HYROX London runs 2 to 6 December 2026 at ExCeL, 1 Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock, London E16 1XL. Divisions and waves are spread across that window, so your race day depends on what you enter.
The race itself is the same race as every other HYROX. What is worth knowing about London specifically is the venue, the logistics and how to be ready for it.
| | | |---|---| | Event | HYROX London ExCeL | | Dates | 2 to 6 December 2026 | | Venue | ExCeL, 1 Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock, London E16 1XL | | Nearest station | Custom House (Elizabeth line, DLR) | | Format | 8km running, 8 stations, identical worldwide | | Official listing | Event page |
Why trust this
The date and venue above are read from HYROX's own event page rather than estimated from the calendar cadence. Ben Sutherland races Pro Doubles on the Elite 15 start list, so the preparation advice comes from racing this format rather than reading about it.
Dates do shift. Confirm on the official event page before booking travel.
The course is not different. The venue is.
This is the single most common misunderstanding about city races, and it is worth being clear.
The eight stations, their order, their distances and the loads for your division are fixed by the rulebook and identical everywhere. There is no London course. SkiErg, sled push, sled pull, burpee broad jumps, row, farmers carry, sandbag lunges, wall balls, with a 1km run before each. Same in London as in Chicago.
What genuinely varies by venue, and does affect your time:
Running track layout. A 1km segment is made of laps, and the number of laps depends on how the hall is configured. More laps means more corners, and corners cost time and rhythm. Large halls like ExCeL generally allow longer, more runnable loops than tighter venues.
Floor surface. Sled friction varies noticeably with the flooring. The same 152kg genuinely feels different from hall to hall. This is real and widely discussed among racers.
Roxzone length. The transition area between run and station is not a fixed size. A longer Roxzone means more time in transit, and that time counts.
Wave congestion. Busy waves mean queuing at stations. London is one of the larger events, so this matters more here than at a small race.
The practical consequence: do not compare your London time directly to a friend's time from another venue. Two identical performances can differ by minutes.
Getting there
ExCeL sits in Royal Victoria Dock in east London.
- Elizabeth line to Custom House is usually the fastest route from central London.
- DLR serves Custom House and Prince Regent, either end of the venue.
- Driving is possible with on-site parking, but a December weekend at ExCeL is busy and parking is not cheap.
Give yourself considerably more time than the journey planner suggests. ExCeL is enormous, and the walk from the station entrance to your actual start area can add fifteen minutes on its own.
The December factor
A winter race changes two things.
Warming up is harder. The halls are large and can be cold, particularly near entrances. Bring more layers than feels sensible and keep them on until close to your wave.
Your training block runs through autumn. A December race means the bulk of your preparation happens across September to November, in shortening daylight and worsening weather. If your plan depends on outdoor running, decide now how you will handle dark evenings, because that is what derails December-race preparation far more often than fitness does.
The practical part: twelve weeks out from London
Counting back from early December, a twelve-week block starts in early-to-mid September.
- Weeks 1-4, build the running base. Three runs a week. One easy 5km, one interval session, one longer easy run of 8-10km. Running predicts your finish time more than anything else.
- Weeks 5-8, add compromised work. One session a week where you go straight from a station into a run. Row 500m then run 1km, repeat. This specific sensation is the race and it cannot be trained by running alone.
- Weeks 9-11, race-weight everything. Every station at your actual division weight. Weigh your gym's sled first and load to total race weight, because sled figures include the sled.
- Week 12, taper. Cut volume by roughly half, keep some intensity. Do not try to gain fitness in the last week; you cannot, and you can lose freshness.
- Throughout, rehearse transitions. Walk out of a station and start running within ten seconds. Nobody practises this and it is free time.
What to bring
- Layers you can shed late, because the hall will be cold before your wave.
- Your own gloves if you use them for the sled pull and farmers carry. Grip is a failure point at two stations.
- Shoes you have already run in. A December race is not the day to test new trainers.
- More food than you think, because the gap between arrival and your wave can be long.
Honest limitations
This page cannot tell you your wave time, which is set when entries close, or the exact hall layout, which is published close to the event.
Dates and venues do change. The figures here were read from the official event listing, but confirm before you book anything expensive.
And a December race in London is a popular one. If you want a specific division or wave, enter early rather than optimistically.
Next step
Find out where your fitness actually sits before you set a target time. The fitness assessment quiz takes a few minutes and gives you a realistic read.
If you want a structured block counting back from race day, the free HYROX plan maker builds one around your current running and strength.
For the full picture of what you are entering, start with what HYROX is and the race format.
[ FAQ ]
Frequently asked
When is HYROX London?
HYROX London runs from 2 to 6 December 2026 at ExCeL in Royal Victoria Dock. Divisions are spread across the event window, so your own race day depends on which division and wave you enter.
Where is HYROX London held?
ExCeL London, 1 Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock, London E16 1XL. It is served by Custom House on the Elizabeth line and the DLR.
Is the HYROX London course different from other events?
No. The eight stations, their order, distances and weights are fixed by the rulebook and identical worldwide. What changes between venues is the running track layout, the number of laps per kilometre, the floor surface and the length of the Roxzone.
Written by
The Suth Performance teamCoaches and editors
The Suth Performance programming team, led by HYROX Elite 15 athlete Ben Sutherland.
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