Every Hyrox race is identical: eight 1 km runs, each followed by a functional station, in a fixed order. That predictability is a gift — you can train for exactly what's coming. Here's each station, the mistake that costs beginners the most time on it, and how to train it. (Weights below are open division; pro division is heavier.)
1. SkiErg — 1,000 m
What it is. A standing ski-motion pull on the SkiErg machine, driven by lats, core, and hips.
The costly mistake. Racing it. It comes straight after your first 1 km run, feels easy, and tempts you into a pace you'll pay for an hour later.
How to train it. Short technique intervals in the base phase; race-pace 250–500 m repeats later, always followed by running.
2. Sled Push — 50 m (152 kg men / 102 kg women, open division)
What it is. Pushing a weighted sled down a 12.5 m turf lane, four lengths. Pure leg drive.
The costly mistake. Upright posture and short steps. Get low, arms locked, long powerful strides — and practise at race weight or heavier, because gym sleds on smooth floors feel nothing like race turf.
How to train it. Weekly heavy pushes in the build phase, immediately followed by a run. The station is hard; the run after it is where races unravel.
3. Sled Pull — 50 m (103 kg men / 78 kg women, open division)
What it is. Pulling a sled toward you with a rope, walking backwards inside a marked box.
The costly mistake. Pulling with arms alone. The strong pattern is legs and hips: lean back, drive through heels, pull hand-over-hand in rhythm.
How to train it. Rope pulls and heavy rows for grip and posterior chain; practise the footwork so it's automatic under fatigue.
4. Burpee Broad Jumps — 80 m
What it is. Chest-to-floor burpee, then a two-footed broad jump forward. Repeat for 80 m.
The costly mistake. Maximal jumps. Long jumps save a few reps but spike your heart rate into the red. Moderate, rhythmic jumps at a pace you can sustain win.
How to train it. There is no substitute — do them. Build from 20–30 m blocks in conditioning sessions to full 80 m efforts at race intensity.
5. Rowing — 1,000 m
What it is. A 1,000 m row on the Concept2 erg, at the halfway point of the race.
The costly mistake. Arm-pulling. Legs → hips → arms, then reverse. A clean drive sequence saves 30–60 seconds versus a fatigued arm-heavy stroke.
How to train it. Technique early, then race-pace 500 m repeats off short runs. Learn your sustainable split and hold it.
6. Farmers Carry — 200 m (2×24 kg men / 2×16 kg women)
What it is. Two kettlebells carried 200 m. The longest station by distance.
The costly mistake. Letting the shoulders slump. Posture collapse slows your walk and trashes the run that follows. Grip fails first — train it directly.
How to train it. Weekly loaded carries, building distance then pace. Dead hangs and heavy holds for grip endurance.
7. Sandbag Lunges — 100 m (20 kg men / 10 kg women)
What it is. Walking lunges with a sandbag on your shoulders. Rear knee touches the floor every rep.
The costly mistake. No loaded lunge volume in training. At Station 7 your quads are already gone; only specific preparation keeps the reps clean and legal.
How to train it. Progressive weighted lunge volume through the build phase, plus hip-flexor and glute endurance work.
8. Wall Balls — 100 reps (6 kg men / 4 kg women, open division)
What it is. Squat to depth, throw the ball to a target, catch, repeat — 100 times, as the final station.
The costly mistake. Going to failure. Unplanned rest at rep 60 costs far more than planned breaks. Decide your sets before you start — 10×10 or 5×20 with fixed breaths between.
How to train it. Weekly wall ball volume from mid-plan onward, done on tired legs so race conditions are nothing new.
The ninth station nobody lists
The runs. Eight kilometres is more than half your race time, and every kilometre is run on legs a station just emptied. Training runs and stations separately is the classic mistake — the adaptation that wins races is compromised running, practised weekly. How to structure that depends on your timeline: see the 12-week plan guide for a full build, the 8-week guideif you're short on time, or the beginner's guide if this is your first race.
RoxRoute builds a personalised, periodised Hyrox plan around your exact race date, fitness level, and weak stations — in about 60 seconds. Week 1 is free.
Train all 8 stations — free plan →