What HYROX itself tells first-timers
HYROX's race page and its preparation page are written for everyone from professional athletes to everyday fitness enthusiasts. Each event is held indoors in a large exhibition hall, and the format is the same at every race. For how RPM approaches HYROX-style sessions, see RPM's HYROX page.
| What the official site says | What it means in the gym |
|---|---|
| Half the race is running, eight kilometres split into eight runs, and you will be out for an average of about 90 minutes | Run every week, all year, with treadmills taking over from May to September |
| Experience running after working the legs and arms | Practise a run straight after a station, not only each one separately |
| Try the sled push at least once before your race, and invest in grippy shoes | Book sled sessions early and test your shoes on the surface you train on |
| Learn the movement standards | Practise every station to the standard so your reps would count |
| Do not start too fast: it is an endurance event, compared to a half marathon or an Olympic-distance triathlon | Rehearse a first run that feels easier than you want |
| Rest, eat and stay hydrated in the build-up and on race day | Count sleep and food as part of the plan |
Station order, distances and the weights for each division are on the official site, and RPM's HYROX page lists the stations and distances. Check the current rules for your division before race day.
Choosing a division for race one
| Division | What the official site says | A good first choice if |
|---|---|---|
| Open | The standard HYROX, as a challenge but an achievable race | You want to race alone at the standard weights |
| Pro | Heavier weights, for the experienced racer | Usually a later race, once you know the format |
| Doubles | Two partners run together and split each station as they choose | You train with a partner and want to share the stations |
| Relay | A team of four, each doing two one-kilometre runs and one station | You want a taste of the format before racing the whole thing |
The official 'Find my level' questionnaire asks how often you work out, what running distance you are comfortable with and how many push-ups you can do. It describes the result as only an indication and says you can enter any division. Pairs should read HYROX Doubles training, and women choosing between the women's divisions can start with HYROX training for women.
What a first-timer needs from a gym
- Somewhere to run every week of the year. In Abu Dhabi that means treadmills you can get on at your hour through the hot months.
- A sled and a lane to push and pull it, since the official site singles out the sled push as the station not to arrive unprepared for.
- Kettlebells or handles heavy enough for farmers carries, and clear floor for lunges and burpee broad jumps.
- A coach who can teach the movement standards and stop you adding too much too soon.
- Before race day, a chance to try a SkiErg, a rower and a wall-ball target. If your gym lacks one, find a session elsewhere to learn it.
The full station-by-station checklist for judging a gym is in what to look for in a HYROX training gym.
A first-race plan in three blocks
| Block | Focus | Typical week | Move on when |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Foundations | A running habit, basic strength, learning each station | Two or three easy runs, two strength sessions, station technique at light loads | Runs feel routine and every station movement meets the standard at a light load |
| 2. Linking | Running straight after stations | Two runs, one session of runs paired with stations, one or two strength sessions | Your pace on a run after a station barely drops from your fresh pace |
| 3. Rehearsal | Putting the race together | Quarter or half race simulations, one strength session, easy running | The race is a couple of weeks away |
| Race week | Arriving fresh | Short, easy sessions and nothing new | Race day |
Spend several weeks in each block. How many depends on where you start, so there is no fixed timeline here. WHO's guidelines advise starting with small amounts of activity and increasing gradually, and ACSM's position stand starts novices on two or three strength sessions a week at loads they can lift 8 to 12 times.
Quarter and half simulations, with stand-ins for stations a gym lacks, are laid out in HYROX race simulation workouts. A full run-through is exhausting, so a first-timer rarely needs more than one, if any. Anyone with a heart or other medical condition, an injury or a pregnancy should check with a doctor before race-pace training.
A block-two week, Abu Dhabi style
| Day | Session | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday | Long easy run | On a treadmill in summer, outdoors once it cools |
| Sunday | Strength A: squats, carries, sled push | After work, or earlier if the floor is busy |
| Monday | Run intervals | Steady repeats with walking recoveries |
| Tuesday | Linked session: a run, then lunges, three or four rounds | Walk straight from the treadmill to the station |
| Wednesday | Rest or an easy spin | Keep it genuinely easy |
| Thursday | Strength B: hinges, rows, burpee broad jump practice | Keep the reps clean |
| Friday | Rest | Fits around prayers and shorter Friday opening |
Habits to take into race day
- Start the first run slower than feels right. The official site says it sees people run their personal best over the first kilometre, and reminds you the race is an endurance event.
- Race in the shoes you trained in, with grip you have tested on a sled.
- Read the current rulebook for your division, so the movement standards hold no surprises.
- Practise eating and drinking the way you plan to on race day, during your longer sessions.
- If you arrive early to cheer on friends, drink plenty of water and save your energy for the start zone, as the official site advises.
First-timers at RPM
At RPM, HYROX-style sessions use the functional floor of the Mixed section, in the club on Level 4 of AD HUB Sports Complex in Al Manhal. RPM trains people for the format as an independent club, not an official HYROX partner, gym or venue. A first-timer will find the sled and its turf lane there, with kettlebells and dumbbells for carries, medicine balls and battle ropes, while the cardio area holds treadmills, cross-trainers and spin bikes.
- RPM has not confirmed a SkiErg, a rower, sandbags or a wall-ball target, so ask the team before your plan depends on any of them.
- For coaching, the roster names Asma Jamousi Zadeh in a HYROX role in the women-only Ladies section. In the Mixed section, ask the team who coaches HYROX-style sessions.
- Coached programming comes with the Engine tier, and Atelier centres on one-to-one coaching. The team confirms what each tier includes.
- Book the free guided tour at your training hour and walk from the treadmills to the turf lane.
Sources
- HYROX, The fitness race: race format and divisions
- HYROX, Prepare for HYROX: race day advice
- American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 2009
- World Health Organization. WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour, 2020
Questions, answered.
Do I need to run the full distance before I enter?
No, but running is half the race by the official site's own count, so build it steadily in block one. You can enter once you run regularly and grow the distance through the plan.
How long should I train for my first HYROX?
It depends on your running and strength today. Plan back from your race date with a coach and give each block enough weeks.
Is RPM an official HYROX gym?
No. RPM is independent: it runs HYROX-style training but is not an official HYROX partner, gym or venue.
Should my first race be Open or Doubles?
Doubles, if a training partner will share the stations with you. Open, if you want to cover every station yourself at the standard weights.