HYROX® sled pull: rope technique, grip and how to train it

How heavy is the sled pull?

The sled pull is 50 m, done as four lengths of 12.5 m. The load includes the sled and depends on your division: 78 kg for Open women, 103 kg for Open men and Pro women, and 153 kg for Pro men in the standards Tuffr uses, which match the organiser's 2026/27 rulebook as we compared them on 6 November 2026.

The stated load does not tell you how hard the pull feels. The rope stretches before the sled moves, and turf can bunch up under it. Do not judge a race-weight pull by a lighter session on a different surface. Every station and division is in our stations and weights guide.

What are the sled pull rules?

You pull from a standing position inside your marked box, with the sled and rope in your lane. You may not pull while seated or kneeling, and you may not step on the solid front or back line of the box while you hold the rope. The station ends when the whole sled has crossed the final line.

• A judge assigns your lane. You and the sled start fully behind the white lines.
• The whole sled must cross each 12.5 m line before you change direction.
• The rope must stay in your lane. It may trail behind the box as long as it does not reach the neighbouring lanes.
• In doubles only one partner works at a time. The partner who rests stays behind and may not help with the rope, with hands or feet.
• In the current 2026/27 Singles rulebook a first infringement brings a formal warning and every later one adds 15 seconds. Missing a whole lane is a disqualification for an incomplete station, so always finish all four lengths.

Our guide to rules and penalties explains how judges apply the movement standards across the stations. The official rulebooks are linked from the organiser's rulebook page, listed in the sources below.

What is the best sled pull technique?

There is no single best technique. Athletes use three: hand over hand with the body still, a hip hinge that drives the pull, and stepping backwards inside the box. Most good pulls mix them: hips to break the sled loose, steps while it moves, short arm pulls near the back line.

• Think of the pull as a deadlift all the way through, with the arms adding speed. Hands, body and feet should form one connection to the sled.
• Remove slack from the rope immediately, so the first force goes into the sled and not into a loose line.
• Keep your chest up and your hips behind the rope. A rope pulled from a hunched position loads the lower back and the grip.

How do I handle the rope and stay in the box?

Gather the rope to one side as you pull so it does not pile around your feet, and use the whole box without touching the front or back line. Release the rope before you leave the box, find the free end at the other side and take up the slack before the next pull.

• Practise on a long rope. A short rope hides the habits that cause trouble in the race.
• Expect the rope to stretch before the sled moves on the first pull. Keep pulling steadily rather than yanking.
• Learn where the back line is without looking down. Judge your position by feel, because stepping on the line while holding the rope is an infringement.
• Do not be so careful that you waste the box. Using only half of it costs time and energy.
• Keep the rope in your lane. The elastic rope can recoil, so let it go in a controlled way and do not trail it across your neighbours.

How do I improve my grip for the sled pull?

Grip is often what fails first, because the rope holds you for the whole pull. Train it in three ways: hang from a bar, carry heavy loads and pull ropes or towels. Use your hips and back for the force so that your hands only have to hold, not lift the sled.

• Dead hangs from a bar: 3 sets of 30 to 45 seconds, building toward longer holds (our recommendation).
• Heavy farmers carries: coaching guides suggest about 6 rounds of 30 to 40 m on a pulling-focused day.
• Rope or towel pull-ups: pull-ups on a rope are suggested because they train the same grip and the same pulling muscles.
• Back endurance: seated cable rows and heavy rows build the lats and upper back that anchor the rope.

Our strength training guide shows where grip and pulling work sit in a normal week. Keep the grip sessions short, because tired forearms from carries can ruin the next day's run if you stack them badly.

How should I pace the sled pull?

Do not pull all-out. When you finish the sled pull you have five stations and five runs still to come, and the burpee broad jumps follow with your arms and shoulders already tired. Aim for a hard, steady effort, about 6 to 7 out of 10 (our recommendation), and cut the standing pauses.

• Break the 50 m into four 12.5 m lengths and plan one rhythm for each: hips to start, steps in the middle, short arm pulls at the back.
• Walk to the other end of the box quickly and take up the rope slack while you move, not after you stop.
• Rest your grip in the walks. Open your hands and shake them out between lengths, within a few seconds.
• Use the burpee broad jump guide to plan the next station: burpee broad jumps.

For the effort of the whole race, see pacing strategy. The fitness race time calculator turns a goal time into a station target, which tells you how much time the sled pull can take.

How can I train the sled pull without a sled?

A heavy cable rope pull is the closest substitute, because it keeps the rope and hand-over-hand pattern. A band or a heavy row covers the pulling muscles. None copies the sled exactly, so schedule a few real sled sessions when you can reach one.

Add hip hinge work, such as Romanian deadlifts, because the hip extension technique relies on it. A pulling day can also include seated cable rows for 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps. Coaching guides pair these with heavy carries.

What does a sled pull training session look like?

Pair the pull with running and finish with grip work. The session below is our recommendation for one pulling-focused day a week in the build phase. Start lighter than race load, add weight over several weeks and keep one or two repetitions in reserve on every length.

1. Warm up for 10 minutes with easy jogging or rowing, then 2 light pulls of 12.5 m.
2. Technique block: 4 × 12.5 m at about 70 percent of your race load with 45 seconds' rest. Practise the sequence: hips to start, steps, short arm pulls, and gather the rope to one side.
3. Main block: 4 rounds of 400 m at race pace, then 25 m of pull at race load, then 90 seconds of rest.
4. Grip finisher: 3 × 40 m heavy farmers carry, then 2 dead hangs of 30 seconds.
5. Cool down with 5 minutes of easy walking and write down the load and how your grip held.

No sled? Replace step 2 with band pulls and step 3 with 40 cable rope pulls after each 400 m. Place pulling days away from your hardest run day and your heaviest lifting day. The weekly training structure guide shows where.