8 weeks 4 sessions/week beginner Open Men · First-timer

Sub-1:40 Hyrox Training Plan

Cross the line under 1 hour 40 minutes — a confident first-time finish that puts you mid-pack in most Open Men waves.

Athlete profile

You can run 5 km without stopping, you train in a gym 1-2 times a week, and you're 8 weeks out from your first Hyrox. You don't need to be fast yet — you need to be specific.

Prerequisites

Can run 5 km continuously
Comfortable squatting your bodyweight
Access to a gym with a sled, ski erg, rower and wall ball target
8 weeks of clear calendar before race day

Overview

Sub-1:40 Hyrox is the realistic first-race target for most Open Men with general fitness. It puts you in the meaty part of the bell curve — finishing ahead of about 30-40% of the field — and it's achievable in 8 weeks of focused, race-specific training.

Why this plan works

First-timers fail Hyrox by treating it like a gym workout or a 10 km race — it is neither. This plan keeps your weekly running volume low (you already have base fitness) and spends the saved hours on the only thing that matters: practising the eight stations under fatigue, in race order, at race weights. By race day you will have completed at least one mini-Hyrox and one three-quarter simulation, so the format is no longer a surprise.

Week-by-week schedule

Each row is one week. Each column is one day, Monday → Sunday. Hover or tap any session to read the detail.

Week	Phase	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
W1	Foundation Learn the movements	Easy Z2 run 30 min 30 min Conversational pace zone 2.	Rest 0 min Full rest day.	Light station circuit 50 min 3 rounds light technique work across all 8 stations.	Rest 0 min Full rest day.	Full-body compound day 60 min Squat, deadlift, press in one session.	Long run 75 min 75 min Long aerobic effort.	Rest 0 min Full rest day.
W2	Foundation Layer in pace	Easy Z2 run 30 min 30 min Conversational pace zone 2.	Mobility & core 30 min Hip, ankle, T-spine mobility plus a short core circuit.	Threshold 3×10 min 55 min 3×10 min at threshold with 2 min jog rest.	Rest 0 min Full rest day.	Full-body compound day 60 min Squat, deadlift, press in one session.	Long run 75 min 75 min Long aerobic effort.	Rest 0 min Full rest day.
W3	Build First taste of intensity	Easy Z2 run 45 min 45 min Conversational pace zone 2.	Mobility & core 30 min Hip, ankle, T-spine mobility plus a short core circuit.	Threshold 3×10 min 55 min 3×10 min at threshold with 2 min jog rest.	Rest 0 min Full rest day.	Sled volume 45 min 4×25 m push + 4×25 m pull at race weight.	Long run 75 min 75 min Long aerobic effort.	Rest 0 min Full rest day.
W4	Build Stations under fatigue	Easy Z2 run 45 min 45 min Conversational pace zone 2.	Mobility & core 30 min Hip, ankle, T-spine mobility plus a short core circuit.	Threshold 3×10 min 55 min 3×10 min at threshold with 2 min jog rest.	Rest 0 min Full rest day.	Compromised running circuit 45-55 min 3 rounds: 1 km run + 50 wall balls + 200 m sandbag lunges.	Long run 75 min 75 min Long aerobic effort.	Rest 0 min Full rest day.
W5	Build Race-pace running	Easy Z2 run 45 min 45 min Conversational pace zone 2.	Mobility & core 30 min Hip, ankle, T-spine mobility plus a short core circuit.	Hyrox 1 km repeats × 6 55 min 6×1 km at goal Hyrox running pace with 60 s rest.	Rest 0 min Full rest day.	Sled volume 45 min 4×25 m push + 4×25 m pull at race weight.	Long run 90 min 90 min Aerobic durability builder.	Rest 0 min Full rest day.
W6	Peak First simulation	Easy Z2 run 45 min 45 min Conversational pace zone 2.	Mobility & core 30 min Hip, ankle, T-spine mobility plus a short core circuit.	Hyrox 1 km repeats × 6 55 min 6×1 km at goal Hyrox running pace with 60 s rest.	Rest 0 min Full rest day.	Mini Hyrox (half race) 45-55 min 4×1 km + 4 stations at race pace.	Long run 75 min 75 min Long aerobic effort.	Rest 0 min Full rest day.
W7	Peak Three-quarter dress rehearsal	Easy Z2 run 30 min 30 min Conversational pace zone 2.	Rest 0 min Full rest day.	Hyrox 1 km repeats × 6 55 min 6×1 km at goal Hyrox running pace with 60 s rest.	Rest 0 min Full rest day.	Three-quarter Hyrox 60-75 min 6×1 km + 6 stations at race pace.	Active recovery walk 30-45 min Easy walk at conversational pace.	Rest 0 min Full rest day.
W8	Taper Race week	Easy shakeout 20 min 20 min Very easy run with 4×20 s strides.	Mobility & core 30 min Hip, ankle, T-spine mobility plus a short core circuit.	Threshold 3×10 min 55 min 3×10 min at threshold with 2 min jog rest.	Rest 0 min Full rest day.	Pre-race activation 30 min Light activation 1-2 days before race.	Rest 0 min Full rest day.	RACE DAY Race The race itself. Trust the plan.

