Hyrox Handbook

January 12, 2027 · 8 min read

The Hyrox Glossary: Every Term You'll Hear (Stations, Slang, Equipment)

A complete glossary of Hyrox terminology - stations, divisions, equipment, slang, and tactics. Bookmark this if you're new to the sport.

The Hyrox Glossary: Every Term You’ll Hear

You’re new to Hyrox and the IG videos use words you don’t recognize. This glossary covers every Hyrox-specific term - stations, divisions, equipment, slang, and race-day tactics. Bookmark it; it’ll save you Google searches mid-training.

Race format terms

Hyrox

The race itself: 8 × 1km runs alternated with 8 stations of functional fitness work. Same format every event globally. Standardized scoring.

Open division

The standard competitive category. Race weights are achievable for general fitness athletes. Most first-timers race Open. Subdivided into Men’s and Women’s, with age-group rankings.

Pro division

Heavier weights at every station: 152kg sled push (Men), 30kg sandbag lunge (Men), 10-foot wall ball target (Men). For advanced athletes only. See our Pro training plan.

Doubles

Team format with two athletes splitting the work. Both run all 8km together; stations are split between them. See our doubles strategy guide.

Relay

4-person team format. Each athlete does 2 stations + 2 runs.

Wave

A starting group of athletes (typically 30–50) who go off together. Multiple waves run throughout the day.

DNF (did not finish)

Athlete who started but didn’t complete the race. Rare in Hyrox compared to ultra-running, but happens. Usually due to injury or extreme overpacing.

PR (personal record / personal best)

Your fastest finish time at that distance/format. Hyrox standardization makes PRs especially comparable.

Cut-off time

Some events impose a time cut-off (e.g., 2 hours). Athletes still on course past the cut-off may not get an official time.

Station terms

SkiErg

A vertical-pull cardio machine made by Concept2. The first Hyrox station: 1,000m of synchronous double-arm pulls. See our SkiErg article.

Sled push

Pushing a weighted sled across the floor. Hyrox standard: 50m at 102kg (Open Men) / 75kg (Open Women). See our sled push technique guide.

Sled pull

Pulling a weighted sled toward you with a rope. 50m at 78kg (Open Men) / 52kg (Open Women).

Burpee broad jumps (BBJ)

A burpee followed by a forward jump, repeated for distance. Hyrox standard: 80m of total distance (typically 50–80 reps). Round 4 of the race. See our BBJ technique guide.

Row / Rowing

1,000m on a Concept2 rower. Round 5. See our rowing pacing guide.

Farmer’s carry

Carrying a weighted kettlebell or hex weight in each hand for 200m. Hyrox standard: 24kg/hand (Open Men) / 16kg/hand (Open Women). See our farmer’s carry form guide.

Sandbag lunges

Walking lunges with a Hyrox-specific shaped sandbag on shoulders for 100m. Open Men: 20kg sandbag.

Wall balls

Throwing a medicine ball at a target on the wall, performed as a squat-and-throw. Open Men: 100 reps to a 9-foot target with a 9kg ball. The final station and most-feared. See our wall ball technique guide.

Equipment terms

Concept2

The brand making the official Hyrox SkiErg + rower. Consider them the gold standard; if your gym has them, use them for race-pace training.

Hyrox-spec sandbag

A specifically-shaped sandbag (long, rectangular, with end + middle handles) used at the lunge station. Different from a cylindrical training sandbag. See our sandbag guide.

Hyrox-spec wall ball

A 9kg (Men) or 6kg (Women) medicine ball used for wall balls. Soft-sided, designed for repeated throws.

Race-day standard

The official weight + distance + reps for each station per the Hyrox rule book. Verify before each race; small changes happen.

Drag factor

A setting on the Concept2 SkiErg/rower (90–135) that adjusts how heavy each stroke feels. Most Hyrox events default to 110-120. Check before your wave.

Apparel + gear terms

Grip socks

High-cuff socks with grip dots on the sole. Worn for sled-scrape protection and improved foot lock in shoes. See our apparel guide.

Compression shorts

Lycra/spandex shorts worn under outer shorts. Critical for chafe prevention during sandbag lunges.

Lifting grips

3-hole leather or fabric pieces worn on the palms. Protect from blisters and tear-prone hands during wall balls + farmer’s carry.

Weighted vest

A vest with weight plates or sand pouches sewn in. Used for vested running + station-work training. See our weighted vest guide.

