By 732 CrossFit | HYROX | Training Tips
I Did a HYROX Pro in March, Here’s What I Actually Learned.HYROX is one of the fastest-growing fitness events in the world right now and for good reason. Eight one-kilometre runs, eight functional stations, one very honest look at where your fitness actually is. I raced a HYROX Pro in March and came away with a few takeaways I wish someone had told me beforehand.
1. Running Is Half the Race — Treat It That Way
According to RoxFit data, running accounts for roughly 50% of your total race time. That’s 8km split across 8 separate kilometre efforts — and each one comes right off the back of a functional station. If you can’t run, recover on the run, and arrive at the next station feeling composed, you’re going to haemorrhage time.
Pacing is everything. Go out too hot on kilometre one, which most people do, and you’ll be paying for it by kilometre five. The goal isn’t to run fast. It’s to run smart, stay aerobic, and let your body recover between stations rather than dig itself deeper into a hole.
Practical tip: Train your running at “HYROX pace” not park run pace, not easy jog pace. Know what your sustainable 1km split looks like under fatigue and stick to it religiously.
2. Technique on the Stations Is Non-Negotiable
There is nothing worse than getting to a station and not knowing what to do, how to do it, or how to do it efficiently. Poor technique doesn’t just slow you down — it burns energy you can’t afford to waste at that point in the race.
I’d done CrossFit for 8 years going into my HYROX Pro. I felt comfortable across most of the movements.. except for one: the sled pull. I hadn’t practised it much, thought I’d muscle my way through it on the day, and it did not work. I could blame the track or the long rope — but the honest truth is I hadn’t put the reps in. Don’t make the same mistake.
Practical tip: Drill every station before race day. Not just once, repeatedly, and under running fatigue. Know your transition into each movement and how many sets you’ll break it into before you arrive.
3. The Event Itself Is Great — Don’t Overthink It
Honestly? The atmosphere is brilliant. The volunteers are helpful, the crowd is loud, and the format is surprisingly easy to follow if you watch the venue-specific briefing video beforehand (do this — it’s short and genuinely useful).
There are water and energy drink stations in the RoxZone between each run and station, so you don’t need to carry anything on you mid-race. First-timers often stress about the logistics. Don’t. The event is well organised and once you’re in it, the adrenaline takes over.
4. Fuel the Effort — Don’t Wing It
A HYROX race is 60 to 90+ minutes of near-continuous movement. That is a long time to be working hard, and glycogen depletion is real. Have a gel or two ready, or a small bag of sweets. Getting a quick energy hit halfway through the race can make a significant difference to how you feel in the back half — specifically on the stations when you’re already fatigued.
Practical tip: Test your fuelling strategy in training, not on race day. Know what sits well in your stomach when you’re moving hard.
The Bigger Picture
HYROX rewards a very specific type of athlete: someone with a strong aerobic base, solid functional movement patterns, and the ability to keep composure under fatigue. Sound familiar? That’s exactly what CrossFit builds.
If you’re thinking about signing up for your first HYROX — or you’ve done one and want to go faster next time — come in and talk to us. We train athletes for this every week at 732 CrossFit. Structure, progression, and coaches who actually know your name.
Tap the button below if you want to come in for a HYROX class, your first session is on us.
Have more questions, drop us a message.
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