurable, but also engaging.

Co-Founder of EXCLSR, Peter Northing, shared “Functional fitness racing is growing at unprecedented rates across the world. EXCLSR brings fitness expertise, digital capabilities (powered by AI) and a powerful partnership with DEKA YOUTH that delivers an exciting year-round programme and an awesome showpiece event for young athletes across the UK and soon the world.”

“As fitness racing continues to establish itself as a global sport, the partnership with DEKA YOUTH signals a clear statement of intent to bring that same level of structure, competition and opportunity into schools.” states secondary Co-Founder of EXCLSR, Bryce McMurray. “For the first time, young people will have a clearly defined pathway into fitness racing, starting in their school environment and progressing onto the arena stage. This is not just an exciting moment for EXCLSR, it’s a defining moment for the future of school sport on a global scale.”

From Grassroots to Global Stages: Every Story Matters

From intimate DEKA Affiliate events buzzing with local energy to electrifying arena competitions in iconic global venues, the impact is profound. Each participant, proudly wearing their finisher medal, embodies a personal story of achievement and validated dedication. This isn’t just about crossing a finish line; it’s about honoring the commitment that brought them to the start and empowers them to conquer what’s next.

-END-

ABOUT DEKA

Forged from the unyielding spirit of Spartan™, DEKA emerges as more than just an event; it’s the next evolution in fitness and hybrid racing. Drawing on a legacy of pushing human limits, this is a sport engineered to be universally accessible, objectively measurable, and fundamentally designed to empower and celebrate every level of ability – from the curious first-timer to the elite athlete.

In addition to electrifying arena competition in iconic global venues, its true genius lies in the unique affiliate model, empowering a thriving network of over 1,000 gyms worldwide. With 1,500+ DEKA events across more than 12 countries on five continents this is Spartan innovation, redefined for all.

For more information visit https://race.spartan.com/en/deka.

ABOUT SPARTAN

Spartan™ is the global leader in obstacle course racing and has been at the forefront of the functional-fitness movement since 2010. With events spanning continents, Spartan™’s mission is to empower individuals to push their limits, cultivate community and live an active, resilient lifestyle. The DEKA format expands that mission into a high-intensity, scalable arena for all athletes.

With more than 250 events across more than 40 countries on six continents, Spartan is the world’s largest obstacle course race (OCR) and endurance brand. Providing transformation through sport, Spartan attracts more than one million annual participants across all fitness levels, from beginners to elite.

For more information visit  https://www.spartan.com/

ABOUT TOUGH MUDDER

A community of normal individuals with an abnormal commitment to overcoming challenge. Tough Mudder creates some of the world’s most intense obstacle courses, designed to test your physical strength, mental grit, and aptitude for camaraderie. Whether you’re looking for a 5K mud run or a 24 hour challenge, you’ll find what you’re looking for with Tough Mudder.

For more information visit  https://toughmudder.co.uk/

ABOUT EXCLSR

Founded by Bryce McMurray and Peter Northing, EXCLSR is rooted in deep expertise across youth development, sport, media and technology.

Bryce brings over 20 years of experience working with young athletes and shaping people through coaching, mentorship and education – driving standards in performance, discipline and personal growth. Peter has spent over 30 years building and scaling brands within world-class organisations, including Red Bull Media House, Disney, Coca-Cola, 3 UK, NBCUniversal and Virgin Sport, and currently leads SimplyXDigital, advising businesses on growth, partnerships and digital strategy.

At its core, EXCLSR uses technology and data to track progress, personalised training and provide measurable outcomes for schools, students and parents. Its platform enables structured delivery within schools while creating a clear pathway towards competitive events, allowing young people to build confidence, resilience and a lifelong connection to fitness.

Together with DEKA Youth, EXCLSR is reimagining youth fitness for a new generation: making it more accessible, more engaging and more impactful at scale.

For more information: https://exclsr.com/

Media Contact

Amelia Wright
Global Senior Brand Manager, DEKA
amelia.wright@spartan.com / media@spartan.com
+44 7834 685 480

Brand Enquiries

Emily leRoux
Vice-President DEKA International
emilyl@spartan.com

Participation Enquiries

Bryce McMurray
Co-Founder, EXCLSR
bryce@exclsr.com

Peter Northing
Co-Founder, EXCLSR
peter@exclsr.com

Links:

DEKA (UK & Europe) Instagram: instagram.com/deka.europe

DEKA YOUTH Landing Page: https://uk.spartan.com/en/deka/youth

EXCLSR Instagram: instagram.com/exclsrfitness