The 8 HYROX Stations Explained: Weights, Order, and Technique
The Complete HYROX Guide · India
Every HYROX race follows the same core format. Eight one-kilometre run segments and eight workout stations in a fixed order. Venue layouts can vary, but the race structure stays the same, which is why you can prepare for exactly what is coming.
This page explains all eight stations, their official weights, and what each one actually demands. Every station links to a full technique guide. Together they make up the most complete HYROX resource written for Indian athletes, from a coach who has raced the format.
The order never changes: run, SkiErg, run, sled push, run, sled pull, run, burpee broad jumps, run, row, run, farmers carry, run, sandbag lunges, run, wall balls, finish.
The Ninth Discipline Nobody Counts
Athletes talk about the eight stations. The truth is there are nine disciplines, and the one everybody underestimates is the running. Eight kilometres, half the clock, and once you include the Roxzone transitions you are actually covering closer to nine kilometres.
HYROX is a running race with stations attached, not a strength event with some jogging between lifts. Train it that way and everything else becomes easier.
The 8 HYROX Stations, In Order
Each card below links to a complete guide with technique, official weights, pacing, common mistakes, and how to train that station in a normal Indian gym.
01 SkiErgThe first station, when your arms are fresh and the temptation to attack is strongest. Power comes from a hip hinge and your lats, not from pulling with the arms. Coaching recommendation: start around damper 5 to 6 and adjust to your technique.
Key insight: hinge, do not squat. Squatting the ski drains the running legs you need for the next 7 km. 02 Sled PushThe heaviest thing your legs meet all day, and the station with one of the widest time spreads. Roughly 80 percent legs and core, not arms.
Key insight: the race carpet is far more resistant than gym flooring. The same sled feels dramatically heavier on race day. 03 Sled PullThe most technical station in the sport. Lighter than the push, yet most athletes take about two minutes longer. Two people of equal strength can be minutes apart here.
Key insight: momentum does not help you. It is reps, not a continuous drive. And you must stay standing throughout. 04 Burpee Broad JumpsThe great equaliser. The only station where every division faces identical standards. Roughly 40 to 60 reps depending on how far you jump.
Key insight: the step-up method is legal and used by elite athletes to keep heart rate down. Overjumping early ends races. 05 RowingThe only real breath you take all race. Every division rows the same distance. Legs, then hips, then arms, and reverse on the recovery. Coaching recommendation: most athletes do well around damper 4 to 6, depending on size, rhythm, and power.
Key insight: rowing 15 to 20 seconds slower than your maximum costs almost nothing and saves your final three kilometres. 06 Farmers CarryThe simplest station, and one of the most deceptive. Usually the fastest to complete, with the narrowest spread of times in the whole race.
Key insight: posture, not grip, is the real limiter. When the shoulders round, the hands fail faster. 07 Sandbag LungesThe station that asks most of your legs, at exactly the point they have least to give. The trailing knee must clearly touch the ground on every rep.
Key insight: the data says attack these, do not pace them. Lunge speed has almost no effect on how you run afterwards. 08 Wall BallsThe final station, and the widest time gap in the race. Three to four minutes separate elite athletes from recreational ones. Then you sprint to the finish. Digital screens may help display reps, but the official standard is still the judge, correct movement, and contact with the correct physical target.
Key insight: decided by rhythm, not strength. Plan your sets before you pick up the ball.HYROX Weights by Division
A single reference for every station. Weights change by season, so always confirm against the official HYROX rulebook before race week.
| Station | Women Open | Men Open | Women Pro | Men Pro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sled Push | 102 kg | 152 kg | 152 kg | 202 kg |
| Sled Pull | 78 kg | 103 kg | 103 kg | 153 kg |
| Farmers Carry | 2 x 16 kg | 2 x 24 kg | 2 x 24 kg | 2 x 32 kg |
| Sandbag Lunges | 10 kg | 20 kg | 20 kg | 30 kg |
| Wall Balls | 4 kg | 6 kg | 6 kg | 9 kg |
Sled weights include the sled itself. The SkiErg, rowing, and burpee broad jumps carry no external load and are identical for every division. Wall ball target height is set by gender rather than division: 2.70 m for all women, 3.00 m for all men.
