HYROX Divisions and Weights Explained: Open, Pro, Doubles and Relay

What are the HYROX divisions?

HYROX publishes separate rulebooks for Singles, Doubles, Team Relay and Adaptive, each setting out its own divisions. The Singles rulebook states that HYROX offers four divisions differing by gender and weight only, never by running distance. Doubles lists five, Team Relay lists three. Waves start by division, so you set off alongside people racing the same standard.

There is also HYROX Adaptive, which the official Adaptive rulebook describes as 13 divisions differentiated by gender, repetitions and weight, with running or pushing distance varying by division. Those standards are too varied to summarise responsibly here, so read the Adaptive rulebook on hyrox.com directly.

What is the race format and station order?

The sequence never changes. Run 1, station 1, run 2, station 2, and so on until you have covered 8 km of running and all eight stations. Completing them out of order carries a penalty, and failing to finish a station in full means disqualification.

Both ergometers are preset to damper resistance 6 for all divisions, and you may change it as often as you like.

What weights do you lift in each division?

The rulebooks group loads into three columns rather than four, because Women Pro and Men Open lift the same. Sled weights include the sled itself, which is why they look large. Doubles teams use exactly these loads, with the same total volume as a solo race.

Wall ball target height is set by gender rather than by column. Women and Women Pro throw to 2.70 m, men to 3.00 m. So a woman racing Pro handles the 6 kg ball at the 2.70 m target.

Picking up the wrong kettlebells or sandbag is costly. The rulebook requires you to repeat the entire station with the correct weight, and failing to do so is a disqualification. Equipment and lanes are assigned by the judging team.

What is the difference between Open and Pro?

Weight, and nothing else. Pro racers cover the same 8 km, complete the same eight stations in the same order and do the same 100 wall balls. Five stations get heavier: sled push, sled pull, farmers carry, sandbag lunge and wall balls. SkiErg, rowing and burpee broad jumps are identical.

The Singles rulebook lists no qualifying time or prior finish as a condition of entering Pro. It states that HYROX is open to everyone, that qualifications are not required, and that racers must be 16 on race day. Pro is a choice rather than a privilege you earn, so be honest about the jump. Going from a 152 kg sled push to a 202 kg one is a step most people feel immediately.

Age matters at the top end. Racers can compete in Pro up to and including the 80+ age groups at regular races. For World Championship qualification, racers aged 60 and above qualify through Open only and compete at Open standards. The Doubles rulebook notes its Pro divisions end at the 55 to 59 age group, so check the rulebook for your format.

How do Doubles and Relay work?

Doubles is a two person team that stays together the whole way. Both partners run all eight 1 km segments side by side, and if one runs ahead the team takes a one minute penalty. Both must enter a station together and neither can leave until it is finished.

Station work is shared using a you go, I go format with splits you choose. The rulebook gives the example of a 1,000 m row where one partner starts, swaps at a self selected distance such as 250 m, and the pair alternates until the full 1,000 m is covered. The total is never reduced: a Doubles pair still pushes the full sled and still completes 100 wall balls between them. The resting partner must stay on their feet, with no kneeling, sitting or lying down. More than three penalties for not staying together means the team is marked out of competition.

Team Relay is four people. Each member runs 2 x 1 km and completes two stations, and the team decides who takes which. One member can do two runs and two stations back to back, or hand over in the transition zone after each. Teams can be four women, four men, or two women and two men. Age groups are Under 40 and 40+, based on the average age of the four. The team regroups at a marked relay entry point at the wall ball station, then all four run to the finish together.

Which division should you enter?

For a first HYROX, Relay is the gentlest way in. Two runs and two stations is manageable, you see the format from the inside, and the pressure sits on the team rather than on you alone. Doubles suits people who already run reasonably well but are unsure about station volume: sharing reps takes the sting out of the wall balls and lunges, though not out of the running, because both partners still cover the full 8 km.

Solo Open is the standard benchmark and the version most people mean by their HYROX time. Pro makes sense once you have raced Open, know your splits, and find that the weights are not what is slowing you down.

What your division changes about your training

Pro asks more of your strength and, above all, your grip. The step from 2 x 24 kg to 2 x 32 kg on a 200 m carry, and from a 103 kg to a 153 kg sled pull, exposes forearms and upper back long before it exposes your legs. Heavy carries, dead hangs, rope pulls and higher volume sled work all earn their place, and the 9 kg wall ball is worth practising in longer unbroken sets.

Doubles is mostly a pacing and transition problem. Because you rest in short bursts while your partner works, your heart rate never settles the way it does solo, and the swaps cost time. Practising with your actual partner matters more than any single session, particularly agreeing split sizes for the row, the SkiErg and the wall balls beforehand.

Relay shifts everything towards repeatable intensity. Two 1 km runs near threshold pace with a station attached to each is a different demand from grinding through 8 km, so short, sharp intervals and station specific practice serve you better than long steady mileage.

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One caution. Loaded carries, heavy sleds and high rep lunges stress joints and connective tissue. If you have pain, an injury or a health condition, see a qualified professional before building a race plan around these movements. HYROX itself requires injured racers to get medical clearance and to contact the organisers in advance about any adaptations.

Frequently asked questions

What are the HYROX divisions?

HYROX runs the same race in every division, a 1 km run followed by one workout station, repeated eight times, for 8 km of running and 8 stations. What differs is who does the work and how heavy it is. Solo racing has four divisions, Women, Women Pro, Men and Men Pro. Doubles has five, including Mixed, with a pair sharing the station work while both run the full distance. Team Relay has three, Women, Men and Mixed, with four people each taking 2 x 1 km and two stations, and no Pro option. Running distance is identical everywhere.

Do Pro racers run further than Open racers?

No. Every division runs 8 km in eight 1 km segments. The rulebooks state explicitly that running distance remains the same across all divisions. Only the loads at five of the eight stations change.

Do Doubles teams lift lighter weights or do fewer reps?

No on both counts. Doubles uses the same loads as the equivalent solo division and the same station totals. A Doubles Open pair still moves the full sled and still completes 100 wall balls between them. The difference is that the work is split between two people using a you go, I go format, with swap points the pair chooses.

What weights do Women Pro racers use?

Women Pro share a column with Men Open in the official tables: a 152 kg sled push, a 103 kg sled pull, both including the sled, 2 x 24 kg kettlebells, a 20 kg sandbag and a 6 kg wall ball. The wall ball target height stays at 2.70 m for women in both Open and Pro.

Do you need to qualify to enter the Pro division?

The Singles rulebook does not set out a qualifying time or a previous finish as a requirement. It states that HYROX is open to everyone, that qualifications are not required, and that racers must be at least 16 on race day. Standards can change between seasons, so confirm the current entry conditions on hyrox.com before you register.

Sources and accuracy note

Every figure here was taken from the official HYROX 26/27 Singles, Doubles, Team Relay and Adaptive rulebooks and checked in July 2026. HYROX revises weights, divisions and rules between seasons. Before entering, confirm current standards at hyrox.com, the only authoritative source and the only place to register.