Immersive fitness competition: METRIX’s Toby Spooner

Toby Spooner is a sport scientist and former personal trainer who co-founded METRIX, an immersive fitness competition in which pairs race across five stations to live DJ sets and nightclub-style production.

Since its first event at Magazine London in March 2025, METRIX says it has staged five events in London, Manchester and Cardiff, drawing 7,800 competitors. It returned to Magazine London on 5 and 6 September 2026 for what it billed as its biggest event yet, and heads to Depot Mayfield in Manchester on 27 February 2027. He tells Business Matters how two coaches set out to scale the energy of a small-group class to thousands of people.

What do you currently do at METRIX?

As co-founder, my role is pretty much all-encompassing. We are a small, tight-knit team, so I am across every area of the business, from finance to the top-line decisions that come with running a company.

Fundraising is exciting but can be stressful. The part I enjoy most is refining the product: constantly looking at how we can improve the event experience, and building out touchpoints that keep METRIX present in people’s lives 365 days a year, not just on event day.

What was the inspiration behind your business?

My co-founder Will McLaren and I were coaching small-group classes, and we kept seeing how powerful that format was: the energy, the accountability, the sense of community. We started asking whether you could take the feeling of a 20-person class and scale it to 2,000 people.

At the same time, I had competed in a range of fitness competitions and always felt something was missing. We wanted to create something that brought together the best parts of everything out there, and made it scalable for everyone.

How has METRIX grown since its first event?

The growth we have seen over the last 18 months shows there is genuine demand for a new kind of fitness experience. Competitors work in pairs across five stations, the ski erg, burpees, row erg, bike erg and sleds with shuttles, and share the workload however they want, with live DJs playing throughout.

It is open to everyone, from first-timers to elite athletes, and women now make up more than 60 per cent of our participants. After London in September, we go to Depot Mayfield in Manchester on 27 February 2027, with Cardiff also on the 2027 calendar and our first international event planned.

Who do you admire?

Other small business founders. There is so much struggle and commitment that goes on behind the scenes that nobody ever sees.

I have huge respect for anyone willing to take the risk, put in the graft, and chase the vision they have in their head, especially when there is no guarantee it will pay off.

Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently?

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. There is plenty we could have done better that would have made our lives easier, but I have learnt an enormous amount over the last two years.

I often joke that if I had known how hard it was going to be, I probably would not have done it. But sitting here today, I am grateful for all the highs and the lows. They have shaped the business, and they have shaped me.

What defines your way of doing business?

Whatever I do, I do it with a smile and a positive attitude, and I treat everyone with respect, whoever they are.

I believe in being generous and building good relationships, but I also have a long memory. Loyalty and respect go both ways, and I do not forget how people treat us.

What advice would you give to someone starting out?

Take risks, be passionate, and back yourself. If you do not take the first step, nothing happens.

Things will inevitably go wrong along the way. What matters is finding a way to stay on track when they do. And be a “yes” person: say yes to opportunities, conversations and challenges, because you never know which one will change everything.