The first thing I tell new Hyrox athletes: Hyrox is a runner's race with a strength tax.
If you take only one thing from this post, take that. It changes how you weight your training week, what you sacrifice when time is short, and what kind of athlete you should aim to become over a 12-week build.
This piece breaks down the strength-vs-running balance, including why most plateau athletes get it wrong in the same direction.
The race-time breakdown
For a 90-minute first-time finisher, the time splits roughly:
- Running: ~52 minutes (8 × 1 km at average ~6:30/km, plus warm-up runs).
- Stations: ~35 minutes (8 stations, averaging 4-5 min each).
- Transitions: ~3 minutes (the unprogrammed seconds, see our transitions piece).
So running is ~58% of the race; stations are ~38%; transitions are ~4%. For a 60-minute elite finisher the running share drops to ~50% because their station times compress more than their run times.
[ BREAKDOWN ]
Where a 90-minute race actually goes
Share of total race time for a first-time 90-minute finisher. Roughly modelled from typical splits, not measured data, so treat it as a shape rather than a number.
- Running58% of race8 × 1 km at around 6:30/km, plus the warm-up runs. More than half the race.
- Stations38% of raceEight stations at roughly 4-5 minutes each.
- Transitions4% of raceThe unprogrammed seconds nobody trains.
The implication: running fitness is more than half of your race, and the easiest way to improve a finish time is usually to run faster, not lift heavier.
The 70/30 training rule
For first-time Hyrox racers, the weekly training time should split roughly 70/30 in favour of running + aerobic work over strength + station work. A typical week:
- 1 easy long aerobic (60-75 min)
- 1 race-pace interval session (40-50 min)
- 1 Hyrox-pattern session (run + station mix, 45-60 min)
- 1 dedicated strength session (40 min, 2 compounds + accessories)
- Optional: 1 recovery jog (20-30 min Zone 2)
Total: ~3.5-4.5 hours of running/aerobic + ~1 hour of pure strength = 70/30 ratio.
This is the structure that gets first-timers across the finish line, most of them somewhere in the 75 to 110 minute band.
When the ratio shifts
Two reasons to deviate from 70/30:
1. You're already a strong runner. Sub-22 minute 5 km, decent long-run base. In this case you might shift to 60/40, your aerobic ceiling is already where it needs to be; the missing piece is station strength. Add a second strength session, possibly drop the recovery jog.
2. You're a strength-first athlete with weak running. Heavy lifting background, never run more than 3 km comfortably. Shift to 80/20 in favour of running for the first 6 weeks of the build. You need aerobic capacity before specific Hyrox-pattern work makes sense.
What you should NEVER do: 50/50. Splitting training time evenly produces a middling runner with above-average strength, exactly the profile that fails to break 90.
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Which ratio is yours
- First-time racerThe default. Around 3.5-4.5 hours of running and aerobic work against roughly an hour of pure strength.
- 70/30
- Already a strong runnerSub-22 minute 5 km with a long-run base. The aerobic ceiling is there; add a second strength session and drop the recovery jog.
- 60/40
- Strength-first, weak runningHeavy lifting background, never run past 3 km comfortably. Hold this for the first six weeks before any Hyrox-pattern work.
- 80/20
- Nobody, everProduces a middling runner with above-average strength. That is the exact profile that stalls at 95 minutes.
- 50/50
Why pure runners blow up at station 4
You see this every race. A sub-19 minute 5 km runner walks into Hyrox confident. They run the first three kilometres at goal pace, hit the burpee broad jump (station 4), and disintegrate.
Why: pure runners haven't built repeatable sub-maximal strength. The burpee broad jump is an aerobic-strength hybrid, high heart rate plus high hip-extension force. Without weekly station volume, the runner's body has the engine but not the chassis.
The fix: every runner-track athlete needs 2 dedicated strength sessions per week, plus one Hyrox-pattern that integrates stations. Skipping the strength is the most common cause of "I had the fitness but my legs gave out" race reports.
