Hyrox Training Plan for Runners: Beginner, 8 Weeks
Beginner track
New runner — building your first base
You are newer to running or rebuilding a base, and Hyrox is the goal. The priority is finishing strong and uninjured — consistency beats intensity.
A 50/50 build that puts the aerobic base first. We start with easy running and general strength, introduce compromised-run bricks gradually once the base is in, and add a single full simulation near the end. Generous rest is built in — you adapt on the easy days.
Eight weeks is a focused sharpening block — best if you already have a running base and some strength. Two base weeks, a build, a peak, then a simulation and race week.
This plan trains the same way whatever division you race — only your race-day target loads change. Your band (your running level) sets the training; your division sets the weights below. Station performance is uncorrelated with running fitness in the first Hyrox study (Brandt et al. 2025, a small n=11 sample) — a strong engine does not carry the stations. Train them directly.
Your race-day loads by division
| Station | Open · Men | Open · Women | Pro · Men | Pro · Women |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sled Push | 152 kg | 102 kg | 202 kg | 152 kg |
| Sled Pull | 103 kg | 78 kg | 153 kg | 103 kg |
| Farmers Carry | 2 × 24 kg | 2 × 16 kg | 2 × 32 kg | 2 × 24 kg |
| Sandbag Lunges | 20 kg | 10 kg | 30 kg | 20 kg |
| Wall Balls | 6 kg · 3 m | 4 kg · 2.7 m | 9 kg · 3 m | 6 kg · 2.7 m |
Doubles uses the same individual loads as Open — you and your partner split the reps and distance, not the weight. Train the full Open loads so race day feels lighter. Race-day standards from the HYROX Singles Rulebook 25/26. Training loads in the plan build up to these — you do not lift race weight from day one.
Training Schedule
WEEK 1
Base
| Day | Workout | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Easy Aerobic Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 5 km | Conversational Zone 2. Builds the aerobic base that decides roughly half of Hyrox — keep it genuinely easy. | |
| Day 2 | Squat Strength Back Squat 3×8 @RPE 7 · Walking Lunge 3×20 total · Core 3 x 30 s plank | Heavy back squat plus loaded lunges. The leg strength that turns the sled and wall balls from a wall into a station. | |
| Day 3 | Rest | ||
| Day 4 | Easy Aerobic Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 5 km | Conversational Zone 2. Builds the aerobic base that decides roughly half of Hyrox — keep it genuinely easy. | |
| Day 5 | Station Skills Circuit Wall Balls 3 x 15 @4 kg · Burpee Broad Jumps 3 x 8 · Sandbag Lunges 40 m @10 kg | Drill wall balls, burpees and lunges for clean reps. Standards (depth, full reps) are practised here, not on race day. | |
| Day 6 | Rest | ||
| Day 7 | Long Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 8 km | Steady aerobic distance. Your weekly endurance anchor — run by feel, not pace. |
WEEK 2
Base
| Day | Workout | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Easy Aerobic Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 5 km | Conversational Zone 2. Builds the aerobic base that decides roughly half of Hyrox — keep it genuinely easy. | |
| Day 2 | Deadlift Strength Deadlift 3×6 @RPE 7 · Romanian Deadlift 3×10 · Loaded Carry / Grip 3 x 30 m | Posterior chain plus grip carries — directly arms the sled pull and farmers carry, the two stations that expose runners. | |
| Day 3 | Rest | ||
| Day 4 | Easy Aerobic Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 5 km | Conversational Zone 2. Builds the aerobic base that decides roughly half of Hyrox — keep it genuinely easy. | |
| Day 5 | Sled Conditioning Sled Push 4 x 12.5 m @50 kg / walk back · Sled Pull 4 x 12.5 m @40 kg | Push and pull intervals. Builds the specific leg and back endurance the two sleds demand. | |
| Day 6 | Rest | ||
| Day 7 | Long Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 8 km | Steady aerobic distance. Your weekly endurance anchor — run by feel, not pace. |
