Bluewater delivers planet-friendly hydration to thousands at HYROX Johannesburg

Johannesburg, South Africa, December 11, 2025 – HYROX returned to the Johannesburg Expo Centre in late November with all the energy, noise, and sweat the sport is famous for – and Sweden’s Bluewater was there as the hydration partner to keep everyone going. Collaborating with Discovery Bank, Bluewater delivered 10,750 litres of clean water to thousands of HYROX athletes taking part in the world’s fastest-growing fitness race this weekend – saving theplanet from over 21,000 single-use 500 ml plastic water bottles in the process.

HYROX races are tough by design. The Johannesburg edition – only the second hosted in the city – showed whythe sport has exploded worldwide since launching in 2017 in Germany. Athletes from across South Africa and beyond pushed through the signature HYROX flow: one kilometre of running followed by a functional workout station, repeated eight times. Indoors, under bright lights and surrounded by a roaring crowd, hydration needed to be fast, reliable, and available every time an athlete needed it.

That’s where Bluewater came in.

Discovery Bank’s support helped bring the HYROX hydration initiative to life and Bluewater installed advanced water stations throughout the venue. Athletes had access to fresh mineral water – filtered and enhanced through Bluewater’s electrolyte boosting Flow dispensing machines – in the warm-up zone, on the course, and at the finish line. Extra stations were placed in public areas so spectators could stay topped up too. Every refill was free, simple, and plastic-free.

A key part of the experience was Bluewater’s proprietary SuperiorOsmosis™ purification technology.

Outperforming conventional filtration and dispensing systems, SuperiorOsmosis removes a vast range of harmful contaminants – including PFAS “forever chemicals,” viruses, microplastics, and other substances athletes absolutely don’t want in their bodies. By stripping out these hidden threats, Bluewater helps athletes stay physically strong and mentally sharp, giving them clean hydration that supports performance rather than compromising it.

It’s the same technology that has earned Bluewater a rock-solid reputation at other major sporting events, including the Cape Town Marathon, where tens of thousands have already relied on Bluewater for safe, sustainable hydration as they compete. With this track record, the company is accelerating its African expansion,bringing its solutions to new markets including Nigeria, Tanzania, and Botswana.

Bluewater, which showcased its innovative water purification solutions on an exclusive booth at the event, also released a limited-edition HYROX-branded double-insulated bottle, which quickly became a favourite among competitors and supporters looking for a durable, reusable keepsake.

“HYROX isn’t just a test of fitness; it’s a full-community experience,” said Bluewater Africa managing director Janneke Brasecke, who is based in Cape Town. “Athletes deserve water that fuels them, not water filled with contaminants that work against them. With Discovery Bank’s support, we were able to give every competitor hydration they could trust – clean, safe, and totally free from single-use plastic.” As HYROX continues expandingacross the globe, Johannesburg once again showed why the sport keeps growing. It’s demanding, inclusive, and built on grit – exactly the kind of environment where clean hydration genuinely matters.

“Bluewater remains committed to supporting major sporting events across South Africa and the continent as it expands its mission: making safe, sustainable hydration easy, accessible, and genuinely enjoyable for everyone at home, work and play,” said Brasecke.

Bluewater Africa: Jannecke Brasecke, Janneke.brasecke@bluewatergroup.com or +27 72 713 1410

Int’l Media enquiries: David Noble, Bluewater Group Chief Communications Officer, david.noble@bluewatergroup.comor +44 7785 302 694

About Bluewater

Founded in Stockholm in 2013, Bluewater is on a mission to be the world’s most planet-friendly water purificationand beverage company. The brand has been honoured with two Fast Company World Changing Ideas Awards,the K&B Kitchen Innovation of the Year Award, and the 2024 GOOD DESIGN® Award. Today, Bluewater hydration solutions power homes, cafés, hotels, venues, and world-class events – delivering safer, tastier water without the plastic waste. www.bluewatergroup.com

Founded 2013 in Stockholm, Sweden, Bluewater has set its sights on being the world's most planet-friendly water purification and beverage company by innovating and marketing disruptive hydration solutions for home, work, and play. Bluewater products are available globally to consumers, hotel and catering operations, event andvenue organizations, and educational institutions. www.bluewatergroup.com[IG1]

About Discovery Bank

Discovery Bank is part of Discovery Limited, a financial services organisation that operates in healthcare, life assurance, short-term insurance, investments, banking, and wellness industries, in over 40 markets globally. Built on a shared-value model, Discovery Bank is fundamentally designed to create unique shared value for clients, differentiating the Bank from traditional banking models. Clients are encouraged to manage their money well, monetising healthy financial behaviours that lower their financial risk and realises long-term default and risk savings for the Bank. Discovery Bank shares this value with clients in the form of better interest rates, deep discounts and significant rewards from an exclusive retail, lifestyle and wellness partner network. The model has an overall positive impact on clients, society and Discovery Bank - clients experience greater financial wellbeing, the risk of defaults for Discovery Bank is lowered making the business more sustainable; while improved financial behaviours such as increased savings, higher retirement savings and lower debt levels, benefit society as a whole. Behaviour change and rewards are enabled through Vitality Money, an AI-powered programme on the Discovery Bank app that gives clients an understanding of the behaviours that influence their financial wellbeing, while giving them the tools to improve their financial behaviours. The more clients improve their financial behaviour, the higher their Vitality Money status and the greater the value they receive.