HYROX London Recap
HYROX London recap: Rach on why it surprised her as a runner
Going into HYROX London, I honestly thought the running would feel like the easy bit, and the workouts would just get in the way.
That was the first thing I got wrong.
The biggest surprise was how well the whole event flows. From the outside, HYROX can look like a strength event with some running thrown in, but it did not feel like that when I was actually in it. The stations were not breaking the race up in a frustrating way. They were what made it interesting. You run, you hit a station, you reset, then you go again. It keeps changing, and that makes it feel way more engaging than just locking into one effort for an hour and hanging on.
That was probably my main takeaway from HYROX London as a runner. It did not feel like running interrupted. It felt like a race built around variety, and that is what made it so fun.
I also came away thinking runners are probably better suited to HYROX than they realise. If you are comfortable running a 10K or half marathon, you are already coming in with something really useful. That running fitness helps so much. It lets you recover quicker between stations, settle back into your rhythm, and keep the whole race feeling more under control than you might expect. The strength side is still a challenge, definitely, but the running is what ties everything together.
That said, some stations definitely hit harder than others.
For me, the sled push was a shock. It is such a different kind of effort to running. There is no rhythm to it, no chance to relax into it, just pure leg drive and trying to keep moving. It really exposes you. Wall balls were another one. They look manageable enough on paper, but late in the race they are grim. By then, your legs are heavy, your breathing is messy, and suddenly you need to stay controlled as well. Those were the two that stood out most for me, and probably the two I was happiest to get through.
The pacing is different too, and that is something I noticed quite quickly. In a normal running race, you are usually trying to settle into one effort and keep it steady. HYROX does not work like that. Your effort is constantly changing depending on what station is coming next and how quickly you can recover from the last one. It is much more up and down, but in a good way. It keeps you switched on, and it makes the whole event feel fast.
If I was training for HYROX again, I would not massively change the running side. I would focus more on strength endurance around it. More lunges, more sled work, more carries, more wall-ball style movements, and more practice running on tired legs. That feels like the biggest gap for runners. It is not about becoming a full-time gym person overnight. It is about getting more comfortable doing strength work when you are already fatigued.
The gear side matters as well, especially shoes. That was one of the clearest lessons from the day. You want something that still feels like a proper running shoe, but has enough grip and stability to deal with the stations. For me, the PUMA HYROX Deviate Elite 4 really worked for that. Everything else is pretty simple. Light kit, breathable layers, nothing new, nothing complicated.
The atmosphere at HYROX London was a huge part of it too. It felt loud, busy and intense from the start, but in a way that really adds to the experience. It is not like a road race where everyone spreads out and disappears into their own head. This felt much more compact and energetic. There is always noise, always movement, always something happening. It makes the whole thing feel more social, more immersive, and honestly more exciting.
I think that is why I enjoyed it so much.
As a runner, I expected HYROX to feel like something completely different to my world. Instead, it felt close enough to be familiar, but different enough to be a proper challenge. Your running fitness genuinely helps. Your mindset helps. Then it becomes about staying calm, adjusting, and getting through each station without letting it unravel the rest of your race.
Would I do HYROX again? Definitely.
It is hard, and the strength side will humble you if you are not used to it, but it is also way more fun than I expected. For runners thinking about trying HYROX, that is probably the main thing I would say. Do not assume it is not for you just because you are not gym-first. If you can run, stay composed, and are open to being tested in a different way, you will probably get a lot out of it.
