HYROX is an indoor fitness race. You run 1 km, complete one workout station, and repeat that eight times: 8 km of running and eight stations, in the same order and at the same weights at every HYROX race in the world. That fixed format is the point: your time compares directly with everyone else who has ever raced it, in your division and age group.
It started in Hamburg, Germany, and it has grown fast in Australia: HYROX Perth in August 2026 was forecast to draw 11,000 competitors, and HYROX Melbourne is on 9 to 13 December. Below: how a race works, all eight stations with their weights, the divisions, every Australian race this season, how long it takes and how to start training.
- Format: 8 × (1 km run + 1 workout station)
- Total: 8 km of running and 8 stations, same order everywhere
- Divisions: Open, Pro, Doubles, Relay (plus Adaptive)
- Average finish: about 1:35 for men and 1:50 for women (HyroxDataLab, 700,000+ results)
- Next in Australia: HYROX Melbourne, 9–13 December 2026
- Rules: HYROX Season 26/27 rulebook
How a HYROX race works
Every race is the same workout: run 1, station 1, run 2, station 2, and so on until the wall balls. You can’t skip or reorder anything, and racers start in waves by division, so you’re always on the course with people racing the same weights. The transition area between the running track and the stations is called the Roxzone.
Results are ranked from fastest to slowest in each division, overall and by age group, according to the HYROX 26/27 rulebook. HYROX is based on an idea by co-founder Christian Toetzke; the race was designed by Mintra Tilly, who also wrote the rulebook. The company launched in Hamburg in 2017 and held its first race there in 2018 (Wikipedia).
The 8 HYROX stations, in order
These are the Open division loads, the standard division and where most first-timers start. Each station comes straight after a 1 km run.
| Station | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|
| SkiErg | 1,000 m | 1,000 m |
| Sled push, 50 m | 102 kg | 152 kg |
| Sled pull, 50 m | 78 kg | 103 kg |
| Burpee broad jumps | 80 m | 80 m |
| Rowing | 1,000 m | 1,000 m |
| Farmers carry, 200 m | 2 × 16 kg | 2 × 24 kg |
| Sandbag lunges, 100 m | 10 kg | 20 kg |
| Wall balls, 100 reps | 4 kg | 6 kg |
HYROX divisions: Open, Pro, Doubles and Relay
- Open: the standard weights above, built for racing a finish time rather than a podium.
- Pro: heavier. Women Pro race the men’s Open weights; Men Pro race the heaviest loads, including a 202 kg sled push and a 9 kg wall ball.
- Doubles: two partners. Both run every 1 km together (8 km each) and complete the stations as a team. There are Women, Men, Mixed and Pro doubles; Mixed uses the men’s Open weights.
- Relay: a team of four. Each member runs two of the 1 km legs and completes two stations, and the team decides who takes which.
- Adaptive: divisions for athletes with physical impairments, with their own rulebook.
Not sure which to pick? Doubles is the gentlest way into a first race, and the full weights table shows exactly what each division asks of you.
HYROX in Australia: 2026–27 races
| Race | Dates | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney | 1–5 July 2026 | Done |
| Perth | 21–23 August 2026 | Done (11,000 forecast) |
| Melbourne | 9–13 December 2026 | Next |
| Auckland (NZ) | 21–24 January 2027 | Upcoming |
| Brisbane | 31 March – 4 April 2027 | Upcoming (provisional) |
Tickets for every race are sold through HYROX. Melbourne is the big one this summer: our HYROX Melbourne 2026 guide has the day-by-day start waves, the venue and spectator tickets.
How long does HYROX take?
Most people take between an hour and a half and two hours. Across more than 700,000 results, the average finish is about 1:35 for men and 1:50 for women, according to HyroxDataLab. The fastest racers in the world finish in under an hour. The sleds are where first-timers lose the most time, which is why a strong runner with weak sled technique can still lose minutes.
Is HYROX hard? Who it suits
HYROX has no Olympic lifts, gymnastics or surprise workouts, so the skill barrier is low: if you can run 5 km and you already do some strength training, you can finish one. What makes it hard is the stacking: every station arrives on legs that have just run, and every run arrives on legs that have just pushed, pulled or lunged.
Undertraining is a real risk, not just a slow day. Seven competitors were hospitalised at HYROX Perth in 2026, and one doubles racer left his unconscious partner on the course. Build up first, and race your first one in Open or Doubles.
How to start training for HYROX
- How to build a HYROX training program: the four things every plan needs.
- Our free 8-week HYROX training plan for a first race, with a PDF to download.
- The full HYROX workout, plus a version for a gym without a sled.
- Every station explained, with the rules that cost people time.
- HYROX vs CrossFit, if you’re choosing between them.
HYROX FAQ
What is HYROX?
An indoor fitness race: eight 1 km runs, each followed by a workout station, in the same order and at the same weights at every race worldwide.
How long is a HYROX race?
8 km of running plus eight stations. The average finish is about 1:35 for men and 1:50 for women (HyroxDataLab).
How heavy is the HYROX sled push?
In Open it’s 102 kg for women and 152 kg for men, including the sled. Women Pro push 152 kg and Men Pro 202 kg.
What’s the difference between HYROX Open and Pro?
The same race with heavier weights. Women Pro race the men’s Open weights; Men Pro race the heaviest loads.
When is HYROX Melbourne 2026?
Wednesday 9 to Sunday 13 December 2026, at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Full guide.
Where is HYROX held in Australia?
In the 2026–27 season: Sydney (July), Perth (August), Melbourne (December) and Brisbane (March–April 2027), plus Auckland across the Tasman in January.
