The first time you look at a HYROX race format, it reads like a lot. Eight runs, eight stations, a big arena, and a clock that does not stop. Once you see how the stations line up, the race gets a lot more trainable.
This is our station-by-station walkthrough, in race order, with what each station is, where people lose time, and one simple way to train it. Change your state.
How the race is laid out
Every HYROX race follows the same pattern: run 1 km, complete a station, run 1 km, complete the next station, and repeat until you have done 8 runs and 8 stations. That is 8 km of running plus the work in between. The stations always come in the same order, so you can train for the exact sequence.
Between the running track and the stations you move through a transition area, often called the Roxzone. Slow transitions quietly add minutes, so move through it with purpose.
Weights and a few standards change by division (Open, Pro, Doubles, Relay) and sometimes by season. Always check the current official rulebook for your division before you set training loads. The distances and order below are the part that stays consistent.
Station 1: SkiErg, 1,000 m
A standing machine where you pull two handles down from overhead. It looks like an arm exercise. It is not. The power comes from a hip hinge and a crunch, with the arms just finishing the pull.
Where people lose time: going out too hard because they feel fresh after the first run, then paying for it for the rest of the race.
How to train it: intervals like 5 x 250 m at your goal race pace with 60 seconds easy between. Practice holding a steady pace you could repeat, not a sprint.
Station 2: Sled Push, 50 m
You push a weighted sled down a turf lane, usually in shorter lengths up and back. This is the first station that really hits your legs.
Where people lose time: standing too upright, taking huge strides, and stopping a lot. Every stop means restarting a heavy sled from zero.
How to train it: stay low with long arms and a flat back, take short, fast, choppy steps, and keep the sled moving. If you do not have a sled, heavy prowler-style pushes, hill walks with a weight vest, and heavy split squats build the same engine.
Station 3: Sled Pull, 50 m
You pull a weighted sled toward you with a rope, hand over hand, then walk back and repeat until it covers the full distance.
Where people lose time: pulling with only the arms. Your grip and biceps give out fast and your heart rate spikes.
How to train it: sit into a low athletic stance and use your legs and hips to drive backward while your arms keep the rope moving. Rows, rope pulls, and backward sled drags all carry over.
Station 4: Burpee Broad Jumps, 80 m
A burpee, then a two-foot jump forward, over and over for 80 meters. This is where a lot of first races start to hurt.
Where people lose time: jumping as far as possible on every rep early on, then crawling through the back half.
How to train it: find a rhythm you can hold without stopping. A shorter, steady jump almost always beats big jumps with breaks. Add sets of 10 to 20 burpee broad jumps at the end of a run session once or twice a week.
Station 5: Rowing, 1,000 m
A standard indoor rower. Pace it well and it can feel like a reset after the burpees.
Where people lose time: high stroke rates with weak legs, which burns energy without adding speed.
How to train it: drive with the legs first, then swing the body, then pull the arms. A controlled rate with strong strokes is the goal. Practice 4 x 500 m at the pace you want on race day.
Station 6: Farmers Carry, 200 m
Pick up two kettlebells and walk 200 meters. Simple on paper, hard on the grip.
Where people lose time: putting the bells down too often and walking slowly.
How to train it: stand tall, shoulders down and back, and take quick steps. Train carries for time and distance, and add dead hangs or heavy holds to build grip.
Station 7: Sandbag Lunges, 100 m
A sandbag on your shoulders and walking lunges for 100 meters, with the back knee touching the ground on each rep.
Where people lose time: legs that are already cooked, and long rests that never really help.
How to train it: build lunge volume steadily over weeks, and practice lunges right after a run so you know what tired legs feel like. Steady short steps beat big lunges with long breaks. We go deeper on this in our first race training plan.
Station 8: Wall Balls, 100 reps
Squat with a medicine ball and throw it to a target on the wall. One hundred reps to finish your race.
Where people lose time: catching low, throwing with the arms, and resting without a plan.
How to train it: catch high, sit deep, and let the legs throw. Pick your break plan before the race starts. We broke this down in full in our wall ball tips guide.
The part nobody talks about: the runs
Eight kilometers of running is the biggest single chunk of your race time. Most people focus on the stations and forget that they have to run well when their legs are heavy. Compromised running, meaning a run right after a hard effort, is the skill that ties it all together. Pair a station with a 1 km run in training and practice settling into your pace in the first 200 meters.
How to put it all together
You do not need to train all eight stations every week. A simple week for most people building toward a first race looks like this:
- Two run sessions: one easy and longer, one with intervals at goal race pace.
- Two strength and station sessions: split the stations across them, for example sleds and carries one day, lunges and wall balls the other.
- One mixed session: alternate 1 km runs with two or three stations so you practice the actual race rhythm.
Where to start
If you want a plan that lays this out for you, grab our free 2-week Hybrid Race Starter Plan. It maps out your first two weeks of runs, stations, and strength.
Ready for a full build to race day? Hybrid Race Prep (8 Weeks) walks you through every station with progression built in. Want a coach in your corner with weekly check-ins? Look at Founding 1:1 Hybrid Coaching.
Know the stations. Train the order. Run well between them. That is how a first race becomes a plan you can execute.
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.