Everything You Need to Know About HYROX

In less than a year, I went from being a self-described “weak link” in my first doubles race to finishing 86th out of 1,290 women in a solo race – and I’m not done yet. On March 27th, I’ll be competing in my 4th HYROX race in Houston. Four races in 11 months. Here’s everything I’ve learned.

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What Is HYROX?

HYROX is a fitness race that follows the exact same format at every single event worldwide. I like to call it a running race with exercise stations sprinkled in – because if you aren’t a strong runner, nothing else matters.

The format is simple: 8 rounds of a 1 km run, each followed by a functional fitness station. In order, those stations are:

1,000 m Ski Erg → 50 m Sled Push → 50 m Sled Pull → 80 m Burpee Broad Jumps → 1,000 m Row Machine → 200 m Farmer’s Carry → 100 m Sandbag Lunge → 100 Wall Balls

You start in the Red Bull start tunnel, run 1 km loops around the perimeter of the venue, and the workout stations are set up in the middle. There’s also a transition zone called the RoxZone between each run and station – it’s additional distance beyond the 1 km, and you must enter and exit through designated in/out tunnels or risk a 2-minute penalty.

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Race Categories & Weights

For women, the main competition formats are Women’s Doubles (Open or Pro), Mixed Doubles (pro weights only), and Women’s Solo (Open or Pro). The weight difference between divisions is significant:

Sled Push: 225 lbs Open / 335 lbs Pro

Sled Pull: 172 lbs Open / 227 lbs Pro

Farmer’s Carry: 70 lbs Open / 106 lbs Pro

Sandbag Lunge: 22 lbs Open / 44 lbs Pro

Wall Balls: 9 lbs Open / 16 lbs Pro

I’ve raced Mixed Doubles (pro weights by default) and Women’s Open for all my other races. I train heavier than race weight for every station – and it makes a huge difference on race day.

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My #1 Piece of Advice: Start Running

I cannot say this enough. A strong runner who isn’t as physically strong will outperform someone who is physically strong but can’t run. Every single time.

If your cardiovascular system can’t recover on the 1 km runs, you’ll arrive at each station already gassed. A runner arrives with more in the tank, powers through the station with intensity, and runs the RoxZones too. I started running in May 2025 – four months after my first race – and it dramatically improved my performance for my next 2 races.

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Station-by-Station Tips

1 km Runs – Start slower than you think you need to. The people leading the first few laps are almost always the same people I’m passing by the time we hit the row machine.

Ski Erg – Find a steady pace you can hold for the full 1,000 m and know your target time before race day. I use a damper setting of 7-8. For doubles, decide in advance how you’ll split it – my upcoming partner and I are alternating every 250 m.

Sled Push – Wear running shoes with great grip. Press your shoulders into the bars and use your entire body – don’t have your arms locked out. For doubles, splitting the distance in half lets you avoid complete quad burnout.

Sled Pull – Use the chalk at the entrance to the station. Walk the sled back using your legs – don’t try to muscle it with your arms. Make sure there’s no slack in the rope before you pull, and toss the rope to your strong side to avoid tripping on it.

Burpee Broad Jumps – Walk your feet forward one at a time instead of jumping them up. The judges are strict: your first burpee must start behind the white line, and your last broad jump must fully cross the final line. I’ve had to redo a burpee at two of my three races because of this. For doubles, give your partner a clear heads-up – “2 more” works great so they can get ready to tag in.

Row Machine – This is where the leaders of the pack start to create distance, and this is where I started passing people that started out too hot right out of the gate. Know your target pace going in. Adjust the foot settings if needed, but only if the difference is significant enough to be worth the time you’ll lose adjusting.

Farmer’s Carry – Use the chalk. Run – don’t walk. I lost time here in my solo race and it is genuinely the easiest station of the entire race. Don’t make my mistake.

Sandbag Lunge – Your back knee must touch the ground on every rep or you risk a penalty. Train heavier than race weight so the 22 lbs feels manageable on tired legs. For doubles, if one partner is stronger here, let them take more of the load. Practice the sandbag handoff beforehand – the bag cannot touch the ground during the exchange.

Wall Balls – This station takes my soul every single time. Train with 12 lbs so race day’s 9 lbs feels more manageable on dead legs. At this point it’s pure survival mode – communicate with your partner, go until you can’t, and tag out.

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Race Recap: My HYROX Journey

Race 1 – Atlanta, April 2025 (Mixed Doubles)

My first race ever, four months postpartum and not running at all. I was the weak link – I slowed us way down on the runs and wasn’t effective at the stations either. The silver lining? I was too in the moment to realize how much I was holding us back, so I had the time of my life. And it lit a fire in me. My partner Jake went on to finish a Men’s Doubles in under 59 minutes. That’s the gap I created. 😂

Race 2 – Boston, September 2025 (Solo)

Broken sleep, an early flight, 28k steps on travel day, and an overly ambitious chicken parm the night before. I showed up under-fueled – HYROX sells no food at the venue, so bring your own – and survived partly thanks to a stranger who handed me a Clif ZBar in the warm-up area. Then I ran the race of my life: 1st in my heat, 21st out of 277 in my age group, 86th out of 1,290 women. Four months of consistent running had compounded into something I didn’t fully expect.

Race 3 – Atlanta, October 2025 (Women’s Doubles)

Raced with my high school best friend Cruzy back in Atlanta. This was the race where I had a clear station strategy, and ran the RoxZones the entire time. Taking the full sandbag lunge station so Cruzy could recover before the final run was one of the best calls we made.

Race 4 – Houston, March 2026 (Women’s Doubles) – Up Next

Racing with Madison, someone I connected with through social media who has cheered me on at past races, but who I’ve never actually met face to face. We have a full station strategy locked in and I cannot wait.

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Sign Up for Something

It doesn’t have to be HYROX. Sign up for the 5K, 10K, half marathon, Tough Mudder, sprint triathlon – whatever it is, just register. It will reveal something in you that you didn’t know was there.

The hard truth is that most days of training will be hard and unrewarding. The bad days outnumber the good ones. That’s not a reason to quit – that’s just the deal. The daily deposits compound. Show up anyway.

Until May 4, 2025, I was not a runner. It took one decision and one early morning run to change that. You have it in you too. Keep going.