DEKA MILE East Midlands
DEKA FIT East Midlands
Located in the heart of Derby, DEKA FIT returns to Derby Arena for a second year. The modern, purpose-built venue is known for hosting major sporting events, with excellent transport links and space designed for large-scale competition. It provides the ideal setting for athletes from across Europe to come together and test their fitness.
The weekend opens Friday night with the UK's first arena DEKA MILE Age Group. Your last chance to qualify for the DEKA World Championship 2026. Clear, direct runs on the arena floor. If you still need your spot, this is where you take it.
DEKA Europe is proud to partner with Cancer Research UK across all 2026 events. Every athlete who races for CRUK fundraises money that goes directly into research, prevention, early diagnosis and treatment.
One in two of us will get cancer in our lifetime. Two-thirds of us will survive it. The difference between those numbers is research. The difference between research and no research is the people who race for it.
How to race for CRUK: Two ways. Either dedicate your existing race entry to fundraising for CRUK, or race as a CRUK athlete in one of the dedicated charity entries, now waves are selling out, it could be the only way in. Set up your fundraising page through CRUK's site. Get your entry here.
The DEKA Challenge is 10 Zones of Functional Excellence.
Every DEKA FIT competitor will complete the following sequence, running a 500m leg before each zone for a grand total of 5K. Those competing in DEKA MILE will follow the exact same workout sequence with the 10 DEKA zones, but with shorter running legs of 160m that total precisely one mile across the entire course.
The DEKA FIT Challenge is 10 Zones of Functional Excellence.
Every DEKA FIT competitor will complete the following sequence. Each zone is preceded by a 500m run, totaling 5km of running across the entire course.
Zone 1: 30 RAM Alternating Reverse Lunges
Zone 2: 500m Row
Zone 3: 20 Box Jump / Step Overs
Zone 4: 25 Med Ball Sit-up Throws
Zone 5: 500m Ski Erg
Zone 6: 100m Farmer’s Carry
Zone 7: 25 Calorie Air Bike
Zone 8: 20 Dead Ball Wall Overs
Zone 9: 100m Sled Push / Pull
Zone 10: 20 RAM Burpees
Special Formats for 2026
Derby will also host the extra challenge of completing the DEKA course in the Ruck division for those looking to push their limits:
DEKA Ruck: Complete the standard DEKA FIT course while carrying a weighted rucksack - 30lb for Men (13.6KG) / 20lb for Women (9.07KG)
