Sled pull Hyrox guide: weight, distance, technique and how to train it

The sled pull in Hyrox is 50 m of dragging a weighted sled toward you with a rope, hand over hand, from a marked box at the end of your lane. The Hyrox sled pull weight runs from 78 kg to 153 kg including the sled, depending on division. It's station three, straight after the sled push, which means your legs are already loaded and your grip is about to be.

It's also the station where technique saves the most time for the least effort. Pull with your arms alone and your grip and biceps quit early. Pull with your legs and bodyweight and the rope does what it's told. Below: the official standard, weights by division, technique, pacing, the infringements people collect, and how to train it with or without a sled. If you want it programmed for you, that's Hyrox training that adjusts weekly.

What is the sled pull in Hyrox?

You run 1 km, a judge assigns you a lane, and you stand in the Racers Box at one end with a rope attached to a sled at the other. You pull the sled to you until the whole sled passes the 12.5 m mark, run to the other end, and pull it back. Four lengths of 12.5 m and you're done.

It's the second of two sled stations and the third of the eight more on hyrox stations in race order. Grip, upper back, hips and legs all have to work together, which is why the sled pull deserves a regular spot in a week-by-week Hyrox plan, not one panicked session in race week.

The official sled pull standard

From section 8.3 of the 26/27 singles rulebook:

• ›Use your assigned lane. A judge gives you a lane, and using it is mandatory.
• ›Start inside the box. Sled and racer must be completely within their respective Racers Box before you start.
• ›Stay in the Racers Box. You work from a marked box at each end of your lane, and you can't step on the solid line at the front or the back of the box while you're holding the rope.
• ›The whole sled crosses the line. The sled must pass the 12.5 m mark, completely over the white line, before you change direction.
• ›Then move to the other end. Once the sled passes the mark, you run to the opposite end of your lane and pull it back.
• ›Stay standing. No pulling from a seated or kneeling position.
• ›Keep your rope in your lane. It can extend out the back of your lane but can't impede a neighboring one.
• ›Four lengths of 12.5 m with the whole sled over the final line completes the station.

Penalties: first infringement is a formal warning, second is a 15-second penalty, and every one after that is another 15 seconds with no further warnings.

Event chalk is provided at the sled pull, and it's one of only two stations where chalk is allowed (the other is the farmers carry). Bringing your own chalk, or carrying the event chalk to another station, is a 2-minute penalty.

Hyrox sled pull weight by division

The sled pull weight for Hyrox, from the 26/27 singles rulebook. Weights include the sled; pound figures are rounded conversions.

As with the push, Women Pro uses the Men Open load. And as with the push, floor surface changes how heavy the sled feels, so train at race weight and a little above when you can. The heavier sibling station, with its own 102 kg to 202 kg loads, is covered in more on hyrox sled push.

Sled pull technique

Set up

• ›Stand at the back of the box, not the front. You want room to step back as you pull, without crossing the back line.
• ›Athletic stance. Feet roughly shoulder width or a little wider, knees bent, hips back. Think half-squat, not standing tall.
• ›Chalk up if your hands are sweaty. It's provided, and it's legal here.

The pull

• ›Use your legs and bodyweight. Sit back into your hips and lean away from the sled, so your bodyweight and leg drive move it. Your arms just keep the rope moving.
• ›Hand over hand, long pulls. Reach forward, grab, and pull through to your hip. Short, fast arm pulls tire your grip without moving the sled much further.
• ›Keep the sled moving. Like the push, a moving sled is far easier than a stopped one. Steady, continuous pulls beat bursts.
• ›Manage the rope. Let the pulled rope fall to the side or behind you inside your lane. You'll need to walk on it, so keep it out from under your feet where you can.

Stepping back

You can step backward inside the box to add leg drive, which most people find helps. Just know where the back line is. Stepping on it while holding the rope is an infringement, and it's the easiest one to collect when you're tired and leaning hard.

