I'm Signing Up for My First HYROX Competition Here's What You Should Know

You’ve seen the “HYROX crew” at the gym—dragging sleds, racing between machines, and talking about their next race city like it's a music tour. And if your social feed is anything like mine lately, HYROX tips and sweaty post-race selfies are hard to miss.

So… I signed up. Yep, I’m doing my first HYROX competition. Here’s what I’ve learned, why I’m excited (and a little nervous), and what you should know if you’re thinking of joining the world’s fastest-growing fitness race.

What Is HYROX?

HYROX is a global fitness competition built around a straightforward, yet brutal, structure: 1K run + 1 functional workout = 1 round. Repeat that eight times.

It’s the perfect storm of endurance and strength. You’ll run 8 kilometers total and complete 8 functional workout stations in between those runs. You can compete solo, in pairs (Doubles), in teams of 4 (Relay), or level up with heavier weights in the Pro division.

It’s not just for elite athletes either. That’s part of the magic. The movements are accessible, the format is always the same, and you can train specifically for it, no matter your background.

Why I’m Doing It

I love a challenge that blends structure and grit. There’s something so motivating about knowing exactly what to expect and seeing how far you can push yourself against a clock. Plus, I’ve been craving a goal to train toward—not just fitness for the sake of it, but a real test.

The HYROX Format (AKA What I’ve Signed Up For 😅)

Here’s a quick breakdown of what I’ll be tackling:

1K Run

1K Ski Erg – Upper body & core burner

50m Sled Push – Heavy and humbling

50m Sled Pull – Fatigue is real here

80m Burpee Broad Jump – Cardio + coordination chaos

1K Row – Breathe and grind

200m Farmers Carry – Grip. Is. Everything.

100m Sandbag Lunge – Quads will scream

100 Wall Balls – Leave it all on the floor

It’s brutal, but there’s something empowering about knowing it’s the same format globally. You can train for it precisely. There’s no guesswork—just effort.

How I’m Training

I’m currently building my base:

Zone 2 runs for endurance

Intervals to simulate race-day effort

Functional strength workouts that mimic each HYROX station

Grip strength and core (because everything seems to come down to these)

One key lesson: train under fatigue. It's not enough to row or push a sled—you need to do it after a run or after burpees. That’s where the magic (and suffering) lives.

What’s Great About HYROX You know exactly what you’re getting—it’s predictable, so progress is trackable.

You don’t need to be a CrossFit athlete—no Olympic lifts or complex gymnastics.

It’s scalable—choose Open, Doubles, Pro, or Relay.

There’s a real community vibe—it’s competitive, but supportive.

It gives your workouts purpose—training becomes intentional.

Final Thoughts

Signing up for my first HYROX feels like signing a contract with my future self. It’s a commitment—to show up, to push hard, to grow. Whether I place or just finish, I know the process is going to make me stronger in every sense of the word.

So if you’re on the fence: go for it. Worst case? You find out what you're made of. Best case? You fall in love with a new kind of challenge.