Eight kilometres of running, eight stations in between, always alternating. No surprises, no draw of the cards – the format is identical worldwide. That is exactly what makes HYROX a first race for so many people: you know beforehand what is coming, and you can train for it.
Here you get the full race format, all the weights by division and three workouts you can start with today.
What is HYROX?
HYROX is a race format built from running and functional stations. You run eight times one kilometre, and after every kilometre a station is waiting. Only once the station is done properly do you head back onto the running track.
Your total time counts, from the start to the last repetition. Sloppy reps cost you – the movement standards are judged at every station.
What sets it apart from other competitions: the format never changes. Zurich, Hamburg or Chicago – the same eight stations in the same order. That makes your time comparable anywhere in the world.
The race format: 8 kilometres, 8 stations
After the start it is always the same pattern – 1 km of running, one station, another 1 km of running. Eight times over. The distances are the same for everyone, whichever division you enter.
Between the running track and the station lies the so-called Roxzone: the distance you cover just to get to your station. The clock keeps running, and this is where beginners lose more time than they expect.
The eight stations in order
The order is fixed and identical worldwide. What changes between divisions are the weights only – distances and repetitions stay the same for everyone.
| # | Station | Volume | What matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SkiErg | 1000 m | Early in the race – don't overcook it, or you pay for it on the second run. |
| 2 | Sled Push | 50 m (4 × 12.5 m) | Stay low, short steps, keep driving. The station that costs the most legs. |
| 3 | Sled Pull | 50 m (4 × 12.5 m) | Keep tension on the rope, hand over hand. Grip strength decides it. |
| 4 | Burpee Broad Jumps | 80 m | Longer jumps save you reps – but only if you keep the rhythm. |
| 5 | Rowing | 1000 m | The one moment to catch your breath. Pull steadily instead of sprinting. |
| 6 | Farmers Carry | 200 m | Put them down as rarely as possible. Every drop costs time and grip. |
| 7 | Sandbag Lunges | 100 m | Knee clean to the floor, bag steady on your back. It comes late – your legs are already empty. |
| 8 | Wall Balls | 100 repetitions | The last station, and for many the longest. Work in blocks instead of going to failure. |
Four of these stations you can rebuild in your own gym one to one: a sled for push and pull, a sandbag for the lunges, competition kettlebells for the farmers carry, and a wall ball plus target for the final station. For the row you need a Concept2 RowErg – the same machine that stands at the race.
The weights by division
Distances are identical for everyone, loads are not. Worth noting: Pro women train with exactly the same weights as Open men. If you are torn between two divisions, this table helps more than any gut feeling.
| Station | Open women | Open men | Pro women | Pro men |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sled Push | 102 kg | 152 kg | 152 kg | 202 kg |
| Sled Pull | 78 kg | 103 kg | 103 kg | 153 kg |
| Farmers Carry | 2 × 16 kg | 2 × 24 kg | 2 × 24 kg | 2 × 32 kg |
| Sandbag Lunges | 10 kg | 20 kg | 20 kg | 30 kg |
| Wall Balls | 4 kg to 2.70 m | 6 kg to 3.00 m | 6 kg to 2.70 m | 9 kg to 3.00 m |
SkiErg, Burpee Broad Jumps and Rowing run on bodyweight in every division – nothing to choose there. Sled weights include the sled itself, not just the plates on top.
Open, Pro, Doubles or Relay – which one fits you?
There are four ways to line up:
- Open – solo, with the entry-level weights. No qualification needed, this is where most people start.
- Pro – solo, with considerably heavier loads. Worth it once you have a solid Open race behind you.
- Doubles – as a pair. You split the repetitions but both run the full distance. The weights stay the same as in Open – they are not halved.
- Relay – as a team of four. Each person takes two stations plus the runs that go with them. The easiest way in, good for gym teams.
The fitness test as a decision aid
HYROX built its own test for this, the Physical Fitness Test (PFT). It takes just under half an hour and works in any well-equipped gym:
- 1000 m run (outdoors or on a treadmill at 2 % incline)
- 50 burpee broad jumps (90 cm)
- 100 stationary lunges (hips and knees fully extended)
- 1000 m row
- 30 hand-release push-ups
- 100 wall balls (6 kg men, 4 kg women)
Your total time points the way:
| PFT time | Recommended division |
|---|---|
| 15 – 25 minutes | Pro |
| 25 – 35 minutes | Open |
| 30 – 40 minutes | Doubles |
| 35 – 45 minutes | Relay |
The ranges overlap on purpose. There is no qualification – you may enter whichever division you feel good in.
HYROX or CrossFit – what is the difference?
The question comes up almost every time, and the answer is simple: with HYROX you know in advance what is coming. Eight stations, fixed order, identical weights – everywhere in the world. A CrossFit competition lives off the opposite; there the programme is often announced only shortly before.
The second difference is in the movements. HYROX does without technically demanding elements like snatches, muscle-ups or handstand walks. Every station is explained in a couple of minutes. What challenges you is not the technique but endurance under load – and running on tired legs.
For a beginner that means: you don't need years of technique work before you can start. A solid base is enough.
Three workouts to get started
To give you a feel for the load, here are three sessions you can try directly or scale to your level.
Workout 1 – base
- 5 rounds: 500 m row, 30 s rest
- 4 rounds: 25 wall balls, 60 s rest
- 4 rounds: 1 min farmers carry, 60 s rest
Workout 2 – running under load
- 2000 m run
- 80 – 60 – 40 repetitions: sandbag lunges, single leg deadlifts, mountain climbers
- 2000 m run
Workout 3 – intervals
Every 4 minutes, 4 sets:
- 250 m row
- 10 push-ups
- 10 wall balls
- 10 burpees
- 10 jumping squats
Four well-known HYROX workouts to benchmark yourself
If you want to place yourself, these four sessions are the next step. They are named after host cities and are widespread in the scene – because they are always scored the same way, you can compare your time over months.
WYCK
For time: 400 m run · 20 burpees · 600 m run · 40 wall balls (9/6 kg) · 800 m run · 60 sandbag lunges (30/20 kg) · 1000 m run · 60 sandbag lunges · 800 m run · 40 wall balls · 600 m run · 20 burpees · 400 m run
COOPER
10 rounds for time: 10 burpees · 10 air squats · 10 push-ups · 10 sit-ups
TELLISKIVI
Buy-in: 1000 m run. Then AMRAP in 35 minutes: 5 burpees · 10 wall balls (9/6 kg) · 15 calorie row · 20 sandbag lunges (30/20 kg) · 25 sit-ups · 30 m farmers carry (2 × 24/16 kg). Cash-out: 1000 m run.
BORDESLEY
For time: 400 m row · 30 wall balls (9/6 kg) · 400 m run · 30 burpees · 400 m row · 30 sandbag lunges (30/20 kg) · 400 m run · 30 hand-release push-ups · 400 m row · 100 m farmers carry (2 × 24/16 kg) · 400 m run · 100 sit-ups
The equipment for your training
You don't need all eight stations at home. It makes sense to start with what you use most often – sled, sandbag, wall ball and kettlebells already cover four stations and earn their place in the rest of your training too.
We have put the hybrid racing equipment together in one category – from a single wall ball to a complete setup for the gym.
See the hybrid racing equipment
Not sure what makes sense for your space and your budget? Write to us – we'll go through it together.