A Beginner's Guide To HYROX

If you haven't heard of it by now, then you've likely been living in a cave! Hyrox (not Hydrox) has taken the world by storm as the most popular functional fitness race that anyone and everyone can do. It consists of 8 x 1km runs, each followed by a functional fitness station such as Ski Erg, Sled Push, Farmers Carry, and more. Here's the full race format:

The Rise of Hyrox

In its infancy in 2017, Hyrox hosted its first event in Hamburg, helping 650 athletes complete their first-ever Hyrox race. Now, as I write this in August 2025, we're gearing up for the 5th season with Hyrox London Excel in November, expected to host around 40,000 athletes.

Hyrox is often compared to CrossFit, but in reality, they're very different. CrossFit competitions constantly change format to keep athletes guessing and training across multiple disciplines. In contrast, the Hyrox format stays the same, leading to more focused training and the addictive feeling of racing again to beat your previous personal best. The stations are accessible to everyone and don't require a great deal of technical ability. In our Hyrox Training Club here in Christchurch, we have an athlete over 60 and another over 70, both of whom have completed a full singles open Hyrox race. So, no excuses from your end!

Hyrox Race Categories / Divisions

Even though the race format remains the same, there are different categories, meaning there’s more than one way to complete a Hyrox race. You can tackle it solo in a singles race, with a friend in either a mixed or same-sex doubles, or even as a relay team consisting of four members.

There are also different divisions with various weight options. Open or Pro categories exist for singles and doubles male and female races, respectively. Open is the go-to with "standard" weight classes, while Pro races have heavier weights for those who want a challenge or aim to get a world championship slot. It’s important to note that anyone can enter Open or Pro—you don’t need to be a pro to enter Pro. Here's a breakdown of the weights for each category:

When signing up for a Hyrox race, consider what the entire race involves and compare that to your current abilities and fitness level. From watching dozens of races and coaching over 50 athletes to complete or compete, I can tell you that it’s not something to be underestimated. On paper, it’s one thing; executing a race is another.

Understanding Race Times

The first thing to look at is the average time it takes to complete a race for each category:

• HYROX Men – 1:35:00

• HYROX Women – 1:38:02

• HYROX Men DOUBLES – 1:19:22

• HYROX Women DOUBLES – 1:28:43

• HYROX Mixed DOUBLES – 1:25:26

• HYROX PRO Men – 1:30:41

• HYROX PRO Women – 1:31:22

  
  

According to Greg Williams' post (Hyrox commentator), you can find more about good Hyrox times here.

With this data, we can see the time duration of consistent exercise we need to get used to. This involves specifically 8.7km of running, which is the 8 x 1km runs plus the additional running you'll end up doing to and from the functional exercise stations. This is what we Hyroxers refer to as the RoxZone.

Race Layout and Navigation

Here’s an example of a race layout:

As you can see, the run lap goes anti-clockwise around the outside. Once you've completed the set number of laps needed to finish your 1km run, you then enter the RoxZone via the "in" banner. You must run inside the RoxZone to the station zone to complete the next part of the race before exiting via the out banner and onto your next 1km run.

Every Hyrox race has a slightly different layout, but you'll receive a course map before your race, allowing you to familiarize yourself with the setup. If this seems a bit confusing, don’t worry! It makes a lot more sense once you arrive and see it with your own two eyes. This is why we advise arriving at the venue 90 minutes before your designated start wave time.

Upon arrival, head straight to registration to get your athlete band. Then, familiarise yourself with the venue layout, get your carbohydrates and electrolytes down you before you head to get changed. After that, it’s time to head to bag drop and then into the warm-up area roughly 30 minutes before your start wave time.

Preparing for Race Day

I’ll write another blog post on how to prepare for a race, but for now, I hope this gives you a good overview.

So there we have it! You should now have a much better idea of what Hyrox is and what a race entails. Personally, the thing I love most about Hyrox is the feel you get on race day. It’s an adrenaline-pumping fitness festival, and what they do really well is make each and every participant feel like a superstar athlete! It’s not about being first or last; it’s about getting stuck into something that challenges you and drives you to be a better version of yourself among thousands of other like-minded and motivated individuals.

If you're looking to start preparing for a Hyrox race, either to complete or compete, we'd love to hear from you! We have a thriving Hyrox Training Club based in Christchurch, Bournemouth area, and we also coach tons of athletes online too!

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