WEEK 3
Build
| Day | Workout | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Easy Aerobic Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 5 km | Conversational Zone 2. Builds the aerobic base that decides roughly half of Hyrox — keep it genuinely easy. | |
| Day 2 | Lower-Body Power Front Squat 3×6 · Sled Push 4 x 12.5 m @50 kg | Front squats paired with heavy sled pushes. Strength that transfers straight to the heaviest load of race day. | |
| Day 3 | 400 m Repeats Intervals 6 x 400 m 5k / 90 s | Sharp speed at 3k-5k effort. Trains turnover and the ability to surge out of a station. | |
| Day 4 | Rest | ||
| Day 5 | Wall Ball + Lunge Block Wall Balls 5 x 20 @4 kg · Sandbag Lunges 4 x 20 m @10 kg | High-volume wall balls and loaded lunges — the back-end of the race, where runners lose the most time. | |
| Day 6 | Grip + Core Loaded Carry / Grip 4 x 30 m carry · Core 3 rounds: plank, dead bug, hollow | Loaded carries and core circuit. Cheap insurance against the grip and bracing failures that cost late-race time. | |
| Day 7 | Long Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 8 km | Steady aerobic distance. Your weekly endurance anchor — run by feel, not pace. |
WEEK 4
Build
| Day | Workout | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Easy Aerobic Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 5 km | Conversational Zone 2. Builds the aerobic base that decides roughly half of Hyrox — keep it genuinely easy. | |
| Day 2 | Full-Body Strength Back Squat 3×8 · Deadlift 3×6 · Core 3 rounds core circuit | Squat, deadlift and core in one session. General strength base for runners with little lifting history. | |
| Day 3 | Lunge-to-Run Set Compromised Run 4 x 600 m tempo · Walking Lunge 20 reps (after each run) | Lunges before each run rep so you practise the signature skill: running on pre-fatigued legs. | |
| Day 4 | Rest | ||
| Day 5 | Pull + Grip Block Sled Pull 4 x 12.5 m @40 kg · Farmers Carry 4 x 50 m @32 kg · Loaded Carry / Grip 3 x dead hang 20 s | Sled pull, farmers carry and dead hangs. Hardens the grip and upper back that fail first for pure runners. | |
| Day 6 | Recovery + Mobility Easy Run (Zone 2) 3 km recovery · Core 15 min mobility flow | Very easy run and a mobility flow. Active recovery — you adapt on the easy days, not the hard ones. | |
| Day 7 | Long Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 8 km | Steady aerobic distance. Your weekly endurance anchor — run by feel, not pace. |
WEEK 5
Peak
| Day | Workout | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Tempo Intervals Tempo Run 3 x 10 min tempo | Threshold pace — comfortably hard. Raises the pace you can sustain once the legs are tired. | |
| Day 2 | Squat Strength Back Squat 4×5 @75-80% 1RM · Walking Lunge 3×24 total @20 kg · Core 3 x 45 s plank + side | Heavy back squat plus loaded lunges. The leg strength that turns the sled and wall balls from a wall into a station. | |
| Day 3 | Roxzone Transitions Compromised Run 1000 m race pace · SkiErg 500 m · Row 500 m | Race-pace run straight into the ergs. Trains the transition that runners overlook — the clock never stops in the Roxzone. | |
| Day 4 | Rest | ||
| Day 5 | Erg Power Intervals SkiErg 5 x 500 m / 75 s · Row 5 x 500 m / 75 s | SkiErg and row intervals. Upper-body conditioning your runs never build — train it directly. | |
| Day 6 | Easy Aerobic Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 7 km | Conversational Zone 2. Builds the aerobic base that decides roughly half of Hyrox — keep it genuinely easy. | |
| Day 7 | Long Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 12 km | Steady aerobic distance. Your weekly endurance anchor — run by feel, not pace. |
WEEK 6
Peak
| Day | Workout | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | 1 km Intervals Intervals 5 x 1000 m 5k-10k / 90 s jog | VO2max work at 5k-10k effort. Lifts the ceiling your compromised race runs sit under. | |
