As HYROX continues to dominate the fitness industry, everyone is trying to have their piece of the pie, whether it’s scrambling for tickets, trying to attend classes at their local gym, or embodying the training in their own workouts.
The endurance race consists of eight-kilometre runs interspersed with eight functional fitness stations— from farmer carries to sled pulls— all of which are completed against the clock.
While the race isn’t easy by any means (trust us we’ve tried it ourselves), the HYROX appeal has spread thick and fast, and it’s down to the fact that anybody can give the race a go, thanks to its low-skill movements and repeatable format. However, preparation is still well-advised if you want to give it your best shot and avoid common race day mistakes.
While there’s plenty of advice out there on how best to prepare, we reached out to the competitors who really know their sh*t. We spoke to four of the sports' top athletes, including this year's Elite 15 Women’s World Champion, Meg Jacoby, and three-time World Champion, Lauren Weeks, to share what their best piece of advice would be when preparing for HYROX. After all, who knows how to smash a HYROX better than the pros themselves, right?
Meg Jacoby
Meg Jacoby has dominated the HYROX scene since hearing about the race back in 2022. From then she had rapid success, breaking the (then) Women’s Pro World Record in Chicago, her second-ever race. However, it was during this year’s Elite 15 World Championships in Nice where she finally took the top spot on the podium. Not only that, she made history by becoming the first-ever woman to complete a HYROX in under an hour. Pretty badass.
Meg’s advice: “Work on your aerobic capacity. The race is primarily an endurance race, so building up your running will make the overall race experience a lot more positive. Familiarise yourself with the station movements so you’re prepared for the demands of the race. Most importantly, don’t put so much pressure on yourself, it’s you vs. you. Get out there and have fun!”
Jake Dearden
Represent 247 athlete, Jake Dearden has a particularly impressive (and inspirational) HYROX résumé. At only 25 years old, he’s already won 10 HYROX races and came first in the Pro Doubles at this year’s World Championships, alongside his doubles partner Marc Dean. Even after a back injury, which put him in rehab for six months, he bounced back and broke a world record doing 11 HYROXs in one weekend. It’s no wonder he’s the UK’s HYROX Master Trainer.
Jake’s advice: “Prioritise running in your training! Running accounts for over half of the HYROX race, with an accumulated distance of 8.7km, including the Rox Zone. Aim to include three running sessions each week in your training block: one interval session, one longer run, and one compromised running session (where running is combined with HYROX movements). Your longer run should be a zone 2 effort which you can incorporate into your training on active recovery days”.
Lauren Weeks
With three World Champion titles under her belt, Lauren Weeks has been one of the most consistent, and successful, HYROX competitors to date. Resilience is in her DNA after having completed the 2022 Elite World Championships eight months pregnant (finishing 9th out of 14) and, even after falling to 7th place at the World Championships this year in Nice (due to a tricky sled pull), she still managed to work her way back up to 2nd place.
Lauren’s advice: “You are more defined by your effort than by your results. It's a challenging race, and some days will be more difficult than others. Fight and dig deep when intrusive thoughts creep in, telling you it is okay to give in. There is so much power in acknowledging a challenge and then proceeding to take it head-on.”
Michael Sandbach
Represent Athlete, Michael Sandbach is another competitor who has shown consistent strength on the HYROX floor, despite only discovering the event in 2021. He placed second in the Elite 15 at the 2024 World Championships after completing this race in a mind-blowing 00:56:32 (only missing out on first place by 11 seconds), also becoming the UK’s fastest male HYROX athlete. Somehow, he managed to balance his training for the sport alongside his full-time job as an engineer, and being a father.
Michael's advice: “Strength underpins everything, so don’t be afraid to lift heavy weights especially in the rep ranges of 1-5 for the main lifts. The aim is to become strong, fast and explosive.”
If you missed out on securing tickets this time round, or are simply looking to set some new goals, check out these four alternative fitness challenges to HYROX.
