5 truths everyone should know about Hyrox, according to a champion

If you’re training or looking to compete in Hyrox, no doubt you’ll want all the tips and tricks to help you land a great finish time. Megan Jacoby has revealed some top-tier advice, and it’s seriously golden.

Just in case you’ve been living under a rock, Jacoby is one of the most powerful Hyrox athletes. Not only did she become the Hyrox 2024 World Champion, but she was also the first female athlete to complete the race in under an hour, with a finish time of 58 minutes and 58 seconds. To say she knows her stuff would be an understatement.

In a recent Instagram post, the elite athlete shared a post titled ‘Five Hyrox truths you probably won’t want to hear’. Oh, we absolutely do want to hear them, and we know you do too. Here’s what she says you need to know if you want to be successful in the Hyrox sport…

1. Being a good runner matters

Since the sport emerged, it's been highly debated what’s more important: strength or running? Jacoby has the answer. “Hyrox typically comes down to running,” she says. “So understanding how to progress your running and spending the bulk of your time training on aerobic capacity is the move. We should be training like runners who strength train, not lifters who run.” Mic drop, right there.

2. Forget about maximal strength

It’s all well and good having a super strong squat, bench or deadlift, but Jacoby says maximal strength matters very little in the sport. “While there are outliers (myself being one of them), muscle endurance and strength endurance matter much more! Having a high 1RM is much less impactful than having the ability to do a higher volume of reps at a sub-maximal effort.”

3. Keep your training specific

It can be tempting to sprinkle in a few Olympic lifts here and there to your training, or a learn a new exercise that everyone seems to be doing on social media. But, if you want to get really good at Hyrox, Jacoby says your training needs to remain specific to the sport. “You don’t need to be able to walk on your hands for Hyrox,” she says. “Spend your energy in training in areas that help you master the skills of competition if you want to maximise your potential.”

4. Get good at pacing

Everyone talks about pacing; it’s even one of the top tips I shared after completing Hyrox, but it’s still one of those things that people mess up on. “Most people run way faster than their threshold in training too often. Thus, having a very poor understanding of where their running paces should be in Hyrox,” Jacoby writes. “Same for the ski-erg and rower. If you pace this over your threshold, you probably won’t like your finish time."

5. You can’t train at high intensity twenty-four seven

There’s no denying that Hyrox is a high intensity race that will leave your heart throbbing through your smartwatch afterwards. But does that mean you should be doing Hyrox simulations in all your workout sessions? Absolutely not. “Just because this race is high-intensity, doesn’t mean we should only be training there,” Jacoby confirms. “Understanding the percentage of low versus high intensity will make or break your training. Which makes or breaks your performance. You can’t ‘fake fitness’.” Going back to her first point, spending time building your aerobic capacity is key.