All 8 HYROX Stations Explained: Technique & Pacing for Each

If you have signed up for your first HYROX, the single most useful thing you can do is learn exactly what is coming — in order — and how to pace each piece. HYROX rewards the athlete who never blows up, not the one who attacks every station. This guide walks through all eight HYROX stations in race order, with what each one is, the mistake almost everyone makes, a technique cue, and a pacing tip so you arrive at the finish with something left.

The HYROX format: 8 runs, 8 stations, in order

A HYROX race is always the same: eight 1 km runs, each followed by one functional station. You run a kilometre, complete a station, run another kilometre, complete the next station, and repeat until the Wall Balls send you to the finish line. That is 8 km of running broken into eight chunks, with a hard functional effort wedged between each one.

The station order never changes. Memorise it — knowing what is next lets you pace the run into it and recover on the run out of it.

#	Station	Distance / Reps
1	SkiErg	1,000 m
2	Sled Push	50 m
3	Sled Pull	50 m
4	Burpee Broad Jump	80 m
5	Rowing	1,000 m
6	Farmers Carry	200 m
7	Sandbag Lunges	100 m
8	Wall Balls	100 reps

Each station is preceded by a 1 km run, and a short “roxzone” transition connects the run lane to the station and back. Those transitions are part of your time — walking them slowly is one of the quietest ways to lose minutes.

Station 1: SkiErg

What it is: 1,000 m on the SkiErg, a standing cable machine you pull down with both arms. It is the first station you hit, straight off the opening run.

Common mistake: Going out far too hard because you feel fresh. The SkiErg is mostly upper body and core — empty the tank here and your arms are flooded for the sleds that follow.

Technique cue: Drive with your hips and lats, not just your arms. Hinge at the waist as you pull down, snap the handles to your hips, then stand tall on the recovery. Let the bodyweight do the work.

Pacing tip: Settle into a controlled, repeatable stroke rate. This is a rhythm station, not a sprint. You want to step off the SkiErg breathing hard but in control, ready for the run to the sleds.

Station 2: Sled Push

What it is: Push a loaded sled 50 m, broken into four 12.5 m lengths up and back. This is where many first-timers’ races fall apart.

Common mistake: Standing too upright and trying to muscle it with your arms. The sled barely moves, your heart rate explodes, and the run afterwards becomes a walk.

Technique cue: Get low. Long arms, straight back, body at roughly a 45-degree angle, and drive through the balls of your feet with short, powerful steps — like a sprinter pushing a car. Keep contact and keep it moving rather than stopping and restarting.

Pacing tip: This is the biggest cardiovascular spike in the race. Break it into planned segments and take a couple of deep breaths at each turn if you need to. The goal is to protect the run that follows — a sled push that leaves you unable to run costs more time than the sled itself.

Station 3: Sled Pull

What it is: Pull a loaded sled 50 m toward you using a rope, hand over hand, from inside a marked box.

Common mistake: Standing tall and pulling with the arms and lower back only, then chasing the rope as it piles up at your feet.

Technique cue: Sit your hips back into a low, athletic stance and pull hand over hand using your bodyweight as a counterbalance. Take big bites of rope. Reset your feet and keep the rope clear so it doesn’t tangle.

Pacing tip: Your arms are already taxed from the SkiErg and sled push, so this is a grip and back-endurance test. Steady, big pulls beat frantic short ones. Recover your breathing on the way out — Burpee Broad Jumps are next, and they punish a flooded engine.

Station 4: Burpee Broad Jump

What it is: 80 m of burpees where each rep ends in a forward broad jump, covering ground as you go.

Common mistake: Exploding into huge, high jumps early. It looks impressive and it drains you completely — your heart rate spikes and you stall halfway down the lane.

Technique cue: Keep the burpee low and efficient — chest to floor, step or hop up, then a controlled jump forward. Make the jump cover distance, not height. Smooth and low beats big and bouncy.

Pacing tip: This is a grind, not a sprint. Find a steady, almost mechanical rhythm you can hold for the full 80 m without stopping. Steady reps with no breaks will out-pace anyone who sprints, stalls, and rests.

Station 5: Rowing

What it is: 1,000 m on the rowing erg. It sits right in the middle of the race, so it is both a station and a chance to find your breath.

Common mistake: Treating it as a rest and drifting, or going the opposite way and redlining into the back half of the race.

Technique cue: Drive with the legs first, then swing the body back, then pull with the arms — legs, body, arms — and reverse that order on the recovery. Long, powerful strokes at a moderate stroke rate move the most distance per pull.