The turn

When the whole sled crosses the line, drop the rope, run to the other end, and set up again inside the box. It's a short run. Don't stroll it.

How to pace the sled pull

• ›Don't arrive with your grip already gone. The SkiErg uses the same lats and arms, so measured hyrox skierg pacing at station one pays off here.
• ›Even lengths. Aim for four similar lengths, not a fast first one and a crawling fourth.
• ›Short breaks, if any, at the ends. If you need a rest, take it as you change ends.
• ›Save something for burpees. The next station is 80 m of chest-to-floor burpees and jumps. Your arms and legs both still have work to do.

Common sled pull infringements

• ›Stepping on the front or back line of the Racers Box while holding the rope. By far the most common.
• ›Changing direction before the whole sled crosses the 12.5 m line.
• ›Sitting or kneeling to pull. Desperation drops people onto their backsides. It's not allowed.
• ›Rope drifting into the next lane.
• ›Starting outside the box, or using a lane you weren't assigned.

How to train the Hyrox sled pull

Strength first

Grip, upper back and a strong hip hinge do the work. Useful exercises:

• ›Deadlift variations for the hinge and leg drive.
• ›Rows: barbell, dumbbell, seated cable.
• ›Heavy carries for grip and trunk. Farmers carries are the obvious one, and they double as practice for the kettlebell station later in the race. No kettlebells? Dumbbells, a trap bar or loaded bags work, and that's a guide to farmers carry alternative options in one sentence.
• ›Pull-ups and hangs for grip endurance.

With a sled and rope

• ›Technique lengths: 4 x 12.5 m at race weight with full rest, focusing on leg drive and staying in the box.
• ›Overload: a few lengths above race weight.
• ›Race practice: 1 km run, sled push 4 x 12.5 m, 1 km run, sled pull 4 x 12.5 m. The two sleds back to back is what the race delivers.

Without a sled

If your gym has no sled or rope, train the same qualities:

• ›Rope or strap drag: tie a rope to a heavy object you can safely drag on the floor, such as a plate on a towel, and pull it hand over hand.
• ›Banded hand-over-hand pulls anchored low, for timed sets.
• ›Backward sled-style walks holding a heavy object low, if you have a smooth floor.
• ›Heavy rows and deadlifts to build the base.

A proper sled pull alternative explained should hit grip, back and hips together. Get on a real sled before race day if you can, to learn how it responds.

Fitting it into the week

Sled pull work loads your back and grip, so keep it away from the day before a heavy deadlift session. It pairs well with an erg day; a rowing interval workout followed by a few sled pull lengths trains the same back and posture under fatigue.

Where the sled pull fits in the race

The sled pull is the end of the heavy front half. The burpees come next, and our guide to Hyrox burpee broad jumps explains why your arms need something left after the rope. After that come the row, the carry and 100 m of lunges, the long leg grind near the finish that our guide to Hyrox sandbag lunges breaks down.

How exrsz handles the sled pull

exrsz builds a periodized plan from your goal, schedule, level and equipment, so if your gym has no sled, the plan uses what you do have. Strength, grip work and running sit in one plan, it adapts each week to how you trained, and it reshuffles missed sessions.

FAQ

What is the Hyrox sled pull weight?

Under the 26/27 singles rulebook, the sled pull is 78 kg for Women Open, 103 kg for Men Open and Women Pro, and 153 kg for Men Pro, all including the sled.

What is the Hyrox sled pull distance?

50 m, done as four lengths of 12.5 m. The whole sled must pass the 12.5 m line before you change direction.

Can you sit down during the sled pull in Hyrox?

No. The rulebook requires you to stay standing; pulling from a seated or kneeling position isn't allowed.

Can you use chalk on the sled pull?

Yes, but only the event-provided chalk at the station. Bringing your own is a 2-minute penalty.

Can you step back while pulling the sled?

Yes, inside the Racers Box. You can't step on the front or back line of the box while holding the rope.