Week notes

Week 1 (Foundation): Light week. Focus on technique on every station — bad form here will haunt you in week 6.
Week 6 (Peak): Your mini-Hyrox time × 2 ≈ projected finish. Aim for 50-55 minutes.
Week 8 (Taper): Cut volume by 60%. Sleep is the highest-leverage thing you can do this week.

Weekly volume notes

Total weekly run volume: 15-25 km — deliberately low. You're not training for a 10K.
Strength: 1-2 sessions/week. Enough to build sled-push capacity without burying your runs.
Hyrox-specific: 1 sled or simulation session/week. This is non-negotiable.

Common mistakes to avoid

Running too far. Sub-100 athletes don't lose minutes to running fitness — they lose them on the sled and at wall balls. Run smart, train stations.
Skipping mini-Hyrox in week 6. If you've never done a half-race, the full-distance feel will catch you off guard at minute 40.
Doing zone 2 too hard. Z2 means you can hold a conversation. If you're huffing, you're in zone 3 and accumulating junk fatigue.

Session library

Every workout referenced in the schedule above. Click to expand for cues, target paces, and rest intervals.

Easy Z2 run 30 min 30 min

30 minutes at zone 2 — you should be able to hold a full conversation. Roughly 60-70% max heart rate, or about 90 seconds per kilometre slower than your goal Hyrox running pace.

Rest 0 min

Complete rest. Sleep, hydration, light stretching only. Recovery is when adaptation happens — do not skip rest days during a hard build phase.

Light station circuit 50 min

3 rounds of: 30 s ski, 25 m sled push (light), 25 m sled pull (light), 10 burpee broad jumps, 30 s row, 50 m farmer's carry, 20 m lunges, 25 wall balls. Technique day, not for time.

Full-body compound day 60 min

Front squat 4×6, deadlift 4×4, push press 4×5, weighted pull-ups 4×6. Pure unit-strength session — useful when you only have 2 strength slots a week.

Long run 75 min 75 min

75 minutes continuous, mostly zone 2 with the last 10 minutes drifting into low zone 3 if you feel good. Builds aerobic durability and fat oxidation.

Mobility & core 30 min

10 min hip openers (90/90, couch stretch, deep squat hold), 10 min ankle and T-spine work, 10 min core (dead bugs, side plank, hollow holds). Important for sled push depth and lunge stride length.

Threshold 3×10 min 55 min

15 min easy warm-up, then 3×10 minutes at threshold pace (comfortably hard, ~10 km race pace) with 2 min easy jog between. 10 min cool-down. Lifts your lactate threshold so race-pace running feels easier.

Easy Z2 run 45 min 45 min

45 minutes at zone 2. The bedrock of Hyrox aerobic capacity. Stay disciplined — too many athletes drift this into zone 3 and accumulate junk fatigue.

