Sled Pull Race Tips for Hyrox

Know the station before race day

Sled Pull is station 3 in the 26/27 Singles format. After run 3, pull the sled for four 12.5 m lengths, 50 m in total. Loads include the sled: Women Open 78 kg, Men Open and Women Pro 103 kg, Men Pro 153 kg. After completing the station, run 4 leads to the Burpee Broad Jumps. There is a run between Sled Push and Sled Pull.

HYROX^® Singles26/27 · §1/4.1/8.3/8.4 · p45

Plan the approach as part of your race

A practical choice is to approach the station at an effort you have rehearsed, then check your lane and position before starting. This is a coaching recommendation, not a fixed heart-rate prescription. An absolute value such as 165 or 180 bpm cannot identify the same exercise-intensity domain for everyone. There is no verified requirement here to reach a particular heart rate or to use twice-as-long exhales before gripping the rope.

Jamnick2020 · exercise intensity

Set up in your assigned lane

Use the lane assigned by the judging team. Both racer and sled must be fully within their respective boxes before starting. Pull standing; sitting and kneeling are prohibited. Do not step on the front or back solid line of the Racer’s Box while holding the rope. Choose a stable position and secure grip you have practised; the rulebook does not mandate a 20–30° torso angle or a hook grip. See the Sled Pull technique guide.

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Work one length at a time

Pull until the entire sled crosses the 12.5 m line, then move to the opposite end and pull back. Keep the rope in your lane; it may extend behind the lane but must not obstruct a neighbouring lane. Repeat until all four lengths are complete. As an optional focus cue, count completed lengths rather than treating the station as one uninterrupted 50 m pull.

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Reset when you need to

If you lose control of the grip, pause and re-establish a stable position before restarting. Let your condition determine the pause rather than enforcing a three-second reset or a universal 10–15% reduction in force. Do not sit or kneel to pull. If using chalk, use only event-provided chalk at Sled Pull or Farmers Carry. The Singles penalty appendix assigns two minutes for chalk used elsewhere, your own chalk or removing chalk from the station.

HYROX^® Singles26/27 · §1/4.1/8.3/8.4 · p45 · Girard2011 · repeated-sprint fatigue

Use your own practice to set a target

For a useful personal comparison, record the sled and total load, surface, rope, distance, prior exercise and where timing starts and stops. Compare like with like. A percentage of race weight alone does not reproduce every sled setup: load prescription in sled research depends on equipment and surface. Use your practice log to choose an individual target. The studies cited here do not establish a universal two-minute Open target or the previously claimed division percentiles.

Cahill2019 · sleds for sprint speed · Cahill2019 · thesis · pp36–39 · Ribeiro2024 · CrossFit pacing · Hindle2019 · strongman biomechanics

Leave with the next run in mind

Once all four lengths are complete and the whole sled has crossed the final line, continue to run 4 and then the 80 m Burpee Broad Jumps. A practical pacing choice is to resume an effort you can manage within your overall race plan. There is no validated universal requirement to run the first 200 m exactly 10–15 seconds per kilometre slower, or evidence here that hand shaking prevents later burpee time loss.

HYROX^® Singles26/27 · §1/4.1/8.3/8.4 · p45 · Ribeiro2024 · CrossFit pacing · Girard2011 · repeated-sprint fatigue

Rehearse the sequence in training

For a rules-focused session, practise a manageable 12.5 m pull, the full crossing and the change of end, with recovery as needed. If you choose to rehearse the opening race sequence, it is run 1 → SkiErg 1,000 m → run 2 → Sled Push 50 m → run 3 → Sled Pull 50 m; each designated run is 1 km. Starting at SkiErg omits the opening run. A shorter or lighter version can be a training choice, but it is not the full race sequence. Choose volume, load and timing to suit your preparation, rather than treating two simulations in six weeks or a 10–20% overload as a proven prescription.

HYROX^® Singles26/27 · §1/4.1/8.3/8.4 · p45 · Cahill2019 · sleds for sprint speed · Cahill2019 · thesis · pp36–39

Read pacing research in context

Ribeiro and colleagues studied 13 male CrossFit competitors performing Fight Gone Bad; their findings do not establish 80% effort as optimal for HYROX^® rope pulling. Girard and colleagues reviewed repeated short sprints and task-dependent fatigue, not a measured 40–60% grip decline during Sled Pull. Hindle and colleagues reviewed strongman biomechanics, not HYROX^® station percentiles. These papers provide context, not proof of exact HYROX^® time savings.

Ribeiro2024 · CrossFit pacing · Girard2011 · repeated-sprint fatigue · Hindle2019 · strongman biomechanics

FAQ

What are the current Singles Sled Pull weights?

For 26/27, including the sled: Women Open 78 kg, Men Open and Women Pro 103 kg, Men Pro 153 kg. The distance is four 12.5 m lengths.

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Should every Open athlete aim for two minutes?

The cited studies do not establish a universal two-minute target. Use comparable personal practice, with the same timing boundaries, equipment and surface, to inform an individual target.

Ribeiro2024 · CrossFit pacing · Hindle2019 · strongman biomechanics · Cahill2019 · sleds for sprint speed · Cahill2019 · thesis · pp36–39

What should I do if my grip slips?

Pause if needed, re-establish a secure grip and stable standing position, and resume when you can control the pull. A three-second reset or fixed percentage reduction is not a validated rule for everyone.

HYROX^® Singles26/27 · §1/4.1/8.3/8.4 · p45 · Girard2011 · repeated-sprint fatigue

Must I always train at race weight or above?

No. The competition load is a race standard, not an individual training prescription. Choose a manageable practice load and account for the sled and surface; a fixed percentage does not make every setup equivalent.

HYROX^® Singles26/27 · §1/4.1/8.3/8.4 · p45 · Cahill2019 · sleds for sprint speed · Cahill2019 · thesis · pp36–39

What comes after Sled Pull?

After completing all four lengths, run 4 leads to station 4, the 80 m Burpee Broad Jumps.

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