Hyrox simulation workouts: when to do one and how

A Hyrox simulation is a rehearsal of the race: runs plus stations, in order, at something close to race effort. It's the most useful session in a Hyrox build and the most overused. Done once or twice at the right time, it tells you your pacing, your weak station and where your runs fall apart. Done every Saturday, it just makes you tired in a very specific way.

This post covers what counts as a simulation, when to do one, how to set it up (with or without the proper kit), how to find a simulation event near you, and what to do with the results. Finding your weak spots is the easy part. Training them every week after is the job of an app that trains your weak stations, or of a notebook and some discipline.

What is a Hyrox simulation?

A Hyrox simulation is any session that reproduces part or all of the race format: a 1 km run followed by one station, in the official order. Per the 26/27 singles rulebook, that's eight rounds:

A full simulation does all of it. A partial simulation does a chunk of it. Both are rehearsals, and the point of a rehearsal is to collect information: your split for every run and every station. That information is what turns a finish-time guess into a plan, whether you work it out on paper or with a Hyrox pacing calculator.

If you're earlier in the process and still figuring out training for your first Hyrox, start there. Simulations are a late-build tool, not a starting point.

When to do a Hyrox simulation

The short version: rarely, and not close to the race.

• ›Not in the first weeks of a build. Early on, you don't need a rehearsal; you need fitness. Easy running, strength and station technique come first. If you're new, our guide to Hyrox workouts for beginners is the right starting point.
• ›Partial simulations in the middle and late build. Every two or three weeks is plenty for most people.
• ›One or two full simulations per build, well before the taper. Many coaches put the last full one several weeks out, so there's time to recover and act on what it showed you.
• ›Not in race week. A short session with a few stations at race pace early in the week is enough. The fitness is built.

The reason is cost. A full simulation is close to a race effort, and you recover from it like one. If you're doing them weekly, you're spending recovery on rehearsals that should go on the training that actually builds the engine and the strength.

Types of Hyrox simulation

Most of the useful work in a build comes from the partial formats. They're also easier to slot around the rest of your week, which still needs easy running, strength work and the other workouts that transfer to Hyrox.

The back half (rounds 5 to 8) is usually the more revealing one: the row, the carry, the lunges and the wall balls all arrive on legs that have already run four kilometers and pushed and pulled a sled.

How to set up a Hyrox simulation

Pick the right loads

Use the weights for your division. For a first simulation, slightly lighter than race weight is fine if the sleds are new to you. For the last one before the race, use race weight.

Measure the run properly

A track, a treadmill or a measured loop all work. The race measures each run segment at roughly 1,000 m, sometimes split into laps depending on the venue, so the rulebook makes you responsible for counting your own laps. Practice counting yours.

Substitute what you don't have

Most gyms don't have every station. That's fine:

• ›Sled push: heavy prowler or plate push on turf.
• ›Sled pull: a rope or strap drag with a heavy load.
• ›SkiErg: row it, or do banded pulldowns with a hip hinge.
• ›Wall balls: a wall and a ball at the right target height (2.70 m for women, 3.00 m for men, per the rulebook), or thrusters if you have neither.

If you want how to train for Hyrox at home explained properly, it mostly comes down to substitutions like these. The structure of run, then station, matters more than the exact equipment.

Plan the transitions

The race doesn't pause between the run and the station. Set your stations up close to your running route, and move between them without stopping to chat, check your phone or redo your chalk.

Record everything

Write down every split: eight runs and eight stations. Also note your effort and anything that went wrong. The numbers are the point of the session.

How to pace a simulation

Run it the way you plan to race it, not the way you feel at the start line.

• ›Start conservatively. The SkiErg comes first and the adrenaline is highest. Most people go out too hard and pay for it on the second run.
• ›Aim for even run splits. Your later runs will drift slower. A big drop is a pacing or fitness signal.
• ›Pace the ergs to the run after. If you can't run straight off the row, you rowed too hard.
• ›Break the wall balls before you have to. Planned sets beat forced singles.

Rate the whole thing honestly. A simulation that ends at an all-out effort is fine once; one that falls apart halfway is information about pacing, not toughness.

What to do after a simulation

This is where the value is. Look at the splits and ask three questions:

1. ›Which station cost the most time? That's the station to practice more often for the next block.
2. ›Which runs fell off most? If the run after a particular station is consistently slow, practice that pairing specifically. That's compromised running, and it's trainable.
3. ›Did your run pace hold? If your later runs are much slower than your early ones, more aerobic base and some interval training for Hyrox will move your time more than more station work.

Then take it easy for a couple of days. Like a race, a full simulation needs real recovery before the next hard session.

What a simulation says about your training

A simulation often reveals a gap in the bigger picture. Runners usually find the sleds and lunges cost them more than expected. Lifters usually find the eight kilometers cost them more. Both problems are fixed by balancing the two qualities over weeks, which is the core of what hybrid training actually is.

Hyrox simulation events: finding one near you

Plenty of people search for a Hyrox simulation finder, or a Hyrox simulation in Nashville or wherever they live, because they want the race experience with a crowd before the real thing. Some gyms run their own simulation events, and the practical route to one is through Hyrox-affiliated gyms.

Hyrox runs an official gym finder where you can search by location or postal code. Find the affiliated gyms near you and ask them directly whether they host simulations, how they set up the stations and what loads they use. Event formats vary from gym to gym, so check what you're signing up for.

An organized simulation is great for atmosphere and judging. It's also just as expensive to recover from as one you do alone, so the timing rules above still apply.

How exrsz handles simulations

exrsz builds a periodized plan from your race date, schedule, level and equipment, and places simulations where they fit in the build instead of every weekend. Running and station strength sit in one plan, it adapts each week to how your sessions went, and it reshuffles missed sessions without stacking hard ones together.

FAQ

How often should you do a Hyrox simulation?

Partial simulations every two or three weeks in the second half of a build is plenty for most people, with one or two full simulations per build. Weekly full simulations cost more recovery than they return.

When should I do my last Hyrox simulation before the race?

Well before the taper, so you have time to recover and act on what you learned. In race week, a short session with a few stations at race pace is enough.

Is there a Hyrox simulation finder?

Hyrox has an official gym finder that lets you search for affiliated gyms by location. Some gyms run simulation events, so find the ones near you and ask what they offer.

Can I do a Hyrox simulation without a sled or SkiErg?

Yes. Use a prowler or plate push for the sled push, a heavy rope or strap drag for the sled pull, and extra rowing or banded pulldowns for the SkiErg. Keep the run-then-station structure intact.

Should a Hyrox simulation be all-out?

Run it at your planned race pace, not all-out from the start. The goal is to rehearse pacing and record splits, and a simulation that falls apart early teaches you less than one paced well.