If you're new to HYROX, the format sounds simple.
Eight 1km runs. Eight workout stations.
But after racing HYROX multiple times, I've learned that knowing what the HYROX stations are and knowing how to actually race them are two very different things.
So rather than just listing the eight stations, I wanted to share how I personally approach each one, the mistakes I've made, and some of the things I wish I'd understood before my first race.
I'm certainly not claiming to be an expert on every station.
But these are the lessons that have helped me.
The 8 HYROX Stations
Every HYROX race follows the same basic sequence:
- 1,000m SkiErg
- 50m Sled Push
- 50m Sled Pull
- 80m Burpee Broad Jumps
- 1,000m Row
- 200m Farmers Carry
- 100m Sandbag Lunges
- 100 Wall Balls
With a 1km run before every station.
Here's how I approach them.
1. SkiErg – The Biggest Trap in HYROX
For me, the SkiErg is easily one of the biggest traps in the entire race.
You've just started. Adrenaline is high. You've probably run the first kilometre faster than planned.
Then you hit the SkiErg and start pulling like your life depends on it.
Within one run and one station, you're already in the red.
There's a running joke within a high-level group I train with that the aim is to see who can be last onto the SkiErg.
Obviously, we're exaggerating.
But there's a serious point behind it.
Look at the results from elite HYROX races and the eventual winner often isn't leading after the first run or SkiErg.
They're racing the entire race—not the first ten minutes.
I deliberately take the first run and SkiErg relatively conservatively.
On technique, I'm still learning myself. I've found accounts such as SkiErg Army useful, particularly around the hip hinge and understanding the flywheel.
My damper is generally somewhere around 3–5, although I'm still experimenting.
The biggest lesson?
Don't try to win HYROX on the SkiErg.
You can save a few seconds by absolutely smashing it.
You can lose considerably more by blowing yourself up.
2. Sled Push – Stop Before You Have To
The sled push is where the race starts getting serious.
It's also why pacing the opening run and SkiErg matters.
You don't want to arrive at the sled already huffing, puffing and wondering what you've done.
My biggest lesson with the sled push is:
Don't wait until you're exhausted before taking a break.
I generally split each length roughly in half.
When I stop, I already know how long I'm stopping for. Usually I'll count around six or seven big breaths and then go again.
That prevents a five-second break becoming 15 or 20 seconds because I'm standing there waiting until I "feel ready."
Technique matters too.
I like small, powerful steps and a low body position.
Most importantly, try to drive the sled forward rather than lifting the back of it and forcing the front into the ground.
Get low.
Keep moving.
Take controlled breaks.
Then get straight back to work.
3. Sled Pull – Find Your Rhythm
The sled pull is one of my stronger HYROX stations and one where I can usually make up some time.
My first priority is getting the sled moving.
I keep my toes behind the line, reach as far down the rope as I can, take the slack out and then stand tall, lean back and take small steps backwards.
At the beginning, the sled is furthest away and hardest to move.
Once it's moving, I want to keep that momentum for as long as possible.
I personally put the rope down beside me between pulls rather than keeping hold of it.
That gives my forearms a brief release and—provided I've laid the rope neatly—lets me walk forward cleanly without stepping over it.
One important point:
Don't let the rope pile up behind you.
It gets in your way and can ruin the rhythm of the station.
And when moving between lanes, jog.
You don't need to sprint.
But don't casually walk either.
Those seconds add up.
4. Burpee Broad Jumps – Pick a Technique and Stick to It
Probably one of the most hated HYROX stations.
The biggest thing I've learned with burpees is to decide before the race how you're going to do them.
Some athletes use a double-foot jump back.
It's fast—but it can also send your heart rate through the roof.
I personally use more of a knee-up technique.
Other athletes use a step-up variation.
There's no point choosing the fastest technique on paper if you can't maintain it for 80 metres.
The goal is rhythm.
Start at a pace you can maintain and keep moving.
For me, the best way to improve burpees isn't particularly complicated:
Do more burpees.
Practise your technique until it becomes automatic.
5. Row – A Chance to Reset
I actually look forward to the row.
By this stage I've completed the SkiErg, both sleds and the burpees.
Getting onto the rower means I'm off my feet and can mentally reset.
That doesn't mean I'm taking a break.
I'm still working.
But I don't see much value in destroying myself on the row to save a handful of seconds and then paying for it during the rest of the race.
Transitions matter here too.
I practise getting my feet into and out of the rower quickly so I'm not wasting time fighting with straps.
Once I'm going, I want everything smooth and controlled.
Legs.
Body.
Arms.
No unnecessary bouncing of the chain.
If my legs are really suffering, I may occasionally use slightly more upper body for a short period to give them a chance to recover.
Again, my damper tends to sit around 3–5.
For me, the row is about getting the work done efficiently while gathering myself for the final part of the race.
6. Farmers Carry – Get It Done
My approach to the Farmers Carry is pretty simple.
