HYROX BASICS

Preparing for your first HYROX

PAFGYM · Updated 2026-10-21

What is HYROX?

HYROX is a fitness race that started in Germany in 2017. You run 1km and then complete one station, repeating this eight times. The stations go in the following order.

• SkiErg 1,000m
• Sled push 50m
• Sled pull 50m
• Burpee broad jump 80m
• Rowing machine 1,000m
• 200 m farmer's carry
• Sandbag lunges 100m
• Wall ball shots ×100

What should I prepare for each station?

At the Incheon race in May 2025, 12 PAFGYM trainers competed in three teams, and trainer Hwang Hyeon-u of the Seocho studio used that experience to summarize key points for each event. On the SkiErg, pull with the broad back muscles rather than the arms; on the sled push, drive with the legs from a low position. For burpee broad jumps, keep the distance short and the tempo steady; for rowing, the basic sequence is legs, trunk, then arms.

For the farmers carry, keep your upper body braced and walk at a steady pace; for sandbag lunges, keep your torso from leaning too far forward. For wall ball shots, throw straight up using the drive from standing out of the squat, and build a rhythm. There are penalties if your knee does not touch the floor in the lunge or if you do not squat deep enough on wall balls, so learn the rules in advance.

How do you train for running?

Manager Jeong Ui-seong of the Hannam studio sums up the key to HYROX running as the ability to find your own pace again even when exhausted, and hold it to the end. Training is divided into four types, and every speed is set based on your per-kilometer pace from your 10km time.

• Easy run: 60–90 seconds slower than your 10km pace, at a conversational effort for 30–60 minutes
• Threshold training: 5–15 seconds slower than 10 km pace, 4–6 reps of 1 km or 2–3 reps of 8–10 minutes
• Intervals: 10–30 seconds faster than your 10km pace, for example 6–8 sets of 600m fast and 200m easy
• Station + run: 10–15 seconds slower than your 10km pace, e.g. a 1km run, walking lunges, then another 1km run in a row

How should I divide up my week?

For beginners, three times a week is enough: one easy run, one threshold or interval session, and one station + run session. If you have plenty of running experience, you can add another easy run for four times a week.

Not every workout needs to be hard. Easy runs build base fitness, threshold runs build endurance, intervals build speed, and station + run sessions familiarize you with real race conditions. Even intervals are not all-out sprints; they are repeated at an intensity that lets you hold good form in every set.

How does PAFGYM help me prepare?

Since February 2025, PAFGYM has included competing in HYROX as an item in the trainer Career Ladder score. Drawing on trainers' own experience racing, 1:1 sessions break down station-specific strength work and running plans to match your current fitness. How it is run and which trainer is assigned may vary by studio, so please check during your consultation.