HYROX Doubles: how the race works when there are two of you
HYROX Doubles is the HYROX race for two people. You run all eight kilometres together and split the work on the eight stations between you. Only one of you works at a time while the other gets a short breather. So 100 wall balls means 100 for the team, not 100 each. You can race as two men, two women, or as a man and a woman in Mixed Doubles.
Below you'll find how it all works: the rules, the weights for the 26/27 season, how to split the work smartly and how to train together. New to HYROX altogether? Start with what HYROX is, then come back here.
Updated: 2026-11-05
What HYROX Doubles is
A HYROX race always looks the same. You run 1 kilometre, you do a station, and you repeat that eight times. That's 8 kilometres of running and 8 stations, always in the same order. Doubles doesn't change any of that. You just don't do it on your own.
You both run the full distance. Every kilometre, side by side. The work on the stations belongs to the two of you, and you decide how to split it. That's why Doubles is a great way to start with HYROX. Someone's right next to you, and you don't have to finish every station by yourself.
You need to be at least 16 on race day. There's no qualifying: you simply sign up. Doubles has five divisions (categories):
| Division | Who | Weights |
|---|---|---|
| Women | Two women | The lightest set |
| Women Pro | Two women | Heavier set |
| Men | Two men | Same set as Women Pro |
| Men Pro | Two men | The heaviest set |
| Mixed | One man and one woman | Same set as Men and Women Pro |
There's no Mixed Pro. You start in a wave, which is a group of teams setting off at the same time. Your wave only has teams from your own division, so the pair next to you at the start is racing the same thing you are.
The stations of a HYROX duo, in order
These are the eight stations. After every kilometre of running you arrive at the next one. The distances and reps are for the two of you together, not per person.
- SkiErg, 1,000 metres. You pull two handles from overhead down to your hips, a bit like cross-country skiing.
- Sled Push, 50 metres. You push a sled forward, in four lengths of 12.5 metres.
- Sled Pull, 50 metres. You pull a sled towards you with a rope, also in four lengths.
- Burpee Broad Jumps, 80 metres. A burpee (chest to the floor and back up), then a jump forward as far as you can.
- Rowing, 1,000 metres.
- Farmers Carry, 200 metres. You walk with a kettlebell in each hand.
- Sandbag Lunges, 100 metres. Lunges with a sandbag on your shoulders.
- Wall Balls, 100 reps. From a squat (a deep knee bend), you throw a ball up to a target on the wall.
Want to know how to do each station properly? Have a look at the eight HYROX exercises in order.
Rules: run together, split the stations
The 26/27 rulebook is pretty clear. These are the rules that make Doubles different from a solo race.
- Run together. You run every kilometre as a pair. If one of you runs ahead, the team gets a 1-minute penalty. If it happens more than three times, you're out of the race (the rulebook calls this Out of Competition).
- In together, out together. You enter a station together and leave it together. The work only starts once you're both there.
- One at a time. Only one partner works at any moment. The rulebook calls this You Go I Go. You choose when to swap, for example after every 250 metres on the rower.
- Totals are for the team. 1,000 metres of rowing means 1,000 metres together, not 2,000.
- Rest standing up. Whoever isn't working stays on their feet. No kneeling, sitting or lying down.
- Finish together. Your time only counts once you've both crossed the line.
Then there are a few rules per station. They look small, but you can easily lose time if you don't know them.
- Farmers Carry and Sandbag Lunges: you hand the weight over to the side or backwards. Never forwards.
- Wall Balls: no flying swaps. If you do it anyway, that rep doesn't count (it's a no-rep). So finish your rep calmly before your partner picks up the ball.
- Burpee Broad Jumps: whoever takes over puts their hands exactly where the previous partner's feet landed.
- Sled Pull: the resting partner can shout tips, but can't touch the rope.
- SkiErg and rower: the damper (the lever that sets how heavy it feels) is set to 6 beforehand. Only the partner who's working may change it.
Penalties you can easily avoid
Penalties are a waste. They cost you time you've earned fair and square. These are the main ones from the 26/27 rulebook:
- A mistake in the movement standard (how a rep has to look): first one warning per station, then 15 seconds each time.
- Entering or leaving a station the wrong way: 2 minutes.
- Pouring water from the drinks station over your head: 2 minutes.
- Missing a lap on the running course: 3, 5 or 7 minutes, depending on the course. On a one-lap course you're disqualified.
- Doing stations in the wrong order: 3 minutes the first time, disqualification after that.
- Skipping a station or a kilometre, not finishing a station or missing a sled lane: disqualification.
Watch out for old information. Last season a missed sled lane cost you 3 minutes. Now you're out. Lots of sites still show older rules, so always check the rulebook for the season you're racing in.
Weights for Doubles and Mixed Doubles
These are the weights for the 26/27 season. For the sleds, the weight of the sled itself is already included.
| Station | Women | Men, Women Pro and Mixed | Men Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sled Push | 102 kg | 152 kg | 202 kg |
| Sled Pull | 78 kg | 103 kg | 153 kg |
| Farmers Carry | 2 × 16 kg | 2 × 24 kg | 2 × 32 kg |
| Sandbag Lunges | 10 kg | 20 kg | 30 kg |
| Wall Ball | 4 kg | 6 kg | 9 kg |
| Wall ball target | 2.70 m | woman 2.70 m, man 3.00 m | 3.00 m |
In Mixed Doubles, the man-and-woman duo, you both use the same weights. That's the same set as Men and Women Pro. So the woman pushes the same sled as the man. Only the wall ball target is different: the woman throws to 2.70 metres, the man to 3.00 metres.
