Fitness Racing: HYROX Tips and Tricks

Photo Credit: HYROX 

HYROX is the newest fitness competition that seems to be taking the world by storm. With humble beginnings in 2017, HYROX has expanded from Germany to more than 40 countries today. HYROX is designed to be a whole body, physical and mental challenge that anyone can participate in, including adaptive athletes. The movements are simple and natural, meaning the baseline required to participate is general fitness.  

The HYROX race format is the same regardless of location, making it predictable to train for and easy to find strengths and weaknesses on which to improve. Each race consists of a 1000-meter run followed by one workout, repeated eight times. The first workout station is 1000 meters on the SkiErg, followed by sled push, sled pull, burpee broad jumps, 1000 meters on the RowErg, farmer’s carry, sandbag lunges, and finishing with wall balls.  

Here at Concept2, our company is filled with athletes—rowers, CrossFitters, cyclists, runners, and fitness enthusiasts. We’ve had over a dozen employees give HYROX a try, leaving each employee humbled and wanting more. We asked our in-house experts and talent from the field to share some tips and tricks we wish we knew before trying HYROX. Whether you’re training for your first HYROX race or hoping to improve on your next race, these insights may help!

Don’t Skip Running

With each HYROX event consisting of nearly five miles of running, it’s important to spend time not only in the gym, but also running. Lizzy Carson, Concept2 Master Trainer, and owner of Concept Fitness says, “I wish I knew that it is predominantly a running event. This knowledge would have significantly influenced my training strategy, allowing me to focus more on running intervals and building more running endurance alongside my regular training.” It’s also important to consider what surfaces you will be competing on and making sure you are preparing for the pounding your body may endure. Greg Hammond, from the Concept2 Marketing team said, “As someone who typically runs on trails, I should have tried to find a place to run on concrete or on pavement.”  

Know Your Pacing

Pacing yourself correctly for the running, rowing, SkiErg, and other movements is key to a successful HYROX event. We recommend going off your RowErg and SkiErg 5000-meter personal record pace for the 1000-meter RowErg and SkiErg efforts. Not sure what that might be? Use our 5000 meter training plan to prepare. We would also recommend going off your 10,000 meter or half marathon running personal record for pacing your running segments. Something else to consider is knowing how your body will respond after completing the different movements then going right back into the running. Ben Hickory, from the Concept2 B2B team said, “I underestimated how much impact the sled push and sled pull would have on transitioning back to running. If I were to do the event again, I’d go slower on those two events so that I could go faster on the transitions.” Martin Stridde, from Concept2 Germany, felt the same about needing better pacing. He said, “I was pushing the sled too fast and too hard, which made me walk right after the sled push.” To prepare yourself for this, replicate being fatigued while still needing to maintain your running pace or complete the other movements as efficiently as possible.  

Wear Comfortable Clothing and Footwear

Be sure to wear shoes and clothing that are comfortable for you. Don’t try something new on race day. Be sure your clothing fits well and won’t ride up or chafe for certain movements or events. It’s also important to wear shoes that work well for running but also the other movements. Meg Shea, from our Concept2 B2B team said, “Make sure to wear shoes you’re comfortable running in but that will also let you to dig into for the sled push and pull.” Ultimately, wear what works best for you and not necessarily others.

Train Your Weaknesses, Not Your Strengths

HYROX can be a grueling race, so it is important to know your strengths and weaknesses going in. If you know you are a strong runner but need to focus on your sled push and pull, be sure to take time during your preparation to get better at your weaknesses. Lizzy Carson said, “While I understood the importance of mastering techniques for exercises like the sled push, sled pull, burpee broad jumps, row and ski, experiencing them in combination with all the running was challenging. My CrossFit background had prepared me with strength and intensity, but the duration of the race was particularly challenging.” Ben Hickory also had similar things to say about unexpected challenges. He said, “Before the event, I didn’t identify the events that would be most difficult for me, and I should have. Burpee broad jumps, sandbag lunges, and wall balls were events 4, 7, and 8, respectively. Those were by far the most difficult for me. The wall balls owned me.”

Have Fun!

Don’t forget to have fun and just take it all in. As Lizzy Carson said, “It’s a festival of fitness!” We love HYROX events for the atmosphere, the community, and the opportunity to push yourself to a new limit. It doesn’t matter if it’s your first or tenth event, everyone is celebrated. Greg Hammond noted, “You could be new to fitness or a longtime competitive athlete and everyone has fun together challenging themselves.” HYROX and Concept2 go hand in hand because of this. We are both powered by sport and driven by community. When we asked our 2024 Concept2 Ambassador Marc Howe what his favorite part was about HYROX, he didn’t hesitate. “Hands down, it’s the community. I have never been around such amazing and encouraging people before. Let's face it, this can be a scary event for a lot of people, but when you show up and see literally EVERY body type out there conquering their fears, it'll make you question what took you so long to do your first!”  

We hope this is helpful for the HYROX-curious athlete, or someone that is getting ready to do another event in the coming season.