Holy Hyrox

My Experience Tackling My First Hyrox Race (and yes, I think you should absolutely do one, too)

I’m sitting in the airport waiting for my flight back to Philly, and I’m still overwhelmed with all that is Hyrox—less than 24 hours ago, I completed my first race. This time yesterday, I was on my final run, moments away from stepping into the wall ball station to finish the race. My partner and I crossed the line in 1 hour, 30 minutes, and 16 seconds. Our goal was an hour and a half—and we hit it! Technically, we would’ve come in at 1:30:01, but we picked up a 15-second penalty (more on that below). We placed 35th in our age division, and I’ll take it. Not bad for two “everyday” mom-athletes who are runners at heart but decided to try their hands at a fitness race—whatever that even means.

We were really happy with our splits, too. Our runs were steady, and our times for each station were right in line with—or even better than—our Hyrox simulation from a month earlier. The only exception was the sled pull, which felt significantly heavier and took us longer than it had in training. (The race-day turf played a big role in that, which I’ll explain below.)

If you don’t know what Hyrox is at this point, where have you even been for the past three months? It’s literally all I’ve been talking and posting about. But here’s the article I wrote back in August which started me on this whole idea in the first place.

I talk about our race stats, but honestly, they don’t mean all that much to me. My race partner—who’s definitely the more competitive one—was deep into analyzing every number while we devoured our deep-dish pizza after the race. But for me, the real win was simply completing the race and feeling genuinely good throughout it. Finishing an event like this with a smile, appreciating my body, and actually enjoying the experience (cringe, maybe, but it’s true) as we ticked off each step of this race, showed me that I did something right with all my training.

So let’s talk about my experience in Chicago because I have so much to share! I see you guys. I see that so many of you have showed interest in signing up to do a Hyrox now. And you have no clue how happy that makes me— I think everyone can absolutely do this race with a little training and knowledge.

Travel:

As of now, there’s no Hyrox in Philadelphia—only ten U.S. cities currently host the race. That means if you want to compete, travel is inevitable. Personally, I think traveling for a fitness event makes it even more memorable and exciting, so I definitely recommend it. But if you’re hitting the road (or the skies), there are some extra things to consider.

I suggest arriving at your race destination at least 24 hours early to minimize travel-related stress. Unexpected delays, race preregistration crowds, and the need for a solid night’s sleep are all reasons I flew to Chicago a full day before my race. And if you’re checking a bag, pack all your race essentials—especially your clothes and sneakers—in a separate carry-on. The last thing you want is to show up at the starting line without your sneakers because they’re stuck at baggage claim.

Flying can be seriously dehydrating, so make sure to drink plenty of water before, during, and after your flight. I even got an IV treatment to keep my body fully hydrated during travel. I also recommend packing your race-day meals —this removes any guesswork about how to fuel properly before the race. I brought a bagel with peanut butter, a meal I had practiced with during training to know it worked well for me.

Race Day, The Lead Up:

I’ll be honest—race day before the actual start is still a bit of a blur. After wandering around and finally finding the right entrance, we stepped inside and were immediately hit with Hyrox. It’s hard to capture in words: a mix of excitement and nervous energy, pounding music, crowds everywhere—and, for me, an overwhelming sense of pride.

Pride in being there. Pride in calling myself an athlete competing in my first race. Pride in standing among so many strong women checking in and getting ready to race. Pride in all the training and preparation that brought me to that moment. Walking around the venue, I felt confident. I felt ready. And I couldn’t wait to start.

Heats of racers start every ten minutes throughout the day, and in Chicago, the event ran for three full days. Going into the week before the race, I only knew the day and general time period I would be racing—I didn’t get my exact start time until three days prior. With start times ranging anywhere from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., I was relieved to learn that my race would kick off at 12 p.m.—perfect for this morning-workout girl.

Unlike other races, there’s no massive bib pick-up day. On race day, you arrive 90 minutes early to register and pick up everything you need: access bands, a race number (officially marked in black Sharpie on your forearm), and an ankle monitor. All of this only adds to the thrill and anticipation of the day. Wanting plenty of time to settle in—said from someone who usually runs into workouts a minute or two late—we arrived about two hours ahead of our start time. I expected crowds and lines, plus I wanted a chance to shop the official Hyrox merch. I mean, you’ve got to wear proof that you did this, right?