Pick up the kettlebells and go.
I don't use chalk. I race in The Rox Guys Gloves for HYROX, which give me the grip I need without spending time at the chalk station.
I don't walk the Farmers Carry either.
It's somewhere between a fast jog and a run.
For me, walking actually makes things harder because the kettlebells stay in my hands longer and my forearms eventually pay for it.
I generally try to go unbroken.
If you do need to put them down, that's fine.
Put them down.
Reset.
Pick them straight back up.
The objective is simply to get through the station efficiently.
7. Sandbag Lunges – Slow Is Smooth
By the time you reach the lunges, fatigue is becoming a major factor.
Again, pacing is everything.
There's very little benefit in smashing out the opening lunges, blowing up and then standing still.
I'd rather begin slightly slower and maintain that rhythm.
I personally use a little tap with my trailing foot as I come through.
It releases a little pressure and helps me establish a rhythm.
This is also one of those stations where preparation matters enormously.
You need to train lunges.
But on race day, don't be afraid of a pace that initially feels almost too conservative.
Slow and continuous beats fast and stopped.
8. Wall Balls – Have a Plan Before You Arrive
And finally...
100 wall balls.
This is one of the hardest HYROX stations for me.
But it's also where you know the finish line is close.
My first rule is not to rush the first rep.
I'll take a second or two, breathe, pick up the ball and make sure that first wall ball is good.
Then I settle into it.
Before the race, I normally have a target number for my opening set—perhaps 30 or 35.
But you also need a Plan B.
Maybe that's 10 sets of 10.
Maybe it's descending sets.
Whatever works for you.
The important thing is deciding before you're exhausted.
I've also learned not to stand there waiting for my breathing to completely recover.
It isn't going to.
If I break, I'll put the ball down, take five, six or seven big breaths and go again.
No negotiations with myself.
At this point in the race, it's finally okay to go somewhere dark.
You've spent the previous seven stations managing yourself.
Now you're nearly home.
If you've got 20 left and think you can only do 10, start the 10.
You might surprise yourself and finish all 20.
Bonus: Don't Forget the Roxzone
Technically, HYROX has eight stations.
But I almost think about it as nine elements:
Eight stations + the running.
And the running includes the Roxzone.
I see athletes reach the IN arch, hit their watch and immediately slow down.
But your run isn't finished.
Keep running until you reach the station.
The same applies on the way out.
Your next run doesn't begin when you cross the OUT arch.
As far as I'm concerned, it begins the second you've finished the station.
Start moving.
The Roxzone might not feel important compared with a sled push or 100 wall balls.
But over an entire race, unnecessary walking adds up.
It's one of the easiest places to lose time—and one of the easiest places to gain it.
The Biggest Lesson I've Learned About the 8 HYROX Stations
If there's one theme running through almost everything above, it's this:
Don't race any individual station. Race HYROX.
You don't get a prize for having the fastest SkiErg if you're destroyed afterwards.
You don't need to attack the opening 20 metres of lunges if you're going to spend the next 30 seconds standing still.
And you don't need to beat the athlete beside you on the sled if doing so ruins the next two kilometres of your race.
HYROX is about getting from the start line to the finish line in the shortest possible time.
Sometimes that means pushing.
Sometimes it means holding back.
The better I've become at understanding that difference, the better I've become at racing HYROX.
Behind The Rox Guys
A lot of what we're building at The Rox Guys comes directly from racing and training ourselves.
Our Half Finger Gloves for HYROX were designed around stations where grip matters—from the Ski Erg, Sled Pull and Farmers Carry through to those final Wall Balls.
We're also continuing development of our next-generation Full Finger Gloves for HYROX and our upcoming Compression & Performance Socks for HYROX.
As always, we're taking our time.
We'd rather create products athletes trust on race day than rush something to market.
Continue Your HYROX Journey
If you're preparing for your next race, you might find these useful.
🧤 Shop Our Gloves for HYROX
→ Link: https://www.theroxguys.com
📏 Find Your Perfect Glove Size
→ theroxguys.com/pages/glvz-size-guide
📷 Follow The Rox Guys on Instagram
→ https://www.instagram.com/theroxguys
🎥 Watch our YouTube Channel
→ https://www.youtube.com/@TheRoxGuys
Thanks for reading.
Every week I'll share the biggest ideas, lessons and conversations shaping my thinking around HYROX—so hopefully you can spend less time trying to consume everything yourself and more time training.
If you enjoyed this week's blog, I'd really appreciate it if you shared it with a training partner or someone preparing for their next HYROX race.
See you next week.
- Ruairi
Featured Athletes
Hannah Davies (@hannahdavies_fitness), Kellie Lei Lowry (@kellyleiiii97), Mal Sawm (@malsawm_), Sean Clancy (@seanclancy_ko8), Jessica Brady (@jessicabradyfit), Kalern Thomas (@kalernthomas2)
Photography: Chris Kamau (@chris_k_wanjau)