Hyrox Doubles Guide: Strategy, Workouts & How to Split Stations

Hyrox Doubles is one of the fastest-growing race formats in the sport. Nearly every sold-out Hyrox event now lists Mixed Doubles as its most popular category, and for good reason — it’s a different tactical game than Singles, it rewards partnership and planning, and it lets athletes who might struggle solo compete at a genuinely high level.

But most guides treat Doubles like a footnote. They tell you the basic format, list the weights, and leave you to figure out the rest. This guide covers what the other guides skip: how to actually split your stations, which split strategies suit different partnerships, what to do in training, and how to execute on race day.

If you’re new to Hyrox entirely, start with what is Hyrox before reading this. If you already understand the race format, read on.

How Hyrox Doubles Works

The structure of Hyrox Doubles follows the same format as Singles — 8 runs of 1km each, alternating with 8 functional fitness stations, covering a total of 8km of running per person. The critical distinction is what happens at each station.

Both athletes run every segment together. This is the part that surprises most people entering Doubles for the first time. You do not take turns running. Every 1km run is completed side by side, at the same pace. The clock is running the entire time and you cannot split up on the runs.

At each station, only one athlete works. Before the race, you declare a station split — each partner is assigned exactly 4 of the 8 stations. When you arrive at a station assigned to Partner A, Partner A completes the full prescribed work while Partner B waits and recovers. Then both athletes run the next 1km together.

The split is locked in at registration. You cannot change who does which station mid-race. If Partner A is assigned the Sled Push and they’re struggling on race day, they still have to push the sled. This makes the pre-race split decision one of the most important tactical choices you’ll make.

Time starts when you cross the start line and stops when the second athlete crosses the finish line. Both partners must cross the finish together. If one athlete is significantly faster, they wait at the finish for their partner.

Recovery happens during your partner’s stations. This is the tactical advantage Doubles has over Singles — when it’s not your station, you’re resting. How you use that recovery time (hydration, stretching, mental preparation) has a real effect on your subsequent run pace.

A common misconception is that Doubles is significantly “easier” than Singles because each athlete does half the station work. The running volume is identical — 8km per person, no shortcuts. Doubles athletes who underestimate the running load often go out too fast on the early runs because the station work feels light, then pay for it in the back half.

See Hyrox stations guide for a full breakdown of each station’s format and technique requirements.

Hyrox Doubles Weights

Weights in Doubles are tied directly to the Open Singles divisions. There is no modified weight category for doing “half” the station work.

Station	Doubles Men	Doubles Women	Mixed Doubles (M / F)
SkiErg	1,000m	1,000m	1,000m / 1,000m
Sled Push	102kg	78kg	102kg / 78kg
Sled Pull	102kg	78kg	102kg / 78kg
Burpee Broad Jumps	80 reps	80 reps	80 reps / 80 reps
Rowing	1,000m	1,000m	1,000m / 1,000m
Farmers Carry	24kg per hand	16kg per hand	24kg / 16kg per hand
Sandbag Lunges	100m / 20kg	100m / 10kg	100m / 20kg — 100m / 10kg
Wall Balls	100 reps / 6kg	100 reps / 4kg	100 reps / 6kg — 100 reps / 4kg

Doubles Men use Open Men weights across all stations.

Doubles Women use Open Women weights across all stations.

Mixed Doubles is where it gets interesting. Each athlete uses their own gender’s Open weights for the station they’re assigned. This means a male partner completing the Sled Push pushes 102kg, while a female partner completing the Sled Push pushes 78kg. For Mixed Doubles station assignment, this weight difference is a key tactical input.

For a complete weight reference across all divisions including Pro and Masters, see Hyrox weights.

How to Split Stations: 4 Strategies

This is the decision that defines your Doubles race. There is no single correct answer — the optimal split depends on your partnership’s individual strengths, weaknesses, and goals. Here are four frameworks for making the decision.

Strategy 1: Upper/Lower Split

Partner A: SkiErg, Sled Push, Sled Pull, Rowing — all upper-body dominant stations. Partner B: Burpee Broad Jumps, Farmers Carry, Sandbag Lunges, Wall Balls — lower-body and conditioning dominant.