Three Things That Connect Every Station
Read the eight guides in isolation and you learn eight techniques. Read them together and three patterns emerge that change how you race.
Grip is a shared budget
The sled pull, the rowing, the farmers carry, and even holding the sandbag in place all draw on the same forearms and hands. What you spend at station 3 is not available at station 6. Athletes are regularly surprised when their grip, not their legs, fails during the sandbag lunges. Choose techniques that spend grip carefully.
Fatigue compounds across sixteen segments
Going too hard on an early station does not just slow that station. It slows the run that follows, which compromises the next station, and so on to the finish. Your run pace and your station pace are one problem, not two. This is why the SkiErg and the sled push ruin so many races that felt fine at kilometre two.
Train tired, not fresh
Every station feels manageable when you are rested. The race never lets you meet one that way. Compromised training, doing a station immediately after a hard run, is the single most valuable and most neglected session in HYROX preparation.
Where to Start
If this is your first HYROX, do not begin with the stations. Begin with the plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the 8 HYROX stations?
In order: SkiErg 1000 m, sled push 50 m, sled pull 50 m, burpee broad jumps 80 m, rowing 1000 m, farmers carry 200 m, sandbag lunges 100 m, and 100 wall balls. Each is preceded by a 1 km run. The station order is fixed at every HYROX race worldwide.
How long is a HYROX race?
Eight kilometres of running plus eight workout stations. Most well-prepared first-timers finish somewhere between 1 hour 30 and 2 hours. Counting the Roxzone transitions, you cover closer to nine kilometres of running in total.
Which HYROX station is the hardest?
It depends on the athlete, but the sled push has the heaviest load and the widest time spread, while the wall balls have the largest gap between elite and recreational athletes, often three to four minutes. The sled pull is the most technical, and the sandbag lunges ask the most of already tired legs.
Do the HYROX stations change between races?
The eight stations, their order, and the station distances are fixed at every HYROX event worldwide. Only the weights change by division. Run segments can vary slightly with venue layout, and any deviation is offset within the course. That consistency is what makes it possible to train for exactly what is coming.
Which HYROX stations have no weight?
The SkiErg, the rowing, and the burpee broad jumps. Every division faces identical standards on these three. The burpee broad jump is often called the great equaliser for exactly this reason.
Can I train for HYROX without a sled or SkiErg?
Yes. A rower and battle ropes substitute for the SkiErg, treadmill pushes and heavy leg work for the sled push, banded or cable pulls for the sled pull, and dumbbells or a loaded bag for the carries and lunges. Each station guide explains the substitutes in detail.
Is HYROX more about running or strength?
Running. Eight kilometres is half the race distance and roughly half the finish time. Strong athletes with weak running engines consistently underperform. Train the running first and the stations become manageable.
About the Coach
Niraj Kumar Borah
Founder and head coach of Fitness Bootcamp, a premium residential health transformation program based in Rishikesh. Since 2020 he has guided more than 4,600 guests through structured, fully supported transformations.
He is a HYROX Academy Level 1 certified coach, a Precision Nutrition and Bioforce Conditioning coach, and a VDOT certified running coach. He races HYROX himself. At HYROX Bengaluru 2026 he placed 25th in the 35 to 39 age group, finishing the Doubles in 1:24:59. As a competitive triathlete he has raced the Qatar T100, IRONMAN 5150 Chennai, and the TCS World 10K Bengaluru.
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Message the team on WhatsAppThis is general training guidance for healthy adults. Weights and standards can change by season, so always confirm against the official HYROX rulebook before your race. If you have a health condition or an injury, speak with your doctor before starting a new training plan.