Sled volume 45 min

After warm-up: 4×25 m sled push at race weight (152 kg M / 102 kg W) with 90 s rest, 4×25 m sled pull at race weight (103 kg M / 78 kg W) with 90 s rest. Builds technique under fatigue.

Compromised running circuit 45-55 min

After warm-up, 3 rounds: 1 km run at goal pace, 50 wall balls (6 kg M / 4 kg W), 200 m sandbag lunges (10 kg). Teaches your legs how to run on a fatigued posterior chain.

Hyrox 1 km repeats × 6 55 min

15 min warm-up, 6×1 km at your goal Hyrox running pace (treadmill or track) with exactly 60 seconds rest — same as Hyrox's compressed transition windows. Cool-down 10 min.

Long run 90 min 90 min

90 minutes continuous. Optional finish: last 15 minutes at marathon pace. Critical for handling Hyrox's 8 km of running spread across stations.

Mini Hyrox (half race) 45-55 min

4×1 km run + 4 rotating stations (ski 500 m, 25 m sled push, 25 m sled pull, 40 m burpee broad jumps) at race pace. Half the volume of a full sim — usable mid-week without crushing recovery.

Three-quarter Hyrox 60-75 min

6×1 km run + 6 stations (ski, sled push, sled pull, burpees, row, farmers) at race pace. Bridge between mini and full sim. Useful 4-6 weeks before race.

Active recovery walk 30-45 min

30-45 minutes walking at a conversational pace. Heart rate stays under 60% max. Use it to flush legs after hard sessions and accumulate easy aerobic time.

Easy shakeout 20 min 20 min

20 minutes very easy running, finish with 4×20 s strides at goal Hyrox pace. Keeps legs primed without depleting glycogen.

Pre-race activation 30 min

10 min easy bike or row, dynamic mobility, then 3 rounds of: 200 m run + 5 wall balls + 10 m sled push + 5 burpee broad jumps. Wakes up race-day movement patterns without fatigue.

RACE DAY Race

Race day. Eat your normal breakfast 3 hours out, arrive at the venue 90 minutes before your wave, complete the activation drill, and execute your pacing strategy. Nothing new on race day.

Pace your goal

Need exact splits to hit Sub-100?

The Sub-100 pace guide breaks down running pace, station times, and Roxzone budget for this exact target — match the schedule above to the splits.

See Sub-100 splits →

Frequently asked questions

Is sub-1:40 Hyrox good for a first-timer?

Yes. Sub-1:40 puts a first-time Open Men finisher in roughly the 60th percentile — comfortably mid-pack. It's the right balance of ambitious and achievable for someone with general fitness who hasn't trained Hyrox-specifically.

Can I do this plan if I've never used a ski erg or sled?

Yes — that's why weeks 1 and 2 are dedicated to learning the movements. Watch a technique video for each station before week 1 and ask a coach at your gym to check your sled push and pull on day 1.

What if I miss a session?

Skip it and continue. Don't double up the next day or try to make up missed long runs. Consistency over weeks beats heroics within a week.

Should I pick Open or Pro for my first Hyrox?

Open. Pro weights and reps are 50-60% harder for first-timers and you'll learn far more from completing an Open race than DNF-ing a Pro.

Benchmark workouts in this plan

Full Hyrox Simulation — The complete Hyrox race format performed in training as a benchmark and race-pace dress rehearsal.
Mini Hyrox (4 + 4) — Half-distance Hyrox simulation — 4 km running plus 4 stations. The standard mid-cycle benchmark workout.
Hyrox 1k Repeats — 8 × 1 km running with short rest — the gold-standard Hyrox running workout.

Other plans you may consider

Sub-1:30 Hyrox Training Plan — Open Men · 1 race completed
8-Week Hyrox Training Plan — Open division · 8 weeks out

Track your progress with the calculator

As you complete each phase, run your improving 5K times and station benchmarks through the Hyrox time calculator to see how each fitness gain translates to your projected race finish. The calculator's goal-time guides give you split-by-split targets for sub-60, sub-75, sub-90, and sub-100 finishes.