How to train for HYROX Doubles

Choosing the right partner

The most important