First HYROX Checklist: Everything to Do Before Race Day

For your first HYROX, the essentials are: know the station order and standards, have practised every station at least once at your division's load, have a pacing plan that starts slower than feels right, wear shoes and kit you have trained in, eat and drink as you would before a long run, and arrive early enough to check in and warm up without stress. Everything else is detail. This checklist walks through the weeks before, the day before, race morning, the race and afterward, with links to the deeper guides where you need them.

Independent guide; not affiliated with HYROX, DEKA or Spartan.

Six to twelve weeks out

• Confirm your entry. Division, start wave and venue. Doubles and Relay need a partner's details too. See divisions explained.
• Read the current rulebook. Note the loads, distances and reps for your division and sex category, and the movement standards. Numbers change between seasons; do not trust an old chart.
• Follow a plan. Three to four runs a week, two strength sessions, one compromised-running session. See how to train for HYROX.
• Practise every station. All eight, ideally in order. If your gym lacks sleds or a SkiErg, find one that has them. See the gym directory and how to find a HYROX gym.
• Choose your shoes and train in them. See best shoes for HYROX.

Two to three weeks out

• Do a simulation. A half race at minimum, the full race if you can. Record your run splits and station times. See HYROX workout.
• Set a pacing plan. Decide your target run pace and how hard you will push each station. The common beginner error is going out too fast. See pacing strategy.
• Rehearse nutrition. Eat your planned pre-race meal before a hard session and see how it sits. See race-day nutrition.
• Book logistics. Travel, accommodation, how you will get to the venue early.

The final week

• Taper. Cut volume by roughly half, keep a little intensity, sleep more.
• Do nothing new. No new shoes, no new foods, no new exercises.
• Check the athlete information. The organiser sends details on check-in times, parking, bag drop and the venue layout. Read it.
• Pack. Use the kit list below.

Kit list

Race kit:

• Shoes you have trained in
• Shorts or tights and a top you are comfortable sweating in for two hours
• Socks (take a spare pair)
• Gloves if you use them for sleds and carries (check they are allowed; see grip and gloves)
• Bib and safety pins or a race belt, if the event does not supply them

Bag:

• Warm layer for before and after
• Water bottle
• Pre-race food and a post-race snack
• Towel
• Phone, charger, ID, confirmation email
• Change of clothes

For the full breakdown, see race-day kit and what to wear for HYROX.

The night before

• Eat a normal dinner with plenty of carbohydrate. Nothing unusual.
• Lay out your kit and pin your bib if you have it.
• Set two alarms if your wave is early.
• Do not worry if you sleep badly. One poor night does little harm.

Race morning

• Eat your rehearsed breakfast two to three hours before your wave.
• Arrive early. Allow time for parking, check-in, bag drop and queues.
• Collect your bib and chip if you have not already. Attach them as instructed.
• Walk the venue. Find the start pen, the Roxzone entrance and exit, and the station layout. See the Roxzone explained.
• Warm up: ten minutes of easy jogging, some dynamic stretches, a few squats and lunges, a short pick-up at race pace. Do not do a workout.
• Listen to the briefing.

During the race

• Start slower than feels right. The first run should feel easy. Everyone goes out too fast.
• SkiErg: steady, not sprinting. See SkiErg.
• Sleds: pace them. Short, steady pushes and pulls beat all-out efforts that leave you unable to run. See sled push and sled pull.
• Burpee broad jumps: controlled rhythm. See burpee broad jumps.
• Rowing: steady, use your legs. See rowing.
• Farmers carry: move with purpose, set down only if you must and only as the rules allow. See farmers carry.
• Sandbag lunges: knee to floor, stand tall, breathe. See sandbag lunges.
• Wall balls: break into planned sets before you fail. Hit the target every time. See wall balls.
• Drink at water stations when you pass them.
• Keep moving in the Roxzone. Walking is fine; standing still is wasted time.
• If a judge no-reps you, do the rep again and move on.

Afterward

• Collect your finisher items, get your bag, put on a warm layer.
• Eat and drink within an hour or so.
• Look at your results and splits. See how to read HYROX results.
• Note what went well and what you would change. Most people know within minutes which station they underestimated.
• Rest for several days before training hard again.

Mistakes first-timers make

1. Going out too fast on the first run.
2. Sprinting the SkiErg and arriving at the sleds already in trouble.
3. Not knowing the standards and collecting no-reps at wall balls.
4. Wearing shoes with no grip for the sled push.
5. Eating something new on the morning.
6. Standing still in the Roxzone.
7. Treating the race as a workout instead of a paced event.

FAQ

How early should I arrive for my first HYROX?

Early enough to check in, drop your bag, walk the venue and warm up without rushing. The athlete information will give check-in windows; plan to be there well before your wave is called.

What should I eat before HYROX?

Something you have eaten before hard training, two to three hours before, rich in carbohydrate and low in fat and fibre. See race-day nutrition.

Should I do a full race simulation before my first HYROX?

A half race is the minimum. A full one teaches the most but costs recovery; schedule it two to three weeks out, not the final week.

Can I walk during HYROX?

Yes. There is no minimum pace. Walking the Roxzone and parts of the later runs is common.

What if I cannot finish a station?

Keep going. There is no cut-off for a station in the mass-participation divisions in normal circumstances; it just takes longer. Break the work into smaller pieces and rest briefly as the rules allow.