This is the most intuitive split and the most commonly chosen. It works because it clusters similar movement patterns for each athlete, minimising transitions between very different demands. Partner A can mentally prepare for a consistent theme (pull, push, pull, row) while Partner B prepares for a conditioning-focused four.

Best for: Partnerships with clear strength differences between upper and lower body. A rower or swimmer paired with a runner or cyclist is the textbook example.

Weaknesses: Burpee Broad Jumps and Wall Balls together late in the race create a brutal final push for Partner B. Farmers Carry and Sandbag Lunges are also consecutive, meaning Partner B does two demanding leg stations back-to-back in the second half.

Strategy 2: Odd/Even Split

Partner A (odd stations): SkiErg (1), Sled Pull (3), Rowing (5), Sandbag Lunges (7) Partner B (even stations): Sled Push (2), Burpee Broad Jumps (4), Farmers Carry (6), Wall Balls (8)

This creates the most even distribution across the race. Each partner alternates working and resting throughout the entire event, which means more frequent but shorter recovery windows rather than long consecutive rest blocks.

Best for: Evenly matched partnerships where both athletes are well-rounded. This split maximises total recovery across the race because neither partner completes two consecutive stations.

Weaknesses: Sled Pull and Rowing together for Partner A creates consecutive machine work. Partner B inherits both the Burpee Broad Jumps (Station 4, the mental low point of most Hyrox races) and Wall Balls (Station 8, the final gauntlet) — which is psychologically demanding even if the physical load is balanced.

Strategy 3: Front-Load / Back-Load

Partner A (first half): SkiErg (1), Sled Push (2), Sled Pull (3), Burpee Broad Jumps (4) Partner B (second half): Rowing (5), Farmers Carry (6), Sandbag Lunges (7), Wall Balls (8)

This split clusters the first four stations for one partner and the final four for the other.

Best for: A partnership where one athlete is stronger early in the race and fades, and one athlete builds into their performance late. It’s also a useful split if one partner needs early mental confidence — completing four stations in the first half and running free for the second half is a very different psychological experience than doing your stations spread across the whole race.

Weaknesses: This is the least common split for good reason. Partner A takes the Sled Push (the heaviest station) and Burpee Broad Jumps consecutively with only a 1km run between them — a brutally demanding combination. Partner B’s four stations are more moderate individually, but Wall Balls at the finish with tired legs is rarely enjoyable.

Strategy 4: Strength-Based Custom Split

Both partners list their 4 strongest stations individually. Where they overlap, assign by margin of advantage. Non-overlapping stations are easy to assign. This produces the most optimised split, but requires the data to back it up.

Best for: Experienced Doubles teams who have trained together and know their numbers. If you’ve both timed yourselves on all 8 stations independently, this is the most logical framework.

How to decide:

1. Both partners independently time themselves on all 8 stations at race weight in training
2. Calculate the time difference per station (e.g., Partner A is 45 seconds faster on SkiErg, Partner B is 30 seconds faster on Wall Balls)
3. Assign each station to the athlete with the larger advantage
4. Check the resulting assignment for clustering issues (don’t give one partner three consecutive stations in the same half)
5. If there’s a tie or near-tie on a station, assign it based on recovery — which partner needs the rest more before the next run?

The goal is not to give each partner their best four stations. The goal is to minimise total team time. Sometimes assigning a station to the slightly weaker partner is correct if the stronger partner needs the recovery for their subsequent run.

Pacing Strategy for Doubles

Running is where Doubles races are won and lost, and the pacing problem in Doubles is more complex than in Singles because you’re negotiating a pace for two people, not one.

The slower runner sets the pace. This is non-negotiable. Going out at the faster runner’s pace will blow up the slower runner before halfway, and a struggling partner slows everything — you cannot leave them behind on the runs. Agree on a target run pace before race day, based on the slower runner’s comfortable 1km effort under fatigue.

Do not go faster in the early runs just because the station work feels easy. The most common Doubles mistake is banking time on Runs 1-3 because your partner is doing the station work and you feel fresh. You will pay for this on Runs 5-8 when cumulative fatigue catches up regardless of how many stations you’ve done.

