To build a HYROX race plan from a target time, divide your goal into three budgets: running (roughly 50%), stations (roughly 40%) and roxzone transitions (roughly 10%). As of 2026, a sub-90 Open plan means running the eight legs near 5:15–5:45 per km, averaging about 4:30 per station, and keeping total transitions under 8 minutes.
- Running is roughly half your total, so it sets your per-kilometre pace budget.
- Stations take roughly 40% of the finish, transitions the remaining 8–10%.
- In THETA's coaching data, athletes who plan splits beat athletes of equal fitness who wing it.
How do you turn a target time into pace budgets?
Start by splitting your goal into the three components that make up every HYROX: running, stations and transitions. For most Open athletes, running is about 50% of the finish, stations about 40% and the roxzone about 8–10%. Multiply your target by those shares to get a time budget for each, then divide the running budget by eight to find your per-kilometre pace and the station budget by eight for an average station allowance. This top-down method keeps your plan honest and prevents the classic early blow-up.
What do the budgets look like at common targets?
The table below breaks three popular Open targets into their component budgets. These assume roughly even station times; in reality you will spend longer on the sleds and less on the farmers carry, so treat the per-station figure as an average to distribute. Adjust the balance to your strengths, a strong runner can bank time on the track, a strong lifter on the sleds. The transitions budget is fixed discipline, not fitness.
| Target | Running budget (per km) | Avg station | Transitions total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sub-90 | ~5:15–5:45 | ~4:30 | Under 8 min |
| Sub-75 | ~4:30–4:50 | ~3:45 | Under 6 min |
| Sub-60 | ~4:00–4:15 | ~3:00 | Under 4 min |
How should you distribute the station budget?
Stations are not equal, so an average allowance must be redistributed. The sled push, sled pull, sandbag lunges and wall balls are the most time-expensive for most amateurs, while the farmers carry, SkiErg and rowing are faster and more predictable. Spend more of your budget on the heavy stations and protect the ergs by pacing them rather than emptying yourself. In THETA's coaching data, athletes who overspend on the SkiErg early pay it back with interest on the later runs.
"A race plan is permission to run slow when it feels easy. The athletes who hit their target aren't the ones who feel fastest at kilometre one. They're the ones still on pace at kilometre seven," says the THETA coaching team.
How do you build and rehearse the plan?
A pacing plan is only useful if you can execute it under fatigue, so it must be rehearsed. Build it step by step and test it before race day.
- Set your target and split it into running, station and transition budgets.
- Convert the running budget to a per-kilometre pace and write it down.
- Redistribute the station budget towards the sleds, lunges and wall balls.
- Cap each transition at 20–40 seconds and rehearse moving off every station.
- Run a part-simulation to check whether the paces are realistic, then adjust.
How do you adjust the plan for your strengths?
The generic budgets assume an average athlete, but almost nobody is average, so the final step is redistributing time towards your strengths. A strong runner should bank time on the track by running slightly faster than the budget suggests, then spend that surplus surviving heavy sleds without blowing up. A strong lifter should attack the sleds and lunges to claw back time, while protecting the runs at a conservative pace. The table below shows how two athletes chasing the same 80-minute finish might allocate their budgets differently while hitting the identical total.
| Segment | Runner-type plan | Strength-type plan |
|---|---|---|
| 8×1km runs | 36 min (fast) | 40 min (steady) |
| Sleds + lunges | 16 min (survive) | 13 min (attack) |
| Other stations | 21 min | 20 min |
| Roxzone | 7 min | 7 min |
| Total | 80 min | 80 min |
Common questions
How do I calculate my HYROX race pace?
Split your target time into roughly 50% running, 40% stations and 10% transitions, then divide the running budget by eight to get your per-kilometre pace. For a sub-90 goal that means running each leg near 5:15–5:45 per kilometre.
What running pace do I need for sub-90 HYROX?
A sub-90 Open plan requires running the eight 1km legs at roughly 5:15–5:45 per kilometre, alongside an average of about 4:30 per station. Keeping transitions under eight minutes total protects the plan.
How much time should I allow for transitions?
Budget roughly 8–10% of your target for the roxzone, which is under eight minutes for a sub-90 race and under four for sub-60. Capping each individual transition at 20–40 seconds keeps you within budget.
Should I run even splits or negative splits?
Aim to run the first three kilometres slightly under your target pace and hold or nudge faster later, since starting conservatively prevents the back-half fade that ruins most plans. A controlled negative-split feel is safer than chasing an even split from the gun.
Which stations should get the most time budget?
Allocate more of your station budget to the sled push, sled pull, sandbag lunges and wall balls, which are the slowest for most amateurs. Protect the SkiErg and rowing by pacing them rather than sprinting, since overspending there costs you on the later runs.
How do I know if my target is realistic?
Run a part-simulation of two or three runs and stations at your planned paces and see whether they hold under fatigue. If the paces collapse quickly, adjust the target rather than hoping race-day adrenaline will save it.
Do I need to memorise all my splits?
You need your per-kilometre running pace and a rough station strategy, not every number. Knowing your run pace and the discipline to move immediately through transitions covers the two biggest controllable variables.
How should a strong runner adjust the plan?
A strong runner should bank time on the track by running slightly faster than the generic budget, then spend that surplus surviving the heavy sleds without blowing up. The key is not to over-run the opening legs so far that leg fatigue wrecks the later stations.
How should a strong lifter adjust the plan?
A strong lifter should attack the sleds and lunges to claw back time while running the eight legs at a conservative, steady pace. Protecting the runs prevents the classic strength-athlete error of arriving at kilometre six with no aerobic reserve left.
What is the most common pacing mistake?
The most common mistake is starting the first two or three runs too fast on adrenaline, which forces a walk in the back half that costs far more than the early seconds gained. Running the opening kilometres slightly under target pace is the single most reliable way to hit your plan.
How do I pace the SkiErg and rowing within my plan?
Treat both ergs as controlled efforts at roughly your goal-pace intensity rather than all-out, since overspending on either bleeds time from the runs that follow. For a sub-90 athlete that means around 3:45–4:30 on each, holding a steady stroke rather than sprinting the opening 200m.
Should my transition budget be equal across the race?
Roughly, yes, cap each of the sixteen transitions at a similar 20–40 seconds, though you can allow marginally longer after the heaviest stations to compose yourself. The discipline that matters is moving immediately off every station rather than drifting, which is what keeps the total under budget.
How often should I rehearse my race plan?
Rehearse the paces in part-simulations every two to three weeks in the final block, and run one full simulation to confirm the whole plan holds under fatigue. Repeated rehearsal turns the numbers into an ingrained feel, so you execute rather than calculate on race day.
Sources
- HYROX official race format and results (hyrox.com)
- THETA coaching data, 2024–2026
- Established principles of pacing and negative-split strategy
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