- Each of the four team members runs 2 km and completes two stations.
- Match people to the stations that suit them, especially the sleds and the final leg.
- Your leg is short and intense: train it like a hard interval, not a long race.
- Stay warm while you wait. You may stand around for a long time before your turn.
- Practise handovers so nobody is searching for a teammate in the Roxzone.
How the Relay format works
The Relay uses the full HYROX course: eight 1 km runs, each followed by a station in the usual order of SkiErg, sled push, sled pull, burpee broad jumps, rowing, farmers carry, sandbag lunges and wall balls. Instead of one person doing all of it, a team of four shares it out. Each athlete completes two runs and two stations, then tags the next teammate in the Roxzone.
In the standard format, each athlete takes two consecutive run and station blocks. That means the first athlete covers the SkiErg and the sled push, the second the sled pull and the burpee broad jumps, the third the row and the farmers carry, and the fourth the sandbag lunges and wall balls. Always check the current official HYROX rulebook for your event, including the loads for your category, in case the format has been updated.
Teams can be all women, all men or mixed, and the Relay tends to have a lively, team-sport atmosphere, with teammates cheering each other on around the course.
Choosing your running order
Because each leg contains different stations, the order you choose matters. Think about each block and who suits it best:
- Leg one (SkiErg and sled push): a strong athlete who can handle a heavy push, ideally someone who stays calm at the start.
- Leg two (sled pull and burpee broad jumps): someone with good pulling strength and a big engine for the burpees.
- Leg three (row and farmers carry): a good rower with strong grip.
- Leg four (sandbag lunges and wall balls): your strongest legs and toughest mind. This is widely seen as the hardest leg.
Running ability matters in every leg, but the stations are where the biggest differences between people show up. If one teammate is much less experienced, the row and carry leg is often the most forgiving place to put them.
Think about personalities too. The first athlete sets the tone and has to resist the adrenaline of the start. The last athlete needs to be the kind of person who digs in when the team is watching and the wall balls are burning. Put people where they will thrive, not just where the numbers say.
Training for your leg
Your part of the race is 2 km of running and two stations, which for most people is well under half an hour of work. That makes it much more intense than an individual race. You can and should run faster than you would in Open, and your stations can be more aggressive.
Train your leg as a hard interval. Once a week, rehearse it: 1 km run, your first station, 1 km run, your second station, at race intensity. Time each part. Alongside that, keep a base of easy running and strength work, because a fitter, stronger athlete recovers better between the two halves of the leg.
Learn your two stations inside out. Read the technique guides for them, practise at race load and make sure you know the standards. A no-rep in a Relay costs the whole team.
Pacing is still a skill, even over a short leg. Going flat out on your first run leaves you in trouble on your first station, and the second run and station are where the damage shows. Aim for a hard but controlled first half and a strong finish into the tag.
Waiting and warming up
One of the odd things about the Relay is how long you might wait. If you are the fourth athlete, you could be standing around for an hour or more before you start. Getting cold and stiff is a real risk.
Do a proper warm-up before the team starts, then keep moving. Walk around, stay in layers and do a second, shorter warm-up in the ten to fifteen minutes before your leg begins, with a few short, fast efforts to raise your heart rate. The principles in how to warm up for HYROX apply to every Relay athlete.
Eat and drink sensibly while you wait. A small snack and some water in the time before your leg is fine; a big meal is not.
Handovers in the Roxzone
The tag happens in the Roxzone, and a slow handover wastes time just as surely as a slow run. Before your team starts, find exactly where tags take place and where the incoming and outgoing athletes stand. The guide to the Roxzone explains how transitions work in general.
- The next athlete should be in position well before their teammate arrives.
- Agree a clear signal, and make the tag positive and quick.
- The outgoing athlete should start their run steadily for the first few hundred metres, not sprint off the tag.
- Once you finish your leg, move out of the way, recover and start cheering.
Preparing as a team
Train together at least a couple of times before the race. A full Relay simulation, with each person doing their leg in order and practising the tag, is one of the best sessions you can do. It also shows you roughly what finish time to expect.
Relay is also a great way for a gym community to race together. Members and coaches from Lycan Strength travelled to London together to race a HYROX Relay, and that kind of shared trip is often what gets people hooked on the sport.
For many people, the Relay is a stepping stone. After experiencing race day as part of a team, the natural next step is Doubles or Open. The guides to HYROX Doubles and HYROX divisions will help you decide what comes next.
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Questions
How many people are in a HYROX Relay team?
Four. Each person completes two 1 km runs and two stations before tagging the next teammate.
Which HYROX Relay leg is the hardest?
The final leg, with sandbag lunges and wall balls, is widely considered the toughest, because both stations hammer the legs.
Is HYROX Relay good for beginners?
Yes. It is the lowest barrier to entry because each person covers only 2 km of running and two stations, and the team atmosphere makes it very approachable.
General guidance for healthy adults. If you have a medical condition, injury or are pregnant, check with a health professional before changing your training or diet.