Signed up for your first Hyrox - or thinking about it? Good. It's one of the most honest tests of all-round fitness there is: eight 1 km runs, each followed by a functional workout station. No hiding behind one strength. You have to lift heavy and run far. Here's how to train for it without overcomplicating things.

First, what actually is Hyrox?

Hyrox is a fitness race held in indoor arenas around the world. The format is always the same: you run 1 km, complete one workout station, then repeat until you've done eight runs and eight stations. That consistency is a gift - you can train the exact race you'll run.

The one rule that matters: train both engines

The most common beginner mistake is being good at only one thing. Strong lifters gas out on the runs; runners crumble at the sleds. Your job is to build a body that can do both on the same day - which means pairing strength work and running in the same week, and sometimes the same session.

A simple weekly structure

  • 2 runs - one easy 5 km to build your aerobic base, one interval session (e.g. 6 x 400 m) for speed.
  • 2 strength sessions - full-body, focused on the patterns Hyrox tests: squats, lunges, hinges, carries and presses.
  • 1 compromised-running session - alternate 1 km runs with a station movement (wall balls, burpees, lunges). This is the session that wins races.

Three to four days a week is plenty to finish your first race strong. Consistency beats heroics.

Respect the eight stations

The stations are where most first-timers lose time: SkiErg, sled push, sled pull, burpee broad jumps, rowing, farmers carry, sandbag lunges and wall balls. You don't need to master all of them - but practise the sled and the wall balls especially. They hurt the most and they're the most trainable.

Dial in your kit

Race day is long and sweaty. Wear something light, breathable and chafe-free that moves from the run to the floor - a relaxed training tee or tank up top, and kit you trust on your legs. Save the new shoes and untested gear for another day. Find pieces built for exactly this in our men's and women's ranges.

Race week

Drop the volume, keep a little intensity, sleep, and eat normally. Walk the venue if you can, learn the station order, and start the first run slower than feels right - you'll thank yourself at station six.

Your first Hyrox isn't about a perfect time. It's about proving you can do both. Train both engines, respect the stations, and show up. Kit up and go.