WHAT a year it has been at SCFIT – Home of Second City CrossFit. It’s almost hard to remember what the gym looked like 12 months ago – so let’s take a look back on the year that has been, and reflect on some huge milestones and developments that 2025 brought us!
The CrossFit Open
We were proud to host yet another CrossFit Open, including hundreds of SCFIT members across the three weeks, with many taking part for the first time! This annual event has become a cornerstone of our CrossFit community, and continues to be a huge annual highlight. A special moment was seeing long-term member Meghan back in the gym, week on week, taking on all three CrossFit open workouts whilst managing chemotherapy treatments. We couldn’t be more proud of you, Meg! This is what the Open is all about: a chance for everyone to join in, whatever their experience and story, and be a part of something bigger.
The crazy thing is that we are now just a few weeks away from the 2026 CrossFit Open… so if you missed out last year – perhaps you’re a new member, or didn’t get a chance to take part last time – watch this space! We’ll be sharing details about what the 2026 CrossFit Open is and how to get involved next month.
Strength in Depth: Origins
SCFIT returned to SiD Origins – a huge, 12-person Team CrossFit competition – for the 7th year! The enormous event took part at the NEC, and featured a dozen workouts across two days. The team worked together and grafted all weekend, and made the cheering SCFIT supporters so proud. A special shout out has to go to those who took part for the first time. The competition is serious business, and even to the seasoned competitor can be very daunting, so it truly was a special achievement for many of the team! Well done to Sarah, Ohemaa, Ben, Jamie, Emily, Dan, Mike, Lauren, Ursula, Gareth, Lewis and Dave: a major 2025 highlight without a doubt!
2025 Charity Involvement & Events
Charity involvement has always been important to us here at SCFIT, and we’ve loved having the opportunity to run special events and fundraising efforts over the years. 2025 was no exception, with two particular events that stand out to us!
- Charity Week: back in April we hosted a special charity week to raise funds for Bridging the Gap Mind Matters! BTG are a special charity that exists to bridge the gap for those struggling to access mental health support. Their mission is to make support easier to find and simpler to access, so no one has to face a mental health challenge alone or wait until things reach crisis point. Across the course of a week, we ran various events and activities from a bake sale, plant sale and quiz night to raise funds – and had a wonderful time in the process! A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to this special cause.
- Community CrossFit: we’re thrilled to make regular donations to a local charity too, with all funds gathered from our fortnightly Community CrossFit classes! Read on below…
New Class: Community CrossFit
2025 saw the introduction of a special fortnightly class on the timetable: Community CrossFit! In case you missed it, check out our blog article from September here covering exactly what this class is, and why it’s so important to us! As a super-quick summary: these classes are open to all; members and non-members alike, and can be booked as a stand-alone drop-in (with no strings attached!) for just £5. And – all of that £5 goes straight to Birmingham Hospice, so you’ll be getting a fun fitness fix, and supporting a special cause that is close to our hearts. These classes are planned with you in mind – a human being! All abilities and experience levels are welcome, and the coach will adapt movements to suit your specific needs (including any niggles – yes, even that creaky back or dodgy knee!).
Introducing: Mum and Baby Classes
During early summer, coach Gemma (also in-house Physiotherapist, qualified Pilates Instructor AND pre and postpartum fitness specialist) launched SCFIT’s first ever Mum and Baby course! This was a huge step for the gym – we have always loved supporting new parents in the gym and helping them return to movement after the arrival of a baby, but this new opportunity to actually BRING in the little one and take part in a completely tailored small-group setting was brand new for 2025. The first series of classes was a huge hit, and has continued to run throughout the rest of the year!
We’re excited to roll into 2026 with this permanent addition to the timetable, providing a safe and welcoming space for new mums to start moving again and make friends. If you or someone you know might be interested in our next course, register here! The sessions start next week on January 7th.
The launch of HYROX at SCFIT
This is the big one: the launch of HYROX training in Stirchley! The SCFIT Team somehow managed to keep the big secret that the gym would be expanding (for a number of months!) as details started to fall into place. Then, in August this year, Unit 19 opened its doors for the first time, as an official HYROX Gym in Birmingham! The expansion had been in the works for a long time, and we couldn’t have been more excited to launch and start running regular HYROX classes for both existing SCFIT members and new members alike.
The launch also saw the arrival of tons of new fitness-racing kit perfect for game-day preparation, from Assault Runners to Astro lanes for sled pushes and pulls, as well as a whole ton of extra dumbbells and wall balls! Flash forward to today, and we have HYROX classes running 6 days a week, with both sole HYROX and combined HYROX and CrossFit membership choices, so there’s an option for everyone! To find out more about our SCFIT and our status as an official HYROX gym in Birmingham, head to our HYROX page and book a trial class for just £1.
CrossFit Kids Classes in Birmingham: Now at SCFIT
As if the launch of Mum and Baby classes and HYROX training weren’t enough… we hit the hat-trick with the introduction of CrossFit Kids classes in 2025 too! This was the final piece of the puzzle for our 2025 plans, and has truly transformed SCFIT into a family-friendly gym here in South Birmingham. With tailored classes for ages 4-7 and 8-11, we’re proud to have multiple class times per week to suit every family’s busy schedule. And what’s more is that the dedicated hang-out space in Unit 19 provides the perfect setting for parents to wait for their little one, or for their child to hang out after class if Mum or Dad is taking part in a CrossFit class next door! Learn more about CrossFit Kids at SCFIT here.
Outdoor Space
With the expansion of the gym, we also saw a change-up to the outdoor space! The developments were two-fold: firstly a relocation of the outdoor training space, tucked in front of Unit 19 for a little more privacy (and less exposure to the elements!). We’re excited to see members make great use of this space in Spring/Summer of 2026 and beyond! AND – with the freeing up of the space in front of Unit 21, we were excited to add a new outdoor seating area complete with astro turf and picnic tables.
This welcoming, relaxed area has already proven a popular cool-down spot after classes and the perfect space to socialise. The community is what truly makes SCFIT – so what better way to embrace this, than by giving our members the place to hang out and connect. Bring on Summer 2026 where we can catch some rays after class!
It’s in the Details
So there we have it – those are the big ones! Let’s not forget though all the smaller improvements and additions to the gym! You’ll forever see tweaks to the gym layout to better suit the classes, and additions to the kit and extras. To name just a few, this year we invested in:
- Doubling the number of bumper plates for CrossFit & Weightlifting sessions
- Wheely Plate Storage making it super easy to access plates in class!
- More Assault Bikes (you’re welcome)
- Assault Runners – a great option then the weather is poor!
- Customised SCFIT Skipping Ropes in ALL the sizes, so members no longer need to source their own!
There are a ton of smaller additions too, including:
- Expanding the metalwork to provide more space for handstand work and keep the gym looking beautiful
- Storage Solutions to maximise gym floor space (more room for fitness!)
- Mini Whiteboards and Pens for those who love to keep tabs on their rounds and reps!
- Phone & Valuables Holders as an alternative option to lockers for small items
…plus more paint touch-ups and re-vamps than we can count, to ensure the space is always fresh and inviting! And these improvements will keep coming. We are forever committed to improving, and love seeing the space grow and offer more and more to our members.
Cheers to 2025
On that note – a huge, heartfelt thank you for being part of SCFT in 2025 – cheers! And – here’s to a happy, healthy 2026!
If you’re looking for a CrossFit Gym in Stirchley (or perhaps searching for an official HYROX gym in Birmingham!), look no further. Book a chat with the SCFIT Team to discuss your goals, all we’ll find a membership option to suit you. We can’t wait to meet you!