Plate carrier

A military-style vest holding two flat plates (front + back). Often used as a weighted vest substitute. The 5.11 TacTec is the standard for Hyrox training.

Race kit

The clothing + accessories you wear on race day. Tested in training, never new.

Pacing + tactics terms

Race pace

The pace you can sustain for the full Hyrox race. Slower than your fresh PR pace. See training plan for race-pace examples.

Bank energy / bank time

Running conservatively in the first few rounds to “save” energy for the harder back half. Common Hyrox strategy.

Negative split

Running the second half faster than the first. Counterintuitive and rare in Hyrox; most athletes positive-split (slow down).

Even split

Running the same pace throughout. Optimal for most Hyrox athletes.

Micro-rest

Brief planned pauses (5–15 seconds) at wall balls or other high-fatigue stations. Better than going to failure unbroken.

No-rep

A rep that doesn’t count due to form failure (e.g., wall ball that didn’t hit target, burpee without chest contact). The athlete must redo the rep.

The dark place

Mid-race psychological state when the body wants to stop. Usually round 4 (burpee broad jumps) or round 8 (wall balls). See mental prep.

The 80% rule

The internal feeling of “I’m at my limit” usually corresponds to ~80% of true physical capacity. The remaining 20% is mental. Athletes who PR push past the 80% limit.

Race-day terms

Wave time

The scheduled start time for your wave (e.g., 9:00am, 9:30am, 10:00am).

Bag check

The area at the venue where you store your bag during racing. Returned after the race.

Athlete’s village

The pre-race + post-race area where athletes warm up, recover, and socialize.

Course preview

A document published by Hyrox ~2 weeks before each event showing the venue layout, station positions, and run-lap distance.

Course rules

Per-event rules about no-reps, weights, and behavior. Read before each race; minor variations exist.

Splits

The time taken for each individual section of the race (e.g., “1km run #3 split was 5:23”).

Chip / RFID timing

The race-tracking system using a chip on your bib that registers passes through course checkpoints.

Training terms

Hyrox-specific training

Training that mimics race demands - running combined with stations at race weights. Different from generic fitness training.

Hyrox simulation / sim

A training session that mimics the full race format: 8 × 1km runs + 8 stations at race weight, timed.

Half-Hyrox sim

A truncated version: 4 stations + 4km of running.

Race-pace block

A training session at the pace and effort you’ll race at. Critical in weeks 5–11 of a 12-week plan.

Aerobic base

Your foundational cardio capacity built through volume of easy runs. Built in weeks 1–4 of a 12-week plan.

Taper

The final 1-2 weeks pre-race when training volume drops dramatically to allow full recovery.

Slang / community terms

”Hyrox curious”

Someone interested in trying Hyrox but hasn’t registered yet. Common stage on the IG community.

”Hyrox shoes”

Any shoe used for Hyrox racing - typically Reebok Nano X4, Nike Metcon, or Nobull Canvas Trainer. See our shoe guide.

”Hybrid athlete”

An athlete who trains both running and lifting equally. Hyrox is the standard hybrid race.

”PR’d Hyrox”

Set a new personal record at the format.

”DNF protected”

Strategy of pacing conservatively to prevent a DNF, especially for first-timers.

”Hyrox training”

A general term for training that prioritizes the hybrid running + lifting demand.

”Race weight”

Your training weight that matches the race standard (102kg sled, 24kg/hand carry, etc.).

”Race-pace tested”

A workout or pacing strategy that’s been validated in race-pace simulations.

Other races / formats sometimes confused with Hyrox

CrossFit

Daily varied workouts; not a single-format race. See Hyrox vs CrossFit.

Spartan / OCR

Outdoor obstacle races. Different format; similar fitness demands.

F45

45-minute group fitness classes. Not a competitive race format.

Functional fitness

Generic term for movement-pattern-based training; encompasses CrossFit, Hyrox training, and OCR prep.

Hybrid training

Style of training that blends endurance + strength. The training paradigm that Hyrox racing fits into.

Want to learn more?

This glossary is the reference for terminology. For specific topics:

The single highest-leverage habit for any new Hyrox athlete: log every session. Without data, you’re guessing whether you’re improving. The Hyrox Training Logbook is the structured journal designed for the format.

Part of the Kitaborn Hyrox series. Books born with purpose.

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