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Knowledge · HYROX

HYROX explained.

What HYROX actually is, how a race unfolds, and how it differs from running, CrossFit or obstacle racing. The deep dive for anyone who wants to understand the format before the first class or the first race.

The format in one sentence

8 stations, 8 km of running, one race.

You run 1 km, then hit station 1. Run another 1 km, hit station 2. And so on through station 8. Eight kilometres of running plus eight standardised stations — all inside a single indoor arena, all on the clock.

Because the format is identical around the world, your time is genuinely comparable — with the athlete next to you, with the Hamburg PB from three months ago, with the world elite. HYROX turned a workout into a sport.

Race classes

Four classes — one for every level.

Open

The standard class — for everyone. Standard weights, full course. First race typically between 1:15 h and 2:00 h. 80% of athletes start here.

Pro

Heavier sled, lunges and wall balls. For experienced athletes chasing ranking spots. Elite men go sub-1:00.

Doubles

Two of you. You run together, swap freely at any station. The most popular first race format — your partner pulls you through the hard stations.

Relay

Four-person team, each athlete runs 2 laps + 2 stations. Team-event character — perfect for company crews or training squads.

The stations

Eight stations, always in this order.

Weights and distances follow the official HYROX standard (2025/26 season). Stations are identical worldwide — whichever arena you race in.

  1. 1,000 m SkiErg

    Ski ergometer for 1,000 m — looks innocent, hammers your shoulders and core from the start. First station after the opening kilometre.

  2. 50 m Sled Push

    Push a weighted sled 50 metres. Pure leg work — and mentally the first real low point of the race.

    Open: 102 kg M / 52 kg W Pro: 152 kg M / 102 kg W

  3. 50 m Sled Pull

    Hand-over-hand sled pull with a rope. Pull, walk back, pull again — until 50 m are done. Grip, back, legs.

    Open: 78 kg M / 52 kg W Pro: 103 kg M / 78 kg W

  4. 80 m Burpee Broad Jumps

    Burpee into a forward broad jump, again and again, for 80 metres. The station where everyone has a brief moment of doubt.

  5. 1,000 m Rowing

    Concept2 rower for 1,000 m. A breath for your legs, a fresh wave for your lungs.

  6. 200 m Farmers Carry

    Two kettlebells, 200 metres without putting them down. Grip endurance, core, shoulder stability.

    Open & Pro: 2 × 24 kg M / 2 × 16 kg W

  7. 100 m Sandbag Lunges

    Sandbag on your shoulders, walking lunges, 100 metres. Quads, glutes, focus on form.

    Open: 20 kg M / 10 kg W Pro: 30 kg M / 20 kg W

  8. 75 / 100 Wall Balls

    Throw a medicine ball to a target on the wall, catch, squat, repeat. The final station — and for many the longest.

    Open: 100 × 6 kg M / 75 × 4 kg W · target 3.05 m / 2.75 m Pro: 100 × 9 kg M / 75 × 6 kg W

M = men · W = women · Before each station: 1,000 m of running.

Race day

How a race day unfolds.

  1. ~90 min before · arrival & check-in

    Pick up your bib, chip and race bag. Build a buffer — at the big halls (Hamburg, Berlin) the queues on race day are longer than you think.

  2. ~30 min before · warm-up area

    Official warm-up zone with test equipment and a running lane. Easy run, a few mobility drills, then move to the start corral.

  3. Start · in waves

    Starts every few minutes in waves of ~50 athletes. Your chip starts your clock the moment you cross the start line.

  4. Race · ~1:00 to 2:00 h

    Run-station-run-station, eight laps, one order. Each station has judges counting reps and watching form. Standards not met = no-rep.

  5. Finish · medal, snack, recovery

    Across the line, finisher medal, snack bag, recovery zone. Your time is online a few minutes later — directly comparable with the rest of the world.

Positioning

Why HYROX and not …?

… pure running

HYROX is running-dominant — 8 km of running make up roughly half of race time. But the stations break your tempo. Run a pure running strategy and you hit a wall at station 2.

… CrossFit

No high-frequency skill workouts. No pull-ups, muscle-ups or Olympic lifts. The stations are deliberately accessible so the athletic factors — strength, endurance, mental toughness — decide the race, not the skill story.

… obstacle racing (OCR, Spartan)

Indoor, not mud. No walls, no rope climbs, no injury risk from chaotic obstacles. Standardised, predictable, hard time-keeping — more sport than adventure.

Ready to train?

Train HYROX at our Performance Center.

We're an official HYROX Performance Center in Berlin. Structured programming, calibrated stations, coaches who race themselves.

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