What Is Hyrox and Why Is It Booming?

TTG Staff
May 21
6 min read

Hyrox is more than just a race; it's a test of complete fitness. Think of it as the meeting point between endurance running and functional strength, wrapped into a competitive, timed format that rewards grit, efficiency, and preparation. Each athlete completes 8 x 1 km runs, immediately followed by a functional fitness station, such as sled pushes, rowing, wall balls, sandbag lunges, etc. The result? A consistent, full-body challenge built to expose any gaps in your training. What makes Hyrox unique is its standardised format. No matter where you compete, the race stations, order, and distances remain the same. This consistency means it's truly trainable; you can precisely prepare, track your progress, and know exactly what's waiting for you on race day.

Over the past few years, there has been a surge in interest. From CrossFitters seeking a new challenge to marathoners looking to build functional strength, and weekend warriors craving something more structured than a fun run, Hyrox offers something for everyone. It's competitive, but welcoming. It's brutal, but fair. And for many, it becomes addictive after just one race. We have coached athletes from all backgrounds, and can say with confidence: You don't need to be the fastest or strongest. This race rewards the well-prepared.

In the chapters ahead, we will walk you through everything you need to know about preparing for Hyrox, from the race's must-know structure to setting up our free program, where we guide you through training strategies that build confidence and readiness. Whether you're new to competition or simply new to this format, you're in the right place.

What To Expect On Race Day

Race day is a high-energy, high-adrenaline environment; therefore, it should never be a mystery. The more familiar you are with the format, the smoother and more confident your performance will be. Hyrox is designed to be predictable so you can train for it with precision.

The structure is always the same:

1km Run
Ski Erg – 1000m
1km Run
Sled Push – 50m
1km Run
Sled Pull – 50m
1km Run
Burpee Broad Jumps – 80m
1km Run
Row – 1000m
1km Run
Farmers Carry – 200m
1km Run
Sandbag Lunges – 100m
1km Run
Wall Balls – 100 reps

Every station follows immediately after a 1km run. That means you're constantly transitioning between aerobic and anaerobic efforts. This is where Hyrox separates the prepared from the hopeful; those who have trained for these transitions will glide through them with rhythm. Those who haven't? They feel it in their heart rate, grip, and lungs by the halfway mark.

Transitions Matter

The time between stations is often underestimated. Efficient transitions can save you minutes off your final time, and layouts can change slightly across different locations. Therefore, familiarise yourself with the venue's layout where you plan to compete (most events release a floor plan in advance), know the location of your assigned lane, and practice picking up your equipment smoothly while fatigued during training.

Pacing Strategy

The biggest mistake we see is starting too hot. That first 1km feels easy; adrenaline is pumping, and legs are fresh. However, when you hit the sleds or burpee broad jumps, that early effort catches up to you. Your pacing needs to be strategic. As a past Coach of ours and Hyrox World Record Holder, Meg Martin says,

“the runs should be your recovery, where the heart rate can drop slightly and prepare you for the next station."

If you've trained properly, you'll know what pace you can maintain on your runs while still performing at the stations. Your goal isn't to win the first three rounds: it's to finish strong and steady across all 16 segments.

Your Biggest Advantage? Familiarity

When you've trained smart, specifically for the demands of Hyrox, you'll arrive on race day not just fit, but prepared. You'll know how to pace the runs, how to breathe on the erg, how to manage your grip, and when to push.

Training For Each Hyrox Event

Hyrox is centred on functional movements that assess strength, endurance, power, and resilience. The race order remains consistent, and mastering the events involves knowing how to perform them and training to execute them effectively under fatigue. You're in luck because, at the end of this article, we have a free training program you can follow.

To understand what is necessary in any Hyrox training plan, here is what has structured our program:

✅ At a minimum, your plan needs to be completed over 5-6 days weekly. For the average intermediate Hyrox athlete, training 5 to 6 days a week is the sweet spot. To compete with the pros, it must be every day and consume your whole life.

✅ At least three runs per week. Hyrox is a running race disguised as a fitness competition. You will have a bad time if you haven't been running enough.

✅ Two strength training sessions a week. Those sessions must emphasise strength- endurance: high-quality movement under fatigue, with volume reflecting race demands.