| Day 2 | Deadlift Strength Deadlift 4×5 @75-80% 1RM · Romanian Deadlift 3×8 · Loaded Carry / Grip 4 x 40 m farmers @24 kg | Posterior chain plus grip carries — directly arms the sled pull and farmers carry, the two stations that expose runners. | |
| Day 3 | Compromised Sled Brick Compromised Run 800 m tempo · Sled Push 25 m @100 kg · Compromised Run 800 m tempo · Wall Balls 35 reps @6 kg | Run-sled-run-wall-balls without rest. The truest rehearsal of how Hyrox actually feels — pace the first run. | |
| Day 4 | Rest | ||
| Day 5 | Station Skills Circuit Wall Balls 4 x 20 @6 kg · Burpee Broad Jumps 4 x 10 · Sandbag Lunges 60 m @20 kg | Drill wall balls, burpees and lunges for clean reps. Standards (depth, full reps) are practised here, not on race day. | |
| Day 6 | Easy Aerobic Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 7 km | Conversational Zone 2. Builds the aerobic base that decides roughly half of Hyrox — keep it genuinely easy. | |
| Day 7 | Long Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 12 km | Steady aerobic distance. Your weekly endurance anchor — run by feel, not pace. |
WEEK 7
Simulation
| Day | Workout | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Easy Aerobic Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 7 km | Conversational Zone 2. Builds the aerobic base that decides roughly half of Hyrox — keep it genuinely easy. | |
| Day 2 | Lower-Body Power Front Squat 4×5 @70-75% 1RM · Sled Push 4 x 25 m @100 kg | Front squats paired with heavy sled pushes. Strength that transfers straight to the heaviest load of race day. | |
| Day 3 | Run + Wall Ball Brick Compromised Run 1000 m · Wall Balls 50 reps @6 kg | Alternating runs and wall balls. Teaches you to break the wall-ball set and keep moving on tired legs. | |
| Day 4 | Rest | ||
| Day 5 | 400 m Repeats Intervals 8 x 400 m 3k-5k / 75 s | Sharp speed at 3k-5k effort. Trains turnover and the ability to surge out of a station. | |
| Day 6 | Rest | ||
| Day 7 | Full Race Simulation Compromised Run 8 x 1000 m race pace | The complete 8-run, 8-station race. The community's number-one readiness check — nothing predicts your time better. |
WEEK 8
Race Week
| Day | Workout | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Easy Aerobic Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 5 km | Conversational Zone 2. Builds the aerobic base that decides roughly half of Hyrox — keep it genuinely easy. | |
| Day 2 | Recovery + Mobility Easy Run (Zone 2) 3 km recovery · Core 15 min mobility flow | Very easy run and a mobility flow. Active recovery — you adapt on the easy days, not the hard ones. | |
| Day 3 | Easy Aerobic Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 5 km | Conversational Zone 2. Builds the aerobic base that decides roughly half of Hyrox — keep it genuinely easy. | |
| Day 4 | Rest | ||
| Day 5 | Easy Aerobic Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 5 km | Conversational Zone 2. Builds the aerobic base that decides roughly half of Hyrox — keep it genuinely easy. | |
| Day 6 | Rest | ||
| Day 7 | RACE |
Coaching Notes
Compromised running is the whole skill. Running on legs pre-fatigued by a station feels nothing like a fresh run — the brick sessions are where you learn it. Pure runners who skip this overestimate their time by 10-15 minutes.
Run a full simulation before race day. The community's number-one readiness check — nothing predicts your finish better than the real 8-run, 8-station sequence.
Drill the standards in training. Wall balls below the line and full-depth lunges done fresh become no-reps under fatigue. Practise the standard, not just the movement.
Consistency over intensity. Three or four sessions you actually complete beat five you cannot recover from. Build the habit first.
Bricks arrive later for a reason. Compromised running is hard on fresh legs — we earn it with a base first. Do not skip ahead.
