It’s almost the most wonderful time of year: HYROX season.
If you’re new to HYROX, there is a lot of information out there. It gets overwhelming fast, and it’s hard to know whose advice to follow or where to even start.
So here’s the first thing I want you to know: your first race doesn’t have to be your best race. It just has to be your first.
There’s always a prep before the race prep
If you have a HYROX race on the calendar for 2027, you’re probably 16–24 weeks out from race day. And you’re probably tempted to start hammering race simulations and HIIT workouts disguised as “race training.”
Not yet.
Formal race prep usually kicks off about 12 weeks out. Everything before that is your chance to build a base that won’t break: mastering the basics, building your engine, and conditioning both your body and your mind. You don’t need to be race-ready four to six months out. You need to build the fitness that will get you there.
Where to focus if your race is 16+ weeks away
1. Running. Every HYROX race includes eight kilometers of running, one between each station. Build your aerobic base and your speed with a mix of easy runs, intervals, and track workouts. (And yes, your easy runs should actually feel easy.)
2. Strength. Get strong through the basics. Focus on compound lifts: squats, deadlifts, overhead presses, rows, and loaded carries. Strength is what keeps you moving well when the sleds get heavy and your legs are tired.
3. Technique. Practice movement quality on all eight stations: SkiErg, sled push, sled pull, burpee broad jumps, rowing, farmers carry, sandbag lunges, and wall balls. Learn how to move through each one efficiently and effectively. Good technique is free speed on race day.
Stop making every workout hard
This is the one people struggle with most. Hard workouts feel productive. But if every session leaves you wrecked, you aren’t building capacity, you’re just piling up fatigue.
Build your capacity. Prioritize running. Keep strength training. Save the race-pace suffering for when it actually counts.
Now’s the time to build the athlete. Next, you build the race.
Have a 2027 HYROX race on the calendar but don’t know where to start? Book a call and let’s build your plan together.