Use your resting time actively. When your partner is at their station, you are not just standing there. You should be hydrating, catching your breath fully, loosening your legs, and mentally rehearsing your next station (if yours is coming up) or preparing to pace the next run. Athletes who use their rest passively lose it.

The resting partner sets up the run. As your partner finishes their station, both of you should be moving together toward the run start before the station work is even completed. The transition from station to run is where Doubles teams lose time unnecessarily.

For target run paces by goal finish time, use the Hyrox pace calculator and input the slower partner’s estimates as your planning baseline. The Hyrox pacing strategy guide covers the broader framework in detail.

3 Doubles Partner Workouts

Training for Doubles is not the same as each partner training independently and then showing up on race day. You need sessions that build your understanding of each other’s pacing, practise your chosen station split, and develop the communication habits that make a Doubles team efficient on race day.

Workout 1: “You Go, I Go” (30 minutes)

Alternating station work with both partners running every transition together. This trains the core Doubles dynamic in a compressed format.

Structure (2 rounds):

1. Both run 400m together
2. Partner A: 500m SkiErg — Partner B: active rest (walk, stretch)
3. Both run 400m together
4. Partner B: 30 wall balls (6kg/4kg) — Partner A: active rest
5. Both run 400m together
6. Partner A: 500m row — Partner B: active rest
7. Both run 400m together
8. Partner B: 50m sandbag lunges — Partner A: active rest
9. Both run 400m together (finish lap)

Repeat for Round 2. Total: 8 x 400m runs, 4 stations, approximately 30 minutes.

What this trains: Running together at a shared pace, the shift between working and resting, and the mental adjustment of starting a run immediately after a station. Use this session to dial in your communication rhythm.

Workout 2: Race Rehearsal (45-60 minutes)

A full Doubles simulation at half distance. All 8 stations are completed, but at half the prescribed reps and distance. Both partners run all segments together. Station assignments follow your chosen split.

Structure:

• Run 500m (both)
• Station 1 (assigned partner): 500m SkiErg
• Run 500m (both)
• Station 2 (assigned partner): 25m Sled Push at race weight
• Run 500m (both)
• Station 3 (assigned partner): 25m Sled Pull at race weight
• Run 500m (both)
• Station 4 (assigned partner): 40 Burpee Broad Jumps
• Run 500m (both)
• Station 5 (assigned partner): 500m Row
• Run 500m (both)
• Station 6 (assigned partner): 100m Farmers Carry (race weight)
• Run 500m (both)
• Station 7 (assigned partner): 50m Sandbag Lunges
• Run 500m (both)
• Station 8 (assigned partner): 50 Wall Balls
• Run 500m (finish)

What this trains: Your station split in sequence, transition habits, verbal communication during the race, and the pacing relationship across a full race arc. Do this session at least twice in the 6 weeks before your race. The second time, time every segment individually and compare to your targets.

Workout 3: Weakness Finder (40 minutes)

This is a diagnostic session, not a conditioning session. Its purpose is to generate the data you need to make an informed station split decision.

Structure:

1. Both run 400m together
2. Both partners complete Station A independently for 60 seconds — note reps/distance
3. Both run 400m together
4. Both partners complete Station B independently for 60 seconds — note reps/distance
5. Repeat for all 8 stations with a 400m run between every 2 stations

At the end, compare results. The station where your margins are largest (biggest difference between partners) should go to the faster partner on that movement. Stations where you’re closest in ability can be assigned based on recovery needs or split preference.

What this trains: Self-awareness, partnership transparency, and data-driven decision making. Athletes who use real performance data to set their split consistently outperform those who decide based on gut feel. This session is most valuable done 4-6 weeks before your race, giving you time to train the stations you’ve been assigned before race day.

Race Day Tips for Doubles

The logistics of race day in Doubles require more coordination than Singles. Most problems come from poor preparation, not poor fitness.

