In a few years Hyrox has gone from niche competition to packed arenas in cities across Europe, Stockholm included. The format is easy to understand and hard to complete: you run one kilometre, do a station, run one kilometre, do the next station, eight times over. Same course, same order, wherever in the world the race takes place.
The eight stations
The stations always come in the same order, with one kilometre of running before each:
- SkiErg, 1,000 metres
- Sled push, 50 metres
- Sled pull, 50 metres
- Burpee broad jumps, 80 metres
- Rowing, 1,000 metres
- Farmers carry, 200 metres
- Sandbag lunges, 100 metres
- Wall balls, 100 repetitions (75 in Women's Open)
The weights differ between divisions. In the Open division the sled is just over 150 kilos for men and just over 100 kilos for women including the sled itself, the farmers carry is done with two kettlebells of 24 and 16 kilos respectively, the sandbag weighs 20 and 10 kilos, and the wall ball 6 and 4 kilos. In the Pro division everything is heavier. Always check the current rulebook before your race, since details are adjusted between seasons.
The divisions
Open is the standard division and the one most people start in. Pro has heavier weights. Doubles you do together with a partner, sharing the stations but both running all of the running. Relay is a team of four. For a first race, Open or Doubles is the obvious choice: Doubles is also a good way to lower the threshold and have more fun along the way.
How long does it take?
The elite finish in under an hour. A well-trained recreational athlete doing their first race often lands around one hour and thirty minutes, and there is no shame in being well above that. The race is designed so that everyone can finish, and that is often what makes the first time so memorable.
What decides it
The running is roughly half of the time, so a running base is the most important thing you can build. But Hyrox is about running on tired legs, what is known as compromised running. Being able to hold an even pace straight after 50 metres of sled push is a skill in itself, and you only train it by combining running and stations in the same session.
The stations that usually cause trouble for beginners are the sled push and sled pull, where the technique and the weight come as a surprise, and the wall balls, which come last when everything else is already spent. Train them specifically, ideally at actual race weight, before the race.
Kit and practicalities
Running shoes with good grip work for the whole race, no special shoes are needed. Bring water and something with carbohydrates for the warm-up, and eat a proper breakfast two to three hours before the start. Register early, races often sell out months in advance, and read up on how the stations are judged so you avoid unnecessary repeats.
Next step
If you want a concrete plan for your first race, we have put together an eight-week Hyrox programme. How to eat and drink around the race is covered in the guide to nutrition and race day.
Goes well with
GAAM Electrolyte 300 g for fluid balance, GAAM EAA 300 g during long sessions and GAAM Creatine Monohydrate for the repeated, short efforts. See the full range under Performance.
Photo: Alora Griffiths and Leona Lee / Unsplash