Hyrox Training Plan for Runners: Beginner, 8 Weeks
Beginner track
New runner — building your first base
Training Schedule
Phase
Base
W1
D1
Easy run
5 km
~35 min
D2
Squat
3×8 @RPE 7
~40 min
D3
Rest
D4
Easy run
5 km
~35 min
D5
Stations
3 x 15 @4 kg
~35 min
D6
Rest
D7
Long run
8 km
~55 min
W2
D1
Easy run
5 km
~35 min
D2
Deadlift
3×6 @RPE 7
~40 min
D3
Rest
D4
Easy run
5 km
~35 min
D5
Sleds
4 x 12.5 m @50 kg / walk back
~30 min
D6
Rest
D7
Long run
8 km
~55 min
Phase
Build
W3
D1
Easy run
5 km
~35 min
D2
Power
3×6
~35 min
D3
400s
6 x 400 m 5k / 90 s
~30 min
D4
Rest
D5
WB + lunge
5 x 20 @4 kg
~30 min
D6
Grip/core
4 x 30 m carry
~25 min
D7
Long run
8 km
~55 min
W4
D1
Easy run
5 km
~35 min
D2
Strength
3×8
~45 min
D3
Comp. run
4 x 600 m tempo
~35 min
D4
Rest
D5
Pull/grip
4 x 12.5 m @40 kg
~30 min
D6
Recovery
3 km recovery
~30 min
D7
Long run
8 km
~55 min
Phase
Peak
W5
D1
Tempo
3 x 10 min tempo
~45 min
D2
Squat
4×5 @75-80% 1RM
~50 min
D3
Roxzone
3× · 1000 m race pace
~34 min
D4
Rest
D5
Erg power
5 x 500 m / 75 s
~38 min
D6
Easy run
7 km
~45 min
D7
Long run
12 km
~75 min
W6
D1
Intervals
5 x 1000 m 5k-10k / 90 s jog
~45 min
D2
Deadlift
4×5 @75-80% 1RM
~50 min
D3
Sled brick
2× · 800 m tempo
~28 min
D4
Rest
D5
Stations
4 x 20 @6 kg
~45 min
D6
Easy run
7 km
~45 min
D7
Long run
12 km
~75 min
Phase
Simulation
W7
D1
Easy run
7 km
~45 min
D2
Power
4×5 @70-75% 1RM
~45 min
D3
WB brick
4× · 1000 m
~35 min
D4
Rest
D5
400s
8 x 400 m 3k-5k / 75 s
~38 min
D6
Rest
D7
Full SIM
8 x 1000 m race pace
~80 min
Phase
Race Week
W8
D1
Easy run
5 km
~35 min
D2
Recovery
3 km recovery
~30 min
D3
Easy run
5 km
~35 min
D4
Rest
D5
Easy run
5 km
~35 min
D6
Rest
D7
RACE
Practise running on tired legs
Run a full sim first
Drill standards so reps count
Consistency over intensity
Earn the bricks with a base
Rest
Easy run
Long run
Tempo
Intervals
Strength
Stations
Compromised
Sim / Race
FAQ
Can a runner do Hyrox without much gym experience?
Yes — that is exactly who this plan is for. Your running engine decides roughly half the race; the stations are a strength and skill gap you close with the strength and brick sessions here. The first Hyrox study (Brandt et al. 2025, n=11) found station performance is uncorrelated with running fitness, so the work is specific but learnable.
How many days a week is this Hyrox plan?
Around five to six sessions a week, with at least one full rest day and easy days built in for recovery. The exact mix depends on your track — the beginner plan has more rest, the strong-runner plan more strength.
Do I need a full gym for this plan?
You need access to the Hyrox stations or close equivalents — a sled, wall balls, sandbags, kettlebells, a SkiErg and a rower — plus a barbell for the strength days. Many sessions can be adapted with substitutions, but the closer to the real equipment, the better the transfer.
What is the difference between Open, Pro and Doubles?
The training is the same; only race-day loads differ. Open is the standard division, Pro uses heavier sleds, sandbags, lunges and a 9 kg wall ball (men), and Doubles uses the Open loads but you split the reps and distance with a partner. The load table on each plan shows your exact weights.
How long should a runner train for their first Hyrox?
If you already have a running base and some strength, eight to twelve weeks is enough to be ready. Building strength from scratch, give yourself sixteen weeks. The plans match those timelines — pick the runway you have.
Not affiliated with or endorsed by HYROX. HYROX is a trademark of HYROX World GmbH. Standards quoted from the public HYROX Singles Rulebook 25/26.