BUILT FOR COMPETITION

Tidewater Fitness Racing was founded in 2026 with a simple belief:

Fitness should be challenging, exciting, and fun.

Our mission is to bring the energy of fitness racing to Hampton Roads by creating professionally organized events that challenge participants, build community, and inspire healthier lifestyles.

Whether you're an experienced athlete chasing a personal best, a weekend warrior looking for a new challenge, or someone stepping onto a race course for the very first time, Tidewater Fitness Racing was built with you in mind.

Our events combine running and functional fitness challenges into an experience that rewards determination, grit, and perseverance. Every race is designed to test both physical and mental toughness while creating an atmosphere that is welcoming, encouraging, and unforgettable.

Our Values

Community

We believe fitness is better when it's shared. We strive to create events that bring people together and foster meaningful connections.

Fitness

We encourage participants to challenge themselves, improve their health, and discover what they are truly capable of accomplishing.

Fun

Hard work and competition should be enjoyable. Our events are designed to be exciting, memorable, and rewarding for participants of all experience levels.

Meet the Founder

Tidewater Fitness Racing was founded by Rob Lauser, a U.S. Navy veteran, Health and Physical Education teacher, coach, and lifelong fitness enthusiast.

Throughout his career in education, athletics, and fitness, Rob has witnessed the powerful impact that physical activity can have on confidence, health, and personal growth. His passion for helping others challenge themselves and achieve their goals inspired the creation of Tidewater Fitness Racing.

By combining his experience as a teacher, coach, athlete, and community leader, Rob set out to build an event series that would bring people together through fitness while creating a positive and exciting experience for participants of all ages and abilities.

Why I Started Tidewater Fitness Racing

The explosion in popularity of fitness racing over the past few years has been incredible to watch. Major race organizations have done an amazing job creating experiences that challenge people, build confidence, and bring communities together through fitness.

But for many people, participating in these events can be difficult due to travel requirements, registration costs, and limited local opportunities.

As a Health and Physical Education teacher, coach, veteran, and lifelong fitness enthusiast, I've seen firsthand how powerful movement can be. Fitness has the ability to improve physical health, build self-confidence, develop resilience, and create lifelong habits that extend far beyond the gym or race course.

That's why I founded Tidewater Fitness Racing.

My goal was to bring the excitement, challenge, and community of fitness racing to Hampton Roads in a way that is fun, affordable, and accessible to everyone. Whether you're an experienced competitor, a recreational athlete, or someone looking for a new fitness goal, Tidewater Fitness Racing provides an opportunity to challenge yourself alongside your friends, family, and community.

But this organization is about more than race day.

As an educator, I understand the important role that physical education programs play in helping young people develop healthy lifestyles and positive relationships with fitness. Through partnerships, fundraising initiatives, and community engagement, Tidewater Fitness Racing aims to support local school physical education programs and help provide opportunities for students to be active, build confidence, and discover the benefits of lifelong fitness.

When our community becomes more active, everyone wins.

Our vision is to create events that people look forward to, talk about afterward, and return to year after year while making a positive impact on the schools, families, and communities we serve.

Fitness should be challenging.

Competition should be exciting.

Community should come first.

That's what Tidewater Fitness Racing is all about.

Join the Movement

This is only the beginning.

As Tidewater Fitness Racing continues to grow, our goal is to establish Hampton Roads' premier fitness racing series—an event experience that athletes look forward to year after year.

Train hard. Race harder. Build community.

We'll see you at the starting line.