Why pure lifters miss the time cut
You also see this. A 200 kg deadlift, 150 kg bench press athlete walks into Hyrox. Sled push is easy, under 90 seconds. Wall balls fly. But kilometres 5-8 are a death march. They finish in 110+ minutes despite having world-class strength.
Why: heavy lifting builds anaerobic strength endurance, not aerobic capacity. You can't sled-push your way out of an 8 km running deficit.
The fix: every strength-first athlete needs 3 running sessions per week (one long Zone 2, one tempo, one race-pace interval). And almost certainly more running than they think, most lifters undershoot by 20-30%.
The week structure that works for most athletes
Here's the template we use for the standard Suth Performance First Race programme, which is written for the 75 to 110 minute first-race band.
Monday, easy aerobic (35-45 min)
Zone 2 run. Conversational pace. The point is volume + recovery, not stimulus. Don't push it.
Tuesday, race-pace intervals (45-50 min)
5-6 × 1 km at goal Hyrox pace, 90 sec rest. Plus 10-min warm-up and 5-min cool-down. This is the workout that builds your race-specific aerobic threshold.
Wednesday, strength (40 min)
Compound lifts at 70-80% 1RM. Squat or deadlift + push press + row + core. Sets of 5-8. Quality over volume.
Thursday, recovery + mobility (20 min)
Light walk, mobility flow, foam roll. The plan respects the cumulative load.
Friday. Hyrox-pattern (50-60 min)
Run + station combos at moderate intensity. 4 rounds of: 600 m run + 1-min station work (sled push, wall balls, sandbag lunge, burpee broad jump, rotate weekly). Builds the actual race rhythm.
Saturday, long aerobic (60-75 min)
Easy Zone 2. The aerobic deep base. Most race-day finishing capacity comes from this session, not the high-intensity ones.
Sunday, rest
Walking is fine. No structured training.
Total: ~4.5 hours of running/aerobic + ~1 hour of pure strength + 20 min recovery = a structured 70/30 build.
What gets sacrificed when time is short
The honest priority order (drop from the top when you can't fit everything):
- First to drop: the recovery jog. Useful but not load-bearing.
- Second to drop: the Friday Hyrox-pattern (if you're keeping Saturday's long).
- Third to drop: Monday's easy run (do an extra mobility day instead).
- Never drop: Tuesday intervals + Saturday long. These two carry the most race-day fitness per hour.
- Never drop: strength. Even one session a week beats none.
The bottom-line minimum viable Hyrox week: Tuesday intervals + one Wednesday strength + Saturday long. Three sessions, 2.5 hours total. Not optimal, but enough to finish a Hyrox if your baseline fitness is solid.
How Suth Performance handles the split
The Suth Performance quiz asks about your running background and strength background early. The programme auto-shifts the ratio based on your answers, pure runners get more strength density, pure lifters get more running volume, balanced athletes get the standard 70/30.
You don't have to decide the ratio. Tell the quiz where you are; the programme dials it in.
Where to go from here
Hyrox is a runner's race with a strength tax. Pay the strength tax (2 sessions per week, no exceptions). Prioritise the running (3-4 sessions per week, varied intensities). Don't try to 50/50 it.
The race rewards aerobic capacity layered over repeatable sub-maximal strength. That's the formula. Now go train it.
Related
[ FAQ ]
Frequently asked
Is Hyrox more about strength or running?
Running, with a strength tax. About 70% of race time for first-timers is the running; 30% is stations and transitions. The strength has to be enough to not slow you on the stations, but a strong runner with adequate strength beats a strong lifter with adequate running every time.
How many running sessions per week for Hyrox training?
Three to four. One easy long aerobic (45-75 min Zone 2), one race-pace interval session (5-6 × 1 km), one Hyrox-pattern that includes running, plus optionally one recovery jog. Strength is 2 sessions per week.
Written by
The Suth Performance teamCoaches and editors
The Suth Performance programming team, led by HYROX Elite 15 athlete Ben Sutherland. They write the training, technique and race-day guides on this site, and Ben reviews every one before it is published.
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