Before you sign up for your first race, it’s important to understand the different HYROX divisions that exist. You can experience a HYROX in multiple ways, on your own, with a partner, or with a team, and each division has different weight requirements.
First, you need to understand what we mean by “HYROX divisions.”
Format vs. Division vs. Gender
HYROX uses some of these words interchangeably, but I’d like to set more clear definitions:
- HYROX Format – There are 3 different styles of a HYROX race:
- HYROX Singles – You complete the entire HYROX race by yourself (all runs, all stations)
- HYROX Doubles – You complete the HYROX race with 1 partner (all runs, some station work)
- HYROX Relay – You complete the HYROX race as a team of 4, each completing 25% of the total work (2 runs, 2 stations)
- HYROX Division – I like to think of divisions as difficulty levels. The weights and/or standards of movement can be different for each division.
- Open – This is the easier division. Lighter weights. Looser standards of movement. If no word is used before “Men” or “Women,” Open is assumed.
- Pro – This is the harder division. Heavier weights. Some races have stricter standards of movement. Both Singles & Doubles races have “Pro” divisions; Relay does not.
- Elite 15 – Same weights as the Pro division. Always the most strict standards. Requires qualification. Limited to 15 athletes or teams. Only available for Singles & Doubles, not Relay teams.
- HYROX Gender – There are 3 different genders that are applied to formats & divisions:
- Men – For Doubles, this is a team of 2 men. For Relay, this is a team of 4 men.
- Women – For Doubles, this is a team of 2 women. For Relay, this is a team of 4 women.
- Mixed – For Doubles, this is a team of 1 man & 1 woman. For Relay, this is a team of 2 men & 2 women. Essentially, it is always 50% of each gender.
These 3 types of HYROX categories can be combined in a multitude of ways. Here are all the different HYROX race combinations:
Singles Races
- Open Men
- Open Women
- Pro Men
- Pro Women
- Elite 15 Men (qualification required)
- Elite 15 Women (qualification required)
Doubles Races
- Doubles Men (Open)
- Doubles Women (Open)
- Pro Doubles Men
- Pro Doubles Women
- Mixed Doubles
- Elite 15 Pro Doubles Men (qualification required)
- Elite 15 Pro Doubles Women (qualification required)
Relay Races
- Relay Men
- Relay Women
- Relay Mixed
* Once a year, at HYROX World Championships, HYROX hosts an elite relay invitational race. A team captain from each of 20 countries is chosen, and they choose 3 of the best athletes from their country to join them.
Age Groups
For each of these combinations, there are also various age groups in which you can compete. We have a complete rundown of all the HYROX age groups here, for all race types & divisions.
Singles
Running a Singles race is pretty self-explanatory. You do the entire HYROX race, including the full 8.7km of running and all 8 HYROX stations, by yourself.
You only have one choice, and that’s whether to race either Open or Pro.
Open vs. Pro
Both types of races require the same 8.7km of running.
- A HYROX Open race uses lighter weights
- A HYROX Pro race uses heavier weights
Certain Pro races are qualifiers for the World Championship, and in those races, the Pro divisions will have slightly more strict standards, especially when it comes to the wall ball targets.
Generally speaking, choose Open if you’re newer to the sport or are concerned about the Pro weights. Choose Pro if you’re looking for more of a challenge, or would like to qualify for World Championships.
Doubles
In HYROX Doubles, you and 1 partner take on the course.
- You both must run together, all 8.7km
- You can split the work at the stations however you’d like
HYROX Doubles has both Open & Pro divisions, as well as Men, Women, and Mixed gender categories.
For more on race format, strategy, weights, and rules, please see our comprehensive guide to HYROX Doubles.
Relay
In a HYROX Relay race, you and 3 teammates take on the course.
- Each athlete completes 2 runs & 2 stations
- You must complete 100% of the work in your 2 stations
- You can choose any stations you’d like, but you must complete each run immediately proceeding your station
HYROX Relay only has an Open division. There are no Pro Relays. And you can compete as an all male, all female, or mixed team.
For more on race format, strategy, weights, and rules, please see our comprehensive guide to HYROX Relay.
Mixed Teams
For both Doubles & Relay teams, there is a mixed gender category. This means that 50% of your team is male and 50% is female.
- For Doubles, that’s 1 man & 1 woman
- For Relay, that’s 2 men & 2 women
You cannot have 3 men & 1 woman or 3 women & 1 man on a HYROX Relay team.
Elite 15
The Elite 15 is a special HYROX division that requires qualification.
- The Elite 15 refers to 15 men & 15 women
- The Elite 15 division exists for both Singles & Doubles
- The Elite 15 requires qualification, typically in the form of previous race placement or performance (aka: finishing times)
- Elite 15 races use the same weights as the Pro division
- There are 4 big races throughout the year that feature 15 of the best HYROX athletes in the world (Singles only)
- The HYROX World Championship also features the Elite 15 (Singles & Doubles)
If you have any questions about HYROX divisions that we didn’t cover, reach out on Instagram @fitnessexperiment.co. We’d love to help 😀.