Arrive and warm up together. Your run pace needs to feel natural from the first kilometre. Athletes who arrive separately and do independent warm-ups often start the race out of sync. Plan a shared 10-minute warm-up that includes 3-4 easy runs of 200-300m together, so you’re calibrated before the gun goes off.

Confirm your station split at check-in. You declare your split officially at registration, but confirming it verbally again on race morning prevents confusion. Both partners should know, without hesitation, which 4 stations they own.

Agree on your run pace the night before. This should already be decided from training, but re-confirm it. A specific target pace per kilometre (not “easy” or “moderate” — an actual number) removes in-race negotiation. Use the pace calculator to set this.

Develop a communication system. During the race, you need to tell each other: station completion times, run effort level, and if one partner needs to slow down. Keep it simple — “good pace,” “back off 10 seconds,” “I need water” at the next station. Don’t try to have full conversations mid-run.

The resting partner should jog to the station start, not walk. Especially in the later stages of the race when both partners are fatigued, there’s a temptation to walk between the station area and the next run start. Don’t. Keep your legs moving. Stopping completely makes the next run harder to initiate.

Have a plan for difficulty. If one partner is struggling mid-race — cramping, nausea, pace deteriorating — you need to know in advance what the decision is. The answer is always: slow the runs down. Trying to maintain pace with a struggling partner leads to a complete blowup. Slowing by 15-20 seconds per kilometre for two runs often allows a recovery.

For a complete race day preparation checklist, see Hyrox race day checklist.

Mixed Doubles: What’s Different

Mixed Doubles (one male, one female partner) is the fastest-growing Doubles category. Understanding what’s different operationally is important before you decide your split.

Each partner uses their own gender’s Open weights. This is not a compromise weight — the male partner pushes 102kg on the Sled Push while the female partner, if she’s assigned that station, pushes 78kg. The loads are determined by who is at the station, not some averaged middle weight.

This changes your optimal split significantly. In Mixed Doubles, you cannot simply assign stations based on upper vs lower body preference without considering the weight differential. The Sled Push (102kg for men, 78kg for women) is the heaviest station in the race. If the male partner is assigned it, it’s a significantly heavier demand than if the female partner is assigned it — which affects how much recovery time each partner needs afterward.

The most common Mixed Doubles split: Male partner takes the heavier upper-body stations (SkiErg, Sled Push, Sled Pull, Rowing) and female partner takes the conditioning-focused stations (Burpee Broad Jumps, Farmers Carry, Sandbag Lunges, Wall Balls). This works because it assigns the heavy loaded stations to the athlete for whom the absolute load is heaviest, and the bodyweight-dominated stations to the lighter athlete who typically has better relative bodyweight conditioning.

But this is not always optimal. If the female partner is a rower or swimmer with strong upper-body endurance, she may be faster on SkiErg and Rowing than her male partner regardless of the load difference. Use the Weakness Finder workout above to generate actual data rather than defaulting to gender-based assumptions.

Mixed Doubles timing trends. At major Hyrox events, top Mixed Doubles teams are running times within 5-8 minutes of the top Doubles Men teams — a much smaller gap than most people expect. The format rewards tactical precision more than raw strength.

For overall benchmarks on competitive Hyrox finish times, see what is a good Hyrox time.

Putting It Together

The teams that perform best in Hyrox Doubles share three things: they decided their station split using real training data, they practised running together enough that their pace feels automatic, and they had a communication plan for when the race gets hard.

None of that requires exceptional individual fitness. A well-prepared Doubles team running a disciplined race will consistently outperform two fitter athletes who haven’t practised together and guessed their station split on race morning.

Use the workouts in this guide to build those habits in training. Run the Race Rehearsal at least twice before your event. Do the Weakness Finder once and let the data drive your split decision.

If you’re using RoxPacer on race day, one partner wears the Apple Watch and handles the crown presses at each transition. The live delta view tells you whether you’re on pace or behind across every segment — which is particularly valuable in Doubles because one partner may not be running a watch at all. See Hyrox pacing strategy for how to interpret your splits during the race.

And if you’re still building the base fitness to get ready for your Doubles race, the 12-week Hyrox training plan gives you a structured programme to arrive prepared.