Eight weeks is enough to prepare for a first Hyrox from a reasonable base, meaning you can already run 5km and you are familiar with a gym. Four sessions a week, one of which is the session that matters.
The weekly structure
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Session 1, easy run. 5 to 8km conversational.
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Session 2, strength. Legs and pulling. Squats or leg press, walking lunges, RDLs, rows, carries.
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Session 3, intervals. Running, typically 4 to 6 x 1km at target race pace with short recoveries.
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Session 4, compromised. Run and station alternating. This is the one that decides your race.
Weeks 1 to 2, build the base
Keep the runs easy. In the strength session, work out what your sled feels like and how heavy you can push for 50 metres. Compromised session: 4 rounds of 800m run plus one station.
Weeks 3 to 4, add load
Intervals go to 5 x 1km. Strength gets heavier, particularly lunges and sled. Compromised session: 5 rounds of 1km plus a station, using the stations you are worst at.
Start practising wall balls in planned sets now. Sets of 20, ten seconds rest, five rounds.
Weeks 5 to 6, race specificity
This is the hardest block. One compromised session should now run stations in race order, at least the first four. Add a longer easy run of 10km.
Do a half simulation in week 6: four runs and four stations in order. It will tell you more about your pacing than anything else you do.
Week 7, full simulation
Do the whole thing once, early in the week, treating it as a race. Then take the rest of the week easy. This is your last hard session.
Week 8, taper
Cut volume by roughly half. Keep intensity in short doses: a few 400m efforts, a light sled, some wall balls to stay sharp. Nothing that leaves you sore. Do not add fitness this week, you cannot, but you can definitely subtract it.
What to prioritise if you miss sessions
Keep the compromised session above everything else. Then the strength session. Easy runs are the most droppable, which feels wrong to runners and is nonetheless true.
Frequently asked
Can I do this in less than eight weeks? Six is workable if you already run regularly. Under that, consider Doubles or Relay for a first race.
What if I have no sled? Substitute heavy walking lunges and leg press, and accept the sled will be harder than expected.
Should I train the day before? No. A short shakeout jog at most.
Racing soon? Our compression tights for Hyrox use 15-20 mmHg graduated compression in a 225 GSM knit built to hold shape through sled and sandbag work, and our compression race socks run at 25-30 mmHg. Free UK delivery over £50.
An 8 Week Hyrox Training Plan for Your First Race
Eight weeks is enough to prepare for a first Hyrox from a reasonable base, meaning you can already run 5km and you are familiar with a gym. Four sessions a week, one of which is the session that matters.
The weekly structure
Weeks 1 to 2, build the base
Keep the runs easy. In the strength session, work out what your sled feels like and how heavy you can push for 50 metres. Compromised session: 4 rounds of 800m run plus one station.
Weeks 3 to 4, add load
Intervals go to 5 x 1km. Strength gets heavier, particularly lunges and sled. Compromised session: 5 rounds of 1km plus a station, using the stations you are worst at.
Start practising wall balls in planned sets now. Sets of 20, ten seconds rest, five rounds.
Weeks 5 to 6, race specificity
This is the hardest block. One compromised session should now run stations in race order, at least the first four. Add a longer easy run of 10km.
Do a half simulation in week 6: four runs and four stations in order. It will tell you more about your pacing than anything else you do.
Week 7, full simulation
Do the whole thing once, early in the week, treating it as a race. Then take the rest of the week easy. This is your last hard session.
Week 8, taper
Cut volume by roughly half. Keep intensity in short doses: a few 400m efforts, a light sled, some wall balls to stay sharp. Nothing that leaves you sore. Do not add fitness this week, you cannot, but you can definitely subtract it.
What to prioritise if you miss sessions
Keep the compromised session above everything else. Then the strength session. Easy runs are the most droppable, which feels wrong to runners and is nonetheless true.
Frequently asked
Can I do this in less than eight weeks? Six is workable if you already run regularly. Under that, consider Doubles or Relay for a first race.
What if I have no sled? Substitute heavy walking lunges and leg press, and accept the sled will be harder than expected.
Should I train the day before? No. A short shakeout jog at most.
Racing soon? Our compression tights for Hyrox use 15-20 mmHg graduated compression in a 225 GSM knit built to hold shape through sled and sandbag work, and our compression race socks run at 25-30 mmHg. Free UK delivery over £50.