Once we were registered, we headed into the athlete area, which was buzzing with fit women in matching outfits. There, we checked our bags, hit the restroom, and stretched a little before moving into the warm-up zone, which you gain access to 60 minutes before your start time. And I did use the warm up zone for nearly the full hour. First off, the warm-up zone overlooked the race—at that point, I was tempted to hop the fence and get in there already! In the warm up zone, every exercise station was set up with the official Hyrox equipment, so you could practice before the race. I tried the sled briefly, but mostly I focused on getting my body warm and loose. After some stretching, I moved through the rower, treadmill, and SkiErg at low settings—just enough to get moving without tiring myself out before the start.

Ten minutes before our start, we lined up in the infamous Hyrox Red Bull tunnel, where the energy and hype of the day hit a fever pitch. And then we were off to the races!

The Actual Race:

I had heard it a thousand times before—Hyrox is a running race. But I didn’t truly grasp how much running is actually involved until I tackled the course. Most of the race is spent pounding the pavement, with exercises sprinkled in between each run. The exercise stations only last a few minutes before you’re back out running again. So if you’re a runner, you’re in luck. If you’re not… well, now’s the time to become one.

I also recommend taking a sip of water after every exercise before heading back out for the run. It gets really dry in there, and the mix of anxiety and excitement only adds to what’s jokingly called “Hyrox cotton mouth.” Staying hydrated throughout the race is key—I found the water stations far more essential than actually fueling during the race.

So what was the best part of the race? Expected: The Farmer’s Carry. This is my favorite exercise and we PR’ed it in Chicago. I was running with those kettlebells.

Unexpected: The Wall Balls. Just knowing you have 100 reps looming over you for the entire race makes this station feel monumental. When you finally get there, it’s intense, overwhelming, and—surprisingly—an absolute thrill. Adrenaline carries you through this daunting final task. I had a partner to share the count, but honestly, I felt so amped up I could have done all 100 myself. There’s nothing like throwing that final weighted ball and watching the monitor hit 100. A heads-up: you must hit the correct target. I lost a few reps by accidentally hitting the men’s target, which is higher and harder, but it didn't matter because it wasn’t my target.

And what was the worse part of the race:? Expected Pain: The Burpee Broad Jumps. I knew I was going to hate this station—I’ve always been terrible at them. And training didn’t magically make me better; it just got me more accustomed to the pain. On race day, the distance felt endless. I was incredibly grateful to have a partner at this station, and just as thankful for the step-up technique I’d learned during training.

Unexpected Torture: The Sled Pull. I had heard the horror stories—the Hyrox turf makes the sled feel impossibly heavy, like it’s glued to the floor. And sadly, it lived up to the reputation. The length of the pull was far tougher than anything I had practiced. I also think that because this station isn’t easy to replicate at most gyms, improvement is tough to come by. We got through it, but it was the only station where our race time ended up slower than our practice time.

This was also the station where we picked up a penalty. Hyrox has a lot of rules, which actually makes sense given all the different exercises involved. It’s smart to review them as much as possible—I even watched tons of Instagram reels and videos to see how others tackled them. During the Sled Pull, my partner’s foot was on the line, and the judge gave us a warning. Unfortunately, she didn’t hear it, and because I had lost my voice and couldn’t leave the box I had to stand in while she pulled, I couldn’t warn her. When it happened again, we got a 15-second penalty. Considering I saw some teams hit with two-minute penalties, I couldn’t help but wonder, “What on earth did they do?”

Overall Advice:

During the race, don’t look at Hyrox as a whole. Take each exercise as it comes and focus on the task at hand. Ticking away at each exercise helps to get you to the finish line in the right mindset.

Treat the race as two parts and don’t start to really kick it up until the second half. The challenge of Hyrox is not to burn out. In order to perform your best and fell good while doing it, you really do need to pace yourself and not get too carried away from adrenaline in the beginning.

Have fun. You paid for this torture so you might as well wear a smile. It’s a pretty awesome accomplishment that feels damn good when you enter that finish zone and begin to celebrate!

So what’s next?

Another Hyrox, obviously! I had a funny feeling that I was going to want to do another race and I proved myself correct in Chicago. Not only did I have the time of my life during the actual race, I enjoyed training for this event almost as much. My training involved so many different parts— it kept me engaged and never bored. And I got stronger physically and mentally while doing it. I can totally see how people become hooked on Hyrox, and I fear that I may now be one of those people.

First up, I plan to do a team relay because I have three girls who are very interested, and maybe we will go international for that one! I plan to do another doubles race with my friend who is recovering from cancer so when she is ready, I’m there! We’ll make an unstoppable team. I‘d also really like to get my husband involved and do a mixed doubles race with him. And I love the idea of completing one of these things by myself. So Hyrox, you haven’t seen the last of me— no way!