UPDATED: (1/21/15) The business now expects to open in February

UPDATED: (with comments/input from CrossFit Marauder owner Erica Dolen on 12/4/14)

How in the world Wellesley has eluded the CrossFit craze to this point is beyond us given all the other fitness businesses and personal trainers that have descended upon the town.

That’s not to say that individual Wellesley residents don’t partake in the popular, competitive and sometimes over-the-top core strength and conditioning program — we’ve seen people doing it outside at places like the Wellesley High School track and at Elm Bank Reservation. But as far as we know, there haven’t been any dedicated CrossFit businesses in town pushing WODs even though there are now thousands of CrossFit-affiliated gyms across the world.

That’s about to change. CrossFit Marauder II & Steel Fitness is opening in mid-January at 12A Mica Lane in Wellesley Lower Falls, and plans to offer classes for adults, teens and kids.

The outfit, whose offerings will mix in everything from yoga to boxing, has been looking to hire trainers and others. CrossFit Marauder completely gutted and remodeled its6000 square foot space, investing significant money to create a luxury space that accommodates both CrossFit (with it’s traditional high warehouse ceilings) as well as a full-service fitness facility with showers, lockers, childcare and more. The business will also organize workouts outside in the area, including on local trails.

“We are not your traditional gritty garage CrossFit,” says the business’s Erica Dolen.

You can take a sneak peek inside CrossFit Marauder’s space on their Facebook page, where you can also find the obligatory motivational messaging.

CrossFit Marauder’s Erica Dolen explains why Wellesley: “We chose Wellesley because we are Needham residents and we understand the clientele. Also because our business thrives on family and Wellesley has families that care about fitness. Also the colleges and sports teams are great and we truly felt we could offer something different for the community.”

While we’re not aware of any existing full-fledged CrossFit-focused operations in Wellesley, the town is surrounded by CrossFit facilities, including in Natick, Needham and Newton. And Wellesley fitness facilities such as Boston Sports Club do offer what appear to be CrossFit-like classes, such as one at BSC called Ultimate Fitness Experience (UFX). One local fitness buff says that the lack of warehouse-like space for CrossFit has been a challenge to those looking to offer such classes in Wellesley.

Dolen says her business will stand out regardless of all of the competition: “We are different because we offer high intensity training with undeniable body transformations and results. We care about health and nutrition, more than just picking up heavy weights and putting them down.”

As for perceptions that CrossFit is cultish, Dolen says that those who don’t understand it might think so, but that CrossFit “is based on the fundamentals of fitness as well as community… It is not a gym that you go to with headphones on and run on a treadmill like a rat and go home. You go in and talk with your neighbors, you form a ‘team’ for workouts. Everyone is encouraged by the person next to them and it is reminiscent of high school or college sports (for those who played). You show up every day and work out hard because people in your class care about your progress. That is the ‘cult’, the sense of support to keep you coming back every day to get in the best shape of your life.”

CrossFit pricing is based on a monthly membership broken down into classes, which start as low as $12.