You'll sometimes read online that each partner in Mixed uses their own weight. That's not what the rulebook says. And it matters for your tactics, because you're splitting the work on exactly the same sled and the same sandbag.
All the weights per category, solo included, are in HYROX weights and distances.
Tactics: who takes which station?
There's no rule that says you have to take turns, or that you each do four stations. You split the work exactly how you like. That's the big opportunity in Doubles. You only make the most of it if you're honest with each other: who's good at what?
My advice: don't just do half of everything without thinking. Look at each station and work out what makes sense.
- Sled Push and Sled Pull: the heavy ones. Let the stronger partner do most of it, but feel free to swap every 12.5-metre length. That gives the other one a moment to catch their breath. In Mixed it's the same sled for both of you, so just see who gets it moving most easily.
- SkiErg and rowing: easy to split into fixed chunks, for example every 250 metres. I'd go for short chunks. That way you can both keep pulling hard.
- Burpee Broad Jumps: swap often, but remember the rule: hands exactly where your partner's feet landed.
- Farmers Carry: agree on a fixed handover point. Pass the kettlebells to the side or backwards.
- Sandbag Lunges: the wall balls are still to come. Split this one fairly, so you both have some legs left.
- Wall Balls: agree on blocks beforehand, for example 10 at a time. Count out loud. Then you both know exactly where you are.
Don't forget the running. You run together, so the slower runner sets your pace. Whoever runs faster saves energy there and can take on a bit more work at the stations. That keeps it doable for both of you.
Agree on everything in advance and write it down if you need to. Halfway through a race your head isn't that clear anymore. And just say it when you need a bit more rest. That's what you've got a partner for.
What's a good time for a HYROX duo?
Honest answer: there are no official numbers for Doubles. You'll see all sorts of times floating around online, but without a source. So I'm not going to repeat them.
What we do know: HYROX Benelux gives an average finish time of 1 hour and 25 minutes for the 2023/24 season, for all participants together. There's no time limit, and almost everyone makes it to the finish.
My advice for your first race: don't stress about the clock. Finish together, without penalties, with a plan that worked. Then you've got a time you can beat next time.
Training together for a Doubles race
A duo is only as strong as the two people in it. So you both need to be able to handle your own share first. Then you start practising together. Here's how I'd go about it:
- Build your own base. Strength for the sleds and the lunges, fitness for the running. You train that every week, also without your partner.
- Run together. Do some of your runs as a pair. That's how you find a pace that works for both of you.
- Practise the swaps. Every swap costs time. Practise handing over the ball, the kettlebells and the sandbag, the way the rules say.
- Do a test race. A few weeks before the race, do a short version: some running, a few stations, swapping the way you plan to on the day. You'll quickly find out what works and what doesn't.
- Turn up fresh. Take it a bit easier in the last week before the race, so you're both well rested.
Want a full plan for the weeks before your race? Read how to train for your first HYROX.
You can absolutely do all this yourself. But it helps when someone sets up your training and keeps an eye on you. Our Hybrid Endurance classes prepare you really well for a HYROX event. You train strength and fitness in one class, with a coach there the whole time.
Hybrid Endurance runs on Tuesday from 18:00 to 19:00, on Wednesday from 13:00 to 14:00 and from 20:00 to 21:00, and on Sunday from 12:00 to 13:00. Check the schedule for any changes. Handy if you want to pick a fixed class with your partner.
Got an injury or any complaints? Talk to your doctor or physio first before you start training for a race. A coach will then adjust the exercises to suit you. We don't take over the role of whoever's treating you.
Doubles or solo for your first race?
Doubles is a good choice if the idea of doing everything alone feels a bit daunting. You still run the full 8 kilometres, so your fitness needs to be in decent shape. But at the stations you're not on your own.
Solo suits you better if you want to find out what you can do by yourself. Or if there's nobody whose running pace matches yours. Choose your partner with care, by the way. Someone with roughly the same running pace makes it a lot more fun for both of you.
In the Netherlands there are races in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Maastricht, among others. Still not sure HYROX is for you? Read HYROX for beginners.
Racing as a pair? Make sure you can carry your own share first.
A strong duo is two people who can both pull their weight. With Your Strong Start you build that base of strength and fitness over 28 days: a coach sets up your training and keeps an eye on you, you just turn up. After that you know where you stand and you can train properly for your first race together.
- 12 coached CrossFit sessions in 4 weeks, around 3 a week
- A personal starting assessment plus scalable Fit Test as your baseline
- A midway check, so one busy week doesn't break your rhythm
- Final assessment and repeat Fit Test: you see what changed
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Frequently asked questions
Can I still swap my HYROX Doubles partner?
At HYROX Benelux that's only possible with the Flex option. Your new partner has to be the same gender, so you stay in the same division. Switching divisions isn't possible.
Which age group do we race in as a pair?
Your average age on race day decides it, in groups of five years. If you're 30 and your partner is 40, HYROX counts you as 35.
Which weights do Mixed Doubles teams use at the World Championships?
At the World Championships most qualifiers race with Pro weights. Mixed Doubles and participants aged 60 and over race there with Open weights.
Is HYROX Doubles harder than a marathon?
They're hard to compare. A marathon is a long run. HYROX is shorter, with lots of strength work and constant switching between running and stations. In Doubles you share the stations, but you run every metre yourself. How tough it feels mostly depends on how well you've prepared.
What's the hardest station in Doubles?
It depends on the person. Someone with lots of strength often struggles with different things than someone who's mainly a good runner. That's exactly why Doubles works so well: the station one of you finds hard, you hand more of to the other.