The HYROX sled pull is one of the most difficult & daunting stations for many athletes. Not only does it require a decent amount of strength, but it also spikes your heart rate, making it more difficult to run immediately after. Not to mention the infamous HYROX sled carpets, which feel so much worse than pulling a sled on the turf at your home gym.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through the sled pull—everything from the setup of the station, to the distance & weights for each division, to some tips & strategy for improving your sled pull time.
If you’re interested in tips for other stations, please check out our HYROX station guide →
Setup & Rules
Everyone starts the HYROX sled pull on the same side. Unlike the sled push, when you enter the station, the sleds will be on the opposite side of where you start. You will see small amounts of rope bunched up in each lane. This is what you’ll use to pull the sled towards you to start your first 12.5m length.
- Using the rope, you pull the sled 12.5m, towards you
- Your entire sled must be past the line (not touching)
- Then you jog to the other side of your lane
- You’ll use the rope once again to pull the sled towards you, completing your second 12.5m length
- That is one down and back, or 25m
- Repeat this process one more time for a total of 50m of sled pull
How big is the HYROX sled pull box (“Athlete’s Box”)?
The sled pull box is 1.8m long (5.9 ft). All athletes must stay completely within this box when pulling the sled. If a foot touches the line or goes outside the box, the first time it’s a warning. The second time, a 5m penalty is assessed.
For Doubles, can we switch in the middle of a length?
Yes. In HYROX Doubles, you can switch with your partner at any point in the sled pull, including the middle of a length. Just be sure to stay in your lane and avoid interfering with other athletes.
A few notes about the sled pull:
- You can use any grip or hand placement on the rope
- You can stop to rest as many times as you need to… or not at all
- Your judge should direct you to the correct sled, but double-check it has the correct weight for your division
When you’re finished with the station:
- You usually exit the sled pull station on the opposite side you entered
- You’ll run along the outside of the station before re-entering the Roxzone, where you’ll then head for the OUT arch to start your next 1km run
New to HYROX? Learn all about HYROX here →
Surface/Carpet
What is the carpet used for HYROX sleds?
HYROX lays down a thin carpet on top of the concrete convention floor, and all sleds are pulled (and pushed) on top of this carpet. The carpet is taped to the floor to prevent it from moving, however, some bunching can and does occur. Some venues do a better job of securing the carpet than others.
Many gyms utilize a turf to push and pull sleds on, but almost all of the turf I’ve used still doesn’t mimic the HYROX carpet. Sleds typically move easier on turf than they do on the carpet during a race.
If you want to recreate the HYROX sled carpet at home, I recommend looking for a “low pile carpet” or thin piece of felt. Add this on top of a very hard surface, preferably concrete.
Here’s a cheap carpet you can buy on Amazon. This is 160″ x 24″. Most sleds are 24 inches wide, or slightly more narrow. 12.5m is 492 inches, so 3 of these carpet rolls would give you 480 inches. Technically, you’d need 4 to recreate the HYROX carpet, but you could get away with 2 or 3 if you have a tight space.
Distance
What is the HYROX sled pull distance?
The HYROX sled pull distance is 50m for all standard divisions (Open, Pro, HYROX Doubles, Pro Doubles, and the HYROX Relay). The distance is broken up into 2 rounds of 12.5m down and 12.5m back.
There are some exceptions for a few of the adaptive divisions, where their sled pull distance is 25m. Please see the adaptive sled pull modifications →
Weight
What is the HYROX sled pull weight?
The HYROX sled pull weight varies by division. In the Open & Relay divisions, women pull 78 kg (172 lbs) and men pull 103 kg (227 lbs). In the Pro & Pro Doubles divisions, women pull 103 kg (227 lbs) and men pull 153 kg (337 lbs). In mixed doubles, both men & women pull 103 kg (227 lbs).
All weight includes the weight of the sled.
How much does the HYROX sled weigh?
HYROX uses the Centr Competition Power Sled. According to the Centr website, the HYROX sled weighs 50 kg (110.2 lbs).
Here’s a chart of the HYROX sled pull weight for all divisions.
Common Sled Weights
It’s helpful to know how much your sled weighs so you can accurately load the correct sled pull weight for HYROX training. Here’s a quick list of common sleds and their weight.
Sled Weight Price Centr Competition Power Sled 50 kg / 110 lbs $360 USD Rogue Dog Sled 1.2 (most common Rogue sled) 47 kg / 103 lbs $315 USD
Tips
If you’re new to the sled pull movement in HYROX, or just trying to improve your station time, here are a few things I recommend:
- Use 10-15% more weight in training – The HYROX turf will make the sled pull feel harder than at your gym or when pulling on turf. Simulate the extra difficulty by using more weight.
- Use your legs – Some beginner athletes try to pull too much with their arms. This will blow up your biceps. Get down low, use your hips, and walk backwards.
- Drop the rope each time – Some athletes prefer to hold onto the rope between pulls. I think the fastest method, and most efficient for rope management, is to drop it between pulls.
- Don’t wrap the rope – Don’t wrap the rope around your arms. This doesn’t provide any more grip, and only takes longer to untangle each time. Work on your grip strength. Keep your hands dry and/or put on gloves. See allowed equipment in the HYROX rulebook →
- Add a sled pull to your warmup – Pulling a sled will increase your heart rate and drive blood flow to your legs (specifically your quads). You’ll also benefit from a nice forearm warmup because you’ll need to utilize your grip strength. Instead of using an erg or bike for your warmup, pull a sled for a few minutes.
Penalties
There are a few penalties in the rulebook for the sled pull in HYROX. Be sure to complete the work, as per the standard HYROX rules, so you don’t get penalized. If you don’t do all four 12.5m lengths, it’s a 3 minute penalty per missed length.
Not every infraction is listed in the rulebook, so please also keep in mind:
- Stay in your assigned lane
- Keep your feet completely inside the athlete’s box
- Don’t impede another athlete
- If your shoe falls off, put it back on. It must go with you.
| Infraction | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Failure to complete all four 12.5m lengths | 3 minutes per missed length |
| Failure to use the lane the judge assigns you | Undefined time penalty |
| Stepping on the line or outside your box | Extra 5m pull (Singles). Extra 10m pull (Doubles). |
Equipment
All HYROX races use the Centr Competition Power Sled for the sled pull station. Centr is one of two official HYROX equipment partners, along with Concept2, who provide the SkiErg and RowErg for stations 1 and 5, respectively.
The Centr Competition Power Sled weighs 50 kg (110.2 lbs) and costs $360 USD.
If you have any questions about the HYROX sled pull that I didn’t cover, reach out on Instagram @fitnessexperiment.co. We’d love to help 😀.
