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HYROX FAQ: Race Standards and Beginner Prep from CrossFit BC. HYROX explained: race format, eight stations, weights, SIM-ilar classes, and how beginners start training at CrossFit BC in Olympic Village.
HYROX training at CrossFit BC runs seven days a week out of 278 East 1st Avenue in Olympic Village. Sleds, ski erg, wall balls, and running are all on site, and our 90-minute SIM-ilar classes rehearse the full race format under coaching.
You run 1 kilometre, complete one functional station, then repeat until you finish 8 runs and all 8 stations: SkiErg, sled push, sled pull, burpee broad jumps, row, farmers carry, sandbag lunges, and 100 wall balls to close it out. The clock runs the whole time, including transitions, and your total time is your result.
A HYROX race is 8 km of running broken into eight 1 km segments, each followed by a functional station. Most first-time Open athletes finish between 90 minutes and two hours, world-class racers go under 60 minutes, and for life athletes breaking 90 minutes is a feat to be proud of. The Open division has no time cutoff, so you finish when you finish.
In order, each one following a 1-kilometre run: SkiErg 1000m, Sled Push 50m, Sled Pull 50m, Burpee Broad Jumps 80m, Row 1000m, Farmers Carry 200m, Sandbag Lunges 100m, and Wall Balls. The order is identical at every HYROX race worldwide.
In the standard divisions the wall ball is 6 kg (about 13 lb) thrown to a 10 ft target for men, and 4 kg (about 9 lb) to a 9 ft target for women, with 100 reps as the final station. Pro divisions use heavier balls. CrossFit BC trains wall ball volume and pacing every week so the last station does not break you.
The HYROX sled push is 50 metres, run as four 12.5 metre lengths on a dedicated track. Loads scale by division and by event flooring. CrossFit BC has a full 30 metre sled track on-site so you can rehearse race-spec sled mechanics before you compete.
HYROX is not an acronym. The name blends hybrid fitness with the sport's mix of running and functional strength. In practice it means one standardized global fitness race: 8 kilometres of running paired with 8 functional workout stations, run identically in every city so you can compare your time against athletes worldwide.
No, HYROX and CrossFit are separate sports. HYROX is a fixed-format endurance race with the same 8 runs and 8 stations every time. CrossFit is constantly varied strength and conditioning with no set test. They complement each other well, which is why CrossFit BC coaches both under one roof in Olympic Village.
SIM-ilar is CrossFit BC's 90-minute HYROX class. The name (SIM + similar) is a nod to the official HYROX SIM format: sessions emulate race intensity and race volumes and rehearse race-day strategy, coached by HYROX Certified Performance Coaches. It is race-specific preparation rather than a literal race replay, and the volume it builds is what makes race day feel familiar.
Regular 60-minute HYROX classes drill stations, transitions, and conditioning in segments. SIM-ilar gives you 90 minutes at race intensity with race-level volume, so you rehearse pacing, transitions, and station strategy and build the volume that leaves you mentally, physically, and emotionally ready for your next race.
4 of our 16+ weekly HYROX sessions are SIM-ilar. The schedule is published in Wodify; active members can reserve any spot as soon as the week opens, with no waitlist tier and no surcharge.
SIM-ilar is our highest-demand session, so it is kept for people already training with us: active members and HYROX class pack holders. That protects coaching quality and keeps capacity manageable. Drop-ins, free-trial guests and ClassPass bookings can join any of the 60-minute HYROX classes instead.
No. Most members start in regular 60-minute HYROX classes for a few weeks to learn the stations, then add SIM-ilar once movement and pacing feel solid. Coaches will tell you when you're ready.
If you can run a few kilometres and do basic functional movements, you're ready. We scale everything. That's what the training is for. Most members start without any HYROX experience and learn the format inside a few weeks.
Most first-time HYROX athletes need 10 to 16 weeks of consistent training to feel race-ready. CrossFit BC programs HYROX classes in 6-week training blocks that peak for the next confirmed Vancouver race. If you have less than 10 weeks, our coaches will scale your race goals to your current fitness and build a focused plan.
Three to five HYROX-focused sessions a week is the sweet spot for most race-prep athletes: two engine and station sessions, one SIM-ilar race-prep class, and one or two strength or recovery days. Coaches at CrossFit BC will adjust the volume to your race date, work schedule, and recovery.
Yes. HYROX isn't a running race, it's a fitness race. Running segments are broken up by functional stations, and we train you for all of it. You don't need to be fast to start.
Every movement, load, and distance is scaled to where you are today. Examples: runs become rower or bike intervals if your knees aren't ready; sled push drops to an empty sled or a band-resisted march; wall balls go from 20/14 lb to 14/10 lb, or to a med-ball squat-and-press; burpee broad jumps become step-up burpees; sandbag lunges shorten the distance or drop to bodyweight. Coaches set your scaling at the whiteboard before the clock starts, and you progress on a 4-6 week ramp until you're hitting the prescribed standard.
HYROX 101 is a private 90-minute one-on-one introduction to the sport of HYROX, led by a CFBC HYROX Performance Coach. It is part coaching session, part workout, and part strategy session. You learn how a HYROX race works, get hands-on coaching across all 8 fitness stations, and leave with a clearer idea of how to train for what comes next. No previous HYROX experience is required.