How to split the stations in HYROX® Doubles

How do doubles work in a fitness race?

In a doubles race two partners run all eight 1 km runs together, and they share the eight stations. Usually only one partner works at a time while the other rests or moves into position. Total station work is the same as in singles, so how you divide it decides how fresh you are for each run.

• Women's, men's and mixed pairs race in separate divisions, and Open and Pro are separate categories.
• Both partners must stay together on every run, so the slower runner sets the running pace.
• At a station you choose who does which part of the distance or the reps. You can swap as often as you like, within the rules of your season.
• Only the stations are shared. Nobody can skip a run.

How long does a doubles race take?

Published medians for doubles teams run from about 1:10 for Pro men to 1:27:30 for Open women. Pairs are faster than singles because the stations are shared, but the gain depends on how well the work is divided.

The two sources are close but not identical. MatchRox reports medians read in November 2026 and Rox Lyfe reports averages from RoxFit data, so choose one and use it consistently when you set a goal. Our guide to a good finish time explains why datasets differ.

How should we split the stations?

Start by giving every station to the partner who does it faster, then check the total. If one partner now does far more than 60 percent of the station work, move some of it to the other partner where the faster partner's advantage is smallest. This is our recommendation, not a rule of the sport.

• Play to strengths. The stronger pusher takes the sled, the better rower takes the ski erg and the row, and the one with the best rhythm takes the wall balls.
• Cap the share. Nobody should do much more than about 60 percent of the total work, because the partner who works most arrives at the next run with the highest heart rate.
• Keep the pieces practical. Split the sled by whole lengths, the ergs by 50 m and the wall balls by blocks of 5, so you do not lose time counting.
• Check the whole race, not one station. Giving your partner an easy-looking station early can matter less than giving them a rest before the long run at the end.

An even 50/50 split on every station is simple and a fair default for a first race. It is rarely the fastest if your strengths differ, and the next section shows by how much in one example.

How does the 60 percent cap work, with an example?

The station split that comes with the Tuffr beta follows the logic above. It starts with every station going to the faster partner, then, if one partner's share of the total work time is over 60 percent, it moves work to the other partner where it costs the least extra time. Amounts are rounded to the station's step, and the times shown are recomputed from what is actually assigned.

Giving each station to the faster partner would finish the stations in 29:40, but partner A would do 18:50 of work, about 63 percent. The cap moves 200 m of the row to partner B, which costs 6 seconds and brings A down to exactly 60 percent. A 50/50 split of every station would take 33:05. The numbers are an illustration, so use your own station times.

How do we hand over at a station?

A clean handover costs seconds, a messy one costs many. Agree the switch points in advance, keep the resting partner close, and make the swap at a natural break such as the end of a sled length or a set of wall balls.

1. Decide the exact pieces before the race, for example 25 m each on the sled push, and write them on your wrist or in your phone notes.
2. The resting partner stands at the next switch point, not at the start, so no one walks back.
3. Switch on a clear call such as a word or a touch, so both of you know the moment.
4. Keep the rest short but deliberate. A few breaths are enough, and the working partner should leave the station only when the rest of the reps is done.
5. After the last piece, leave the station together and settle into the run pace of the slower partner.

How should we talk during the race?

Short, agreed calls work better than conversation. In a loud hall you will hear a single word, not a sentence, so choose a small set of calls before the race and practise them in training.

• A call for "switch now" and another for "I need a longer rest".
• A call for pace, such as "easy" in the first kilometres, because both runners tend to go out too fast.
• A rule that either partner can change the plan if they feel worse than expected. A split on paper is a plan, and the legs have the final say.

How do we train as a pair, and what does Tuffr offer?

Train the stations with the split you plan to race, and practise running together at the slower partner's pace. Do at least one full race simulation with real handovers a few weeks before the race, and adjust the split after it.

• With the beta, Duet in Tuffr will let two partners see each other's training week, send reactions and share a weekly goal. Each person will control what they show through their own sharing settings.
• Race pair mode will set a shared race and a target time, and put matching sessions in both plans.
• The station split from both partners' times will be a Premium feature of Tuffr. In Duet you will set a shared race and target time, and the iPhone app will show who takes which part of each station. Tuffr is not public yet; its closed beta is due by 30 November 2026.

Our fitness race time calculator has a doubles option, which turns a goal time for the pair into targets for each run and station. Use it together with your split to see what pace you need.