Will McLaren is co-founder of METRIX, an immersive fitness competition in which pairs race across five stations to live DJ sets, with recovery zones, food and drink turning it into a full-day event.
A former Royal Marine and full-time coach, he launched the London-based business in 2025 with sports scientist Toby Spooner, and the company says it had welcomed 7,800 competitors and 2,000 spectators across five events by September 2026. Its two-day event at Magazine London on 5 and 6 September drew more than 3,000 people, he says, and its 2027 circuit opens at Depot Mayfield in Manchester on 27 February.
He tells Business Matters why fitness entertainment deserves to be its own genre, what fundraising taught him and why founders should give their team equity.
What do you currently do at METRIX?
I am the co-founder of METRIX, an immersive fitness competition where music powers performance. With live DJs, recovery zones, food and drink, METRIX is a curated, full-day experience. The competition is accessible enough for first-timers and scalable enough for athletes, with everyone competing side by side, pushed further by the atmosphere.
I am also a full-time coach, training group classes in Chelsea and ultra high net worth individuals in Mayfair. No one says having a start-up is easy, and I graft in my free time, either between clients and classes or after I have put my son to bed.
My main roles at METRIX involve the creation and formatting of the competition itself, and how the participants feel while they are in the arena, or on the “Dancefloor” as we call it. Competitors race in pairs across five stations, from the SkiErg and the rower to burpees, the bike and the sleds, and performance is measured by technology rather than judges.
I also take great pleasure in how the production feels, from the lighting to the music. I love that METRIX is an all-day experience.
Outside of the event day, I am always thinking about the growth of METRIX and how we can develop the business. I am constantly thinking of new ideas, and the team often has to reel me in.
But probably the main job, which has taken up the majority of my time and that of my co-founder, Toby Spooner, is raising capital. I like to think this is the job for most founders, especially in the early years.
What was the inspiration behind your business?
The inspiration behind METRIX was simple: create a new genre of training, “fitness entertainment”. A competition unlike anything else the world has ever seen. No one is doing what we are doing, and they are not even close. We are pioneering large-scale group fitness competitions.
This all stemmed from when we worked at KXU in Chelsea. The idea was so obvious. Fitness and music have always gone hand in hand, so why has no one created a hybrid fitness event that fuses the two?
Before fitness I served in the Royal Marines, and that never leaves you. It shaped me into who I am today. The hardest days were always the best ones, because you did them together as a team.
That is what we wanted people to feel at METRIX. Most of our bookings now come from groups training together side by side, and our last London event had more than 3,000 people through the doors across two days.
Who do you admire?
I am surrounded by clients who I admire: people at the top of their game who run multimillion and sometimes billion-pound empires. If you want to succeed, surround yourself with the people who inspire you.
Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently?
I was so naive coming into business around the fundraising side. I did not know the challenges that were to come. I thought it would be easy: have an idea, raise money easily, then boom, growth. But it does not quite work like that.
Also, who I put my trust in. There are a lot of people out there who will try to take advantage in the beginning, when they think you are vulnerable. Be careful who you let in.
What defines your way of doing business?
Business is creating the best deal possible for you and the other party, finding a ground where everyone believes they are winning. Once this is achieved, it will lead to further business and great relationships.
Great relationships make the process a lot easier as you start to build a circle of trust. So I suppose the two things that define the way I do business are good relationships and trust.
What advice would you give to someone starting out?
Have a great idea, research it and ensure there is a need.
Assemble a kick-ass team that believes in your idea and understands it, and give them equity. For example, METRIX is built by a close, hands-on team with firsthand coaching, sports science and event experience. That personal approach shows up in the details, from responsive support and one-to-one gym affiliate partnerships to a carefully curated experience built around what competitors want and need.
Keep dreaming big and have as much fun as you can, because it will be one hell of a rollercoaster.
If you want to see what we have built, come and join us at METRIX Manchester at Depot Mayfield on 27 February, METRIX London at Magazine London on 17 and 18 April, or METRIX Cardiff at DEPOT Cardiff on 5 June.