Hyrox Strength Standards (for Intermediate to Competitive)

Event	Strength Benchmark (Men/Women)
Sled Push	Push 2 x bodyweight on sled for 60m.
Sled Pull	Pull 1.5 x bodyweight on sled for 60m
Farmers Carry	2 x 24kg (M) / 2 x 16kg (F) for 200m without stops
Sandbag Lunges	30-40kg (M) / 20-30kg (F) over 100m in <4 mins
Wall Balls	100 unbroken with 6-9kg (M) / 4-6kg (F)
General Strength	Deadlift & Squat at 1.5 x bodyweight (for form, not max)

✅ Hyrox-specific circuits. One thing runners, triathletes, and crossfitters have over the average gym goer coming into their first event is understanding the importance of practising the race day specifics. This is your transitions between stations, movement combinations under fatigue, and mental patterning throughout.

✅ The best plan is nothing without adequate rest. One of the toughest truths for competitive athletes is that more isn't always better. Sometimes, more is just... more.

In the next section, we break down the common training mistakes that will ruin your event if you make them.

Big Mistakes To Make

Even the fittest athletes can get off to a rough start in their first Hyrox. Why? This event isn't about raw fitness; it's about applied fitness; the kind that's been pressure-tested, paced, and prepared. Here are the big mistakes we have seen and how to avoid them.

❌ Underestimating the Cumulative Fatigue

Hyrox seems simple on paper: run, station, run, station. But those stations hit differently when you've run 5 or 6km already.

The Mistake: Thinking each station is just a short burst of work.

Coach Tip: In training, pair your running with strength work. Don't just train the stations in isolation. You must simulate fatigue. You need to know how your body handles burpee broad jumps after a 1km run at your race pace, not in a fresh state.

❌ Going Out Too Hard on the First Run

Your heart rate spikes, the crowd roars, and your 1km pace is suddenly 30 seconds faster than planned. But you're not racing a 5 K. You're racing nearly 90 minutes of continuous work.

The Mistake: Blowing up early and paying for it halfway through.

Coach Tip: Stick to your pacing strategy. Know your sustainable running pace from training and commit to it. If you have anything left, use it in the final two stations. Not the first two.

❌ Ignoring Transition Practice

You don't get time to reset. You run in, grab the sled, and go. If your gear isn't set up or your hands are fumbling, you bleed seconds (and composure).

The Mistake: Never practice efficiently moving from run to station under fatigue.

Coach Tip: Practice transitions in training. Simulate the real race flow. Run hard, then go directly into the next movement. Practice picking up the erg handles, grabbing a sandbag, or racking dumbbells immediately after running. It should feel automatic on race day.

❌ Skipping Strength Work

Some athletes assume they'll "run their way" through Hyrox. Others overdo the lifting and forget they need an engine.

The Mistake: Being one-dimensional in your prep.

Coach Tip: Follow a structured program that balances running, strength training, and skill development. Personal Bests in Hyrox come from the grey zone, where endurance and strength intersect. You need both, and your training must reflect this.

❌ Not Fueling or Recovering Properly

Under-fueled training = flat sessions. Poor recovery = plateaued progress.

The Mistake: Training like a beast, eating and sleeping like a tourist.

Coach Tip: Eat for performance, sleep like it's your job, and take rest seriously. You're not just building fitness; you're building resilience, which requires fuel and repair.

❌ Not Respecting the Mental Game

At some point during the race, you'll want to quit. Maybe during the burpee broad jumps. Maybe at the wall balls. Your brain will whisper excuses. It's normal. But it can't win.

The Mistake: Assuming your mind won't waver under stress.

Coach Tip: Train with intent. Visualise success. Practice positive self-talk and pacing discipline. A strong mental game is the final 5% that separates good from great.

This event-specific training isn't just physical. It also trains transitions, resilience, pacing, and confidence. Each session is another opportunity to learn how to cope with suffering smarter and know what you are capable of.

Race Day Strategy & Mental Preparation

By the time race day arrives, the work is done. But how you execute: mentally, emotionally, and tactically, will make or break your result.

At Hyrox, pacing is everything. Ego must take a backseat to precision. And most of all, you need to trust your training. Following the right plan, you'll have the engine, strength, and systems to perform. But you also need to manage adrenaline and avoid the mistakes we mentioned earlier.

We coach our athletes to approach race day like a military op. Every detail matters. Here's what we suggest you plan:

Pacing & Fueling Strategy
Event Game Plans
Mental Cues

Follow Our Plan

Below, we'll guide you on accessing the complete 12-Week Hyrox Program within TrainHeroic, our clients' platform. You can download the application here if you do not already have it on your phone.

Once you have set up your account, type the 'Program Code' into the 'Enter Access Code' section, and you can freely follow that program.

Program Code

IBLKHRX6DY