Pacing tip: Row at a strong but sustainable pace and use the rhythm to bring your breathing back under control. You still have the carry, the lunges, and 100 wall balls to come — leave the hero pace for the rowers who are not racing eight stations.

Station 6: Farmers Carry

What it is: Carry a heavy kettlebell in each hand for 200 m — the longest single station distance in the race.

Common mistake: Dropping the bells too often. Every time you set them down you have to pick them up again, which is taxing and slow. Many athletes also let their grip, not their legs, set the pace.

Technique cue: Stand tall, brace your core, pull your shoulders back, and walk with purposeful, quick steps. Grip the handles firmly and keep the bells from swinging.

Pacing tip: Aim to carry the whole 200 m unbroken if your grip allows — even one fewer drop saves real time. If you must set down, plan the spot in advance, take a few breaths, and pick straight back up. Your grip will be tired from the sled pull, so a strong grip built in training pays off directly here.

Station 7: Sandbag Lunges

What it is: 100 m of walking lunges with a sandbag across your shoulders.

Common mistake: Going too fast early on legs that are already cooked from 6 km of running, two sleds, and a carry. Athletes also rush their depth and risk a no-rep or a stumble.

Technique cue: Settle the sandbag high on your shoulders and traps so it doesn’t slide. Take controlled lunges, tap the back knee gently to the ground, and drive up through the front heel. Keep your torso upright.

Pacing tip: This is a leg-endurance test at the worst possible moment. Find a steady, unbroken rhythm rather than charging and stopping. Smooth, continuous lunges keep your heart rate manageable for the final push — and the Wall Balls are waiting.

Station 8: Wall Balls

What it is: 100 wall balls — squat with the ball, then throw it to hit a target overhead, and catch it on the way down. This is the final station, and it is where races are won, lost, and survived.

Common mistake: Attacking all 100 in big sets straight off tired legs, then hitting a wall, racking up no-reps for missing the target or depth, and grinding to a near stop.

Technique cue: Use your legs, not your arms. Drop into a full squat, then drive up explosively and use that momentum to throw the ball to the target — let your legs do the throwing. Catch it soft and ride it straight back down into the next squat.

Pacing tip: Break the 100 into planned sets from the very first rep — for example 10 sets of 10, or sets of 15 to 20 with short, deliberate breaks. Small planned rests are far faster than going to failure and standing there gasping. Every rep must hit depth and target, or it does not count, so consistency beats speed.

Where people blow up — and how to avoid it

Three stations end more first-timer races than the rest combined:

• Sled Push (Station 2): The earliest and biggest heart-rate spike. Go too hard and the run afterwards becomes a walk you never recover from. Stay low, drive with your legs, and protect the next run.
• Sandbag Lunges (Station 7): Arrives when your legs are already empty. Many athletes simply cannot keep moving here. Train lunges to fatigue so this distance feels familiar.
• Wall Balls (Station 8): 100 reps with nothing left in the tank. Going unbroken early almost always backfires. Plan your sets before you pick up the ball.

The thread connecting all three: pace for the whole race, not the station in front of you. The athlete who never fully blows up almost always beats the athlete who attacks and recovers, attacks and recovers.

How your training should map to the stations

Once you know what each station demands, your training writes itself. A few principles:

• Run more than you think you need to. Half the race is running, and your run splits decay fast once fatigue sets in. Build a strong, repeatable 1 km pace and practise running after hard efforts.
• Train the stations under fatigue, not fresh. A 20 kg sandbag at kilometre seven is a different animal than a fresh set on a Tuesday. Run first, then hit the station, so your body learns the real stimulus.
• Practise transitions and pacing. Run-to-station and station-to-run changeovers are where free time hides. Rehearse stepping off a run straight into a station so race day feels familiar.
• Build grip and leg endurance specifically. The sled pull, farmers carry, and lunges all stack demands on the same systems. Train them so they hold up late in the race.
• Know your loads. Every station except the SkiErg, rowing, and burpees is weighted, and the loads change by division. Our HYROX Weights Guide lists the official numbers for every division so you can train at the right weight at the right time.

The single biggest mistake is training each station in isolation while neglecting the running and the fatigue that ties them all together. A good programme builds the runs, the stations, and the ability to do both when tired — in the right proportions and the right order.

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Knowing the stations is step one. Training for them in the right order, at the right loads, and under realistic fatigue is what actually gets you to the finish line. Our free 8-week HYROX plan for beginners maps every one of these stations into a structured build, and Hybrid Training Plan creates a personalised programme around your fitness level, available equipment, and target finish time. Start your HYROX plan today — the first 8 weeks are free, no credit card required.