The 7 Most Common HYROX Mistakes
Hi everyone! As I mentioned in my earlier HYROX article, I’m aiming to take part next year. Alongside training, I’ve been watching videos from athletes who’ve raced and reading their comments online.
Those experiences are a useful part of preparing. As athletes explain what happened to them, I get a clearer picture of what worked and what went wrong. The idea is to learn from the good decisions and try to avoid repeating the mistakes in my own race.
Based on what I’ve gathered, I wanted to share seven of the most common HYROX mistakes. There are certainly more than seven, but I’ve grouped the recurring themes from participants’ experiences into these headings. Hopefully they’ll help others preparing for their first race too.
For a little background, HYROX is a fitness race that has grown rapidly in recent years. It brings thousands of athletes together worldwide by combining running and functional fitness in one race. At first glance, it might look like a straightforward event with some running and a few exercise stations. Race day can teach you otherwise, rather quickly.
Some mistakes, particularly among first-time HYROX athletes, can lead to a serious drop in performance toward the end. Let’s look at seven of the most common ones.
1. Starting a HYROX Race Too Fast
There’s a video that occasionally appears in my Instagram feed. A first-time marathon runner makes a flashy, very fast start. A few hundred meters later, they’re at the side of the road, out of breath and close to throwing up. The runners who started at a controlled pace simply carry on past.
One of the biggest HYROX mistakes looks much the same: going too fast in the opening kilometers.
Race excitement, the crowd’s energy and adrenaline can tempt athletes to run the first section well above their normal training pace. But HYROX is an endurance race, not a sprint.
You might not feel the cost at the first stations. It can catch up with you at Sled Push, Sled Pull, Burpee Broad Jump and walking lunges, where leg fatigue and lactic acid buildup may reduce your performance.
Many participant accounts describe struggling toward the end. To help avoid that, it may make more sense to keep the first two or three runs controlled and build speed in the second half. You develop the foundation for that pacing during base training. Of course, if your fitness and preparation are excellent, you may decide that advice doesn’t apply to you. 🙂
2. Underestimating Sled Push and Sled Pull
Many people watching HYROX videos on social media think Sled Push and Sled Pull look easy. Honestly, I thought the same at first.
Out of curiosity, I even showed the stations to a few friends, some sporty and some not. Most said they could manage these two movements comfortably. Putting that idea into practice is another matter.
A large share of participant comments describe both stations as much harder than expected. Strength matters, but good technique matters just as much. If you’re wondering how footwear affects these stations, see our guide to what to look for in HYROX shoes.
Pushing at the wrong body angle can use more energy and raise your heart rate unnecessarily. That’s why I’d recommend practicing with a sled before racing. Unfortunately, many gyms in Türkiye don’t have one. If that’s the case, you can look for alternative exercises that create similar demands.
3. Training Only Your Running for HYROX
Focusing only on running is just as unhelpful as doing nothing but lifting for HYROX. Yes, you run 8 kilometers in total. But there’s a station waiting at the end of every kilometer.
Wall Ball, Farmers Carry, walking lunges and Burpee Broad Jump all demand considerable muscular endurance.
If you focus entirely on running during preparation, you might start well but lose a lot of pace later. Try to include combinations of running and station work in your training.
4. Neglecting Nutrition and Hydration
As in any sport, nutrition matters in HYROX.
Common mistakes mentioned by participants include:
- Racing without eating anything that morning
- Eating a heavy meal before the race
- Not drinking enough water
- Forgetting electrolytes
Starting on an empty stomach may feel fine for the first few minutes, but it can lead to an energy drop later on.
A heavy meal before racing can cause stomach problems too. A heavy meal before a normal workout gives you a fairly good idea of why that might be uncomfortable.
Another key point is to avoid trying unfamiliar products on race day.
Energy gels, supplements or foods you haven’t used before can create unexpected problems during the race. Keep surprises off the race-day menu and stick with products you’ve already tested.
5. Not Practicing Transitions
As I’ve mentioned, HYROX involves more than running and stations. Moving from a run into a station, then back out onto the course, affects performance too.
First-time racers often describe:
- Panicking during transitions
- Struggling to control their heart rate
- Losing unnecessary time
These seemingly small issues can make a real difference to your total time. Practicing station work immediately after running can help your body get used to those transitions during preparation.
6. Underestimating Wall Ball
I have a small confession.
When I first started watching HYROX videos, I was one of those people looking at certain stations and thinking, “That looks easy.” Wall Ball was one of them. Reading participant accounts soon changed my mind.
Wall Ball is the final station.
By then, you’ve run 8 kilometers and completed several other stations. Your shoulders are tired, your breathing is harder to control and your legs are running low.
A station that might look straightforward early in a race can feel very different at the end. That’s why it may make sense to put Wall Ball practice toward the end of your training sessions.
7. Obsessing Over a Time Goal in Your First HYROX
We’re competitive by nature.
Having a HYROX time goal is a good thing. If it’s your first race, though, don’t let that goal pile pressure on you.
Many of the athletes and influencers we see on social media may have been racing this format for years. Some are professional athletes. Comparing their results directly with your own isn’t especially useful.
Many athletes finish their second race much faster than their first. For your first HYROX, make finishing the priority. Experiencing the atmosphere, finding out what needs work and gaining race experience will give you more to build on over time.
How Should You Prepare for a HYROX Race?
I’ve tried to share the notes I’ve taken from participants’ experiences.
HYROX is an enjoyable race format that tests both endurance and functional strength. Physical capacity isn’t the only thing that determines how you perform. Pacing, technical preparation, a nutrition strategy and race experience matter just as much as fitness.
Remember that amateurs and professional athletes line up at these events. At the end of the day, though, your most useful benchmark is yourself.
If you’re preparing for your first HYROX, aim to finish strongly and gain experience you can use at the next race, rather than chasing a record straight away.
In HYROX, your biggest rival is always your previous self.
For more on training plans, endurance and race preparation, explore our Training category.
Many of these mistakes only become obvious in a real race setting. Find events you can enter in our running and race calendar, with filters for date and city.