The Best Hyrox Simulation Workouts: Full Race Practice at 70%, 85%, and 100% Effort
Nothing prepares you for Hyrox like doing Hyrox. Here are three simulation workouts at different effort levels, with exact station weights, run distances, and what to learn from each.
Why simulation training matters
You can train every station in isolation. You can run intervals until your splits are strong. You can do farmers carries and sled push and wall balls week after week.
And then you do your first Hyrox and discover that wall balls after seven other stations and eight runs feels completely different from wall balls when fresh. That the sled pull at station 3 feels manageable until you have also done a SkiErg and a sled push beforehand. That your running pace at lap 6 is not governed by your aerobic fitness but by the specific fatigue accumulated in the previous 50 minutes of maximal effort.
Simulation training is the only way to train this specific fatigue pattern. It teaches your body and your brain what the cumulative demand of a Hyrox feels like, so race day is not your first time experiencing it.
When to include simulations
10–12 weeks out: Mini Hyrox (70% simulation). Your first taste of the race format without the full volume.
6–8 weeks out: Race-pace simulation (85%). Building the specific race fitness. Run this monthly.
3–4 weeks out: Full Hyrox simulation (100%). Once only — this is a maximal effort session that requires significant recovery. Do not run it in the week before the race.
Simulation 1: Mini Hyrox (70% effort, ~40 minutes)
This is the entry-level simulation. Four stations, four runs, full station reps, run distances shortened. Use this in early training to learn the race format and experience compromised running without the volume of a full simulation.
Structure:
- Run 1: 500m at easy-moderate pace
- SkiErg: 1000m (full official distance)
- Run 2: 500m
- Sled Push: full official distance at official weight
- Run 3: 500m
- Sled Pull: full official distance at official weight
- Run 4: 500m
- Burpee Broad Jumps: 80 reps (full)
- Done.
No rest between any section. This is the most important rule. Move directly from the run to the station to the next run. The simulation is pointless with rest periods.
Official station weights (Open category):
- Sled Push Men: 102 kg. Women: 72 kg
- Sled Pull Men: 102 kg. Women: 72 kg
- Farmers Carry Men: 2 × 24 kg. Women: 2 × 16 kg
- Sandbag Lunges Men: 20 kg. Women: 10 kg
- Wall Balls Men: 6 kg to 10 ft. Women: 4 kg to 9 ft
What to learn: How does your SkiErg pace compare to training targets? What does your running pace look like after the sled push? Where does technique break down under fatigue?
Simulation 2: Race-Pace Simulation (85% effort, ~55–65 minutes)
Eight stations, eight shortened runs, at 85% of target race pace. This is the most important simulation in your training block. Run it twice — at weeks 7–8 and weeks 5–6.
Structure:
- Run 1: 750m at target race pace
- SkiErg: 1000m (full)
- Run 2: 750m
- Sled Push: full distance
- Run 3: 750m
- Sled Pull: full distance
- Run 4: 750m
- Burpee Broad Jumps: 80 reps
- Run 5: 750m
- Rowing: 1000m (full)
- Run 6: 750m
- Farmers Carry: full distance
- Run 7: 750m
- Sandbag Lunges: 200 metres total (full)
- Run 8: 750m
- Wall Balls: 100 reps (full)
Target effort: Each run should be at your race-day pace. Each station should be at race-day intensity. You are going 85% of a true all-out effort — meaning you are not holding back, but you have a 15% reserve that keeps you from complete failure.
What to learn: This is where the real diagnostic value is. Time every section. Compare to your race-split targets. Identify which stations are taking longer than target and which runs are slowing compared to the early laps. These are your training priorities for the remaining weeks.
Simulation 3: Full Hyrox Simulation (100% effort, ~70–100+ minutes)
One time only. Run it 3–4 weeks before your race. This is as close to the actual race as you can get in training. Complete the full official distances.
Structure: The official Hyrox race format:
- Run 1: 1000m at race pace
- SkiErg: 1000m
- Run 2: 1000m
- Sled Push: full distance (30m × 2 = 60m total)
- Run 3: 1000m
- Sled Pull: full distance
- Run 4: 1000m
- Burpee Broad Jumps: 80 reps
- Run 5: 1000m
- Rowing: 1000m
- Run 6: 1000m
- Farmers Carry: full distance (200m total)
- Run 7: 1000m
- Sandbag Lunges: 200m total
- Run 8: 1000m
- Wall Balls: 100 reps
This is a race. Go as hard as you can sustain across the full distance. Do not sandbag it.
What to learn: This is your most accurate pre-race prediction of finish time (add 5–10 minutes for race-day conditions and adrenaline — athletes typically go faster on race day). Use your splits to set your race-day targets. If you faded significantly from section 5 onward, adjust your early-section pacing.
Recovery: Treat this like a race for recovery purposes. Easy week after. Do not do another hard session for 4–5 days.
Equipment substitutions for athletes without full gym access
If your gym does not have all official equipment:
| Official | Substitute |
|---|---|
| SkiErg | 500m row at matched effort, or 40 × band pull-downs |
| Sled Push | Heavily loaded sled, or furniture push at equivalent resistance |
| Sled Pull | High-resistance cable row, 40 reps per 30m, or band rows |
| Rowing | 500m SkiErg at matched effort |
| Farmers Carry | Dumbbells at race weight |
| Sandbag Lunges | Loaded backpack at race weight |
| Wall Balls | Dumbbell goblet squat to overhead press, 100 reps at equivalent effort |
Running cannot be substituted. You need to run the actual run portions.
Recording your simulation data
Track these numbers from every simulation:
Per run: Distance, time, average pace. Per station: Total time from starting position to completing last rep. Transition: Note any station where you spent extra time setting up or resting. Total: Overall session time.
Build a simple spreadsheet with this data. After two or three simulations, patterns become clear. The insights from this data are more valuable than any amount of generic race advice.
Related reading
- Station Masterclass: full technique series for each station
- Sub-90 Blueprint: target splits for your simulation
- How to Peak for a Hyrox Race: tapering after your simulation
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