HYROX® divisions explained: Open, Pro, Doubles and Relay

What divisions are there in a fitness race?

There are three formats: singles, doubles and relay. Singles have four divisions (Women, Men, Women Pro and Men Pro), doubles have five (Women, Men, Mixed, Women Pro and Men Pro) and relay has three (Women, Men and Mixed). Every division runs the same 8 km in eight runs of 1 km. Only the loads and who does the work change.

In everyday language the standard singles divisions are called Open: Open women and Open men. A start wave never mixes divisions, so you always race against the people in your own division. The organiser's rulebooks list the full details, and we link them under Sources.

What is the difference between Open and Pro?

Pro uses heavier loads at five of the eight stations: both sleds, the farmers carry, the sandbag lunges and the wall balls. The runs, the SkiErg, the rowing and the burpee broad jumps are the same. Women Pro carries the loads of Open men, and Men Pro is heavier again.

Distances do not change between divisions: 50 m for each sled, 200 m for the farmers carry, 100 m of sandbag lunges, 100 wall balls, 1,000 m on the SkiErg and on the rower, and 80 m of burpee broad jumps. Our guide to stations and weights goes through each station.

How do doubles work, and who does what?

In doubles two people start together, run every kilometre side by side and share the eight stations. At a station one partner works while the other rests, and you choose how often to swap. Women's, men's and mixed teams race in separate divisions, and Pro exists for women's and men's teams.

• Running: you stay together for all eight kilometres. In the 2026/27 rulebook, one partner running ahead costs 1 minute, and more than three such penalties take the team out of the ranking.
• Stations: you enter and leave each station together, and the station ends only when the full distance or all the reps are done. The rulebook describes a "you go, I go" pattern: one partner works, then swaps after a distance of your choice.
• Resting partner: they stay on their feet inside the station area. Kneeling, sitting or lying down is not allowed.
• Finish: the team's time is taken when both of you have crossed the line, so the later timing chip decides the result.

A mixed pair lifts the men's Open loads at every station, so the woman works at a heavier load than in a women's doubles race. Who does what is the main strategic question: how to split the stations in a doubles race shows how to give each station to the faster partner and cap either partner's share.

How does a relay work?

A relay team has four people: four women, four men, or two women and two men in the mixed division. Each member runs 2 x 1 km and does two stations, and the team decides who does which. Only one member is active at a time. There is no Pro division, and each athlete lifts the Open load of their own gender.

• Split: a member can do both of their runs and stations back to back, or do one run and one station and hand over. The rulebook leaves this to the team.
• Exchange: the next member waits in an exchange area and enters only shortly before the handover. They high-five, and the finished member leaves straight away to keep the area clear.
• Chips: every member wears their own chip. A member who goes back to back must still run through the exchange area after each station so the chip is read, or the team gets an automatic penalty.
• Age: relay teams race in Under 40 or 40+, decided by the average age of the four.

A relay is a lighter commitment for each person, because nobody does more than 2 km of running and two stations. In our view that suits four friends of different fitness levels better than a single race does. Waves for relay leave every 5 or 10 minutes, depending on the division.

How do age groups work?

Age groups are five-year bands from 16 to 24 up to 85 to 89, and your group is set by your age on race day. Doubles use the average age of the two partners, and relay uses two groups, under 40 and 40 plus, from the average age of the four. You must be at least 16 on race day.

The singles rulebook allows Pro to be entered up to and including the 80+ age groups at regular races. One version of the 2026/27 doubles rulebook carries a footnote that ends the Pro divisions at the 55 to 59 group, so confirm the rule for your event if you are over 55 and want Pro.

Athletes aged 60 and over qualify for the World Championships through the Open division only, and they race Open loads there. Qualification is a separate topic and this guide does not cover it.

Which division should I pick for my first race?

For a first race we recommend the standard division, not Pro: Open singles if you want to find out what you can do alone, or doubles if you have a partner who runs at a similar pace. Choose Pro only after you have finished Open races comfortably and can move Pro loads in training. This is our recommendation.

Times differ between divisions, so compare yours with the benchmarks for your division. If this is your first start, read how to prepare for a first fitness race and see the 12-week plan.

How do I train for each division, and where does Tuffr help?

Train at the loads of your division, but not all the time. Do most sled and wall-ball work lighter with good technique and a few sessions near race loads. Doubles pairs should practise the handover at the slower partner's running pace, and relay members should train the two runs and two stations they will own. This is our recommendation.