The sled pull is the third station of a HYROX race, and it is where a lot of first-time racers lose minutes. It comes right after the sled push, your legs are already loaded, and your grip is about to get tested. The good news: sled pull technique is very learnable. Most of the time people lose here comes from three things. Pulling with their arms, fighting slack in the rope, and tripping over the rope pile. Fix those and the station gets a lot faster.
Here is how we teach the HYROX sled pull to athletes getting ready for their first race.
What the HYROX sled pull asks of you
You pull a weighted sled 50 meters in total, split into four lengths of 12.5 meters. You stand in a marked area at one end of your lane, called the Racers Box, and pull the sled toward you with a rope. Once the whole sled crosses the line, you run to the other end of the lane and pull it back. Four lengths and you are done.
The load depends on your division, and the race floor can feel grippy or slow depending on the venue. Check the current official HYROX rulebook for your division's weight before you set your training numbers.
The rules that cost people time
Penalties on this station are almost always avoidable. Based on the current rulebook, the big ones are:
- Stay in the box. You have to stay inside the Racers Box while holding the rope. Stepping on the front or back line while you pull can earn a warning and then time penalties.
- Stay standing. No sitting or kneeling to pull.
- The whole sled crosses the line. Do not drop the rope and run until the entire sled is past the 12.5 meter mark.
- Keep the rope in your lane. It can trail out the back, but it cannot get in a neighbor's way.
Set up like a deadlift
Every good pull starts from the same position. Feet about hip width, knees bent, hips back, chest up, arms long. From here, your legs and hips do the heavy work and your arms just connect you to the rope.
Before you pull hard, take the slack out. Race ropes have some stretch in them, and if you yank on a loose rope you waste the first part of every pull. Pull hand over hand until you feel the weight of the sled, then go.
Three ways to pull the sled
There is no single right sled pull technique. Most strong racers mix these three depending on how heavy the sled feels.
1. Hand over hand
You stay roughly in place and pull the rope in with quick, short arm pulls. It is fast when the sled feels light, but it puts all the work on your grip, biceps and upper back. For most people at race weight, pure hand over hand burns out the arms well before the last length.
2. Hip drive
Start hinged with your arms long. Drive your feet into the floor and snap your hips forward as you pull, the same feeling as the top of a kettlebell swing. Your arms finish the pull, then you reach forward, grab the rope and repeat. Each pull moves the sled further, so you need fewer of them.
3. Walk back
Grab the rope, keep your arms mostly straight, lean back and take short steps backward so your body weight moves the sled. When you reach the back of the Racers Box, walk forward, regrip and go again. This takes the most pressure off your arms, which is why a lot of racers use it when the sled is heavy.
A common combination: hip drive to break the sled loose, walk back while it has momentum, then short hand over hand pulls near the back line so you do not step on it.
Rope management
This is the part nobody practices and everyone pays for. As you pull, the rope piles up around your feet. Step on it, catch a shoe in it or get tangled when you turn to run, and you lose seconds on every length.
- Pull the rope to one side of your body and let it fall there, not straight under your feet.
- Before you run to the other end, check that your feet are clear of the pile.
- In training, practice pulling and stacking the rope in the same motion so it becomes automatic.
Pacing the station
The sled pull comes after the third 1 km run and right after the sled push. Your legs will not feel fresh. Do not sprint the first length and hang on for the last three. Pick a pull rhythm you can keep for all four lengths, and use the short run between ends to breathe and reset your grip.
If you want to see where the sled pull sits in the whole race, read our walkthrough of all 8 HYROX stations in race order.
How to train the sled pull
You do not need a race sled every session to get better at this station. Here is what we build into a typical training week:
- Sled pull practice, once a week. If your gym has a sled and a rope, do 4 to 6 lengths of 12.5 meters at a load you can move with good form. Practice all three techniques and notice which one feels fastest for you.
- Posterior chain strength. Romanian deadlifts, kettlebell swings and hip thrusts build the hip drive that moves a heavy sled.
- Grip and upper back. Farmers carries, dead hangs and rows help your grip last through four lengths, and through the farmers carry later in the race.
- Run plus pull. Once you have the basics, do a 1 km run straight into your sled work. Race day will never let you pull on fresh legs, so do not always train that way.
No sled? Use a cable machine or a resistance band anchored to something solid for hand over hand and hip drive drills. It builds the pattern until you can get on a real sled.
Common sled pull mistakes
- Pulling with straight legs and a rounded back, so the arms do all the work.
- Starting each pull with slack in the rope.
- Letting the rope pile up under your feet.
- Sprinting the first length and fading on the last one.
Where to start
New to hybrid racing? Grab our free 2-week Hybrid Race Starter Plan. It lays out your first two weeks of runs, stations and strength, sled work included.
Want the full build to race day? Hybrid Race Prep (8 Weeks) takes you through every station with progression built in. Prefer to train on your own schedule with fresh programming every month? Look at Hybrid Online Programming.
Sit low, drive the hips, keep the rope clear. The sled will move. Change your state.
New State is not affiliated with HYROX®, DEKA, Spartan or any race organizer. This content is general fitness information, not medical advice. Check with a qualified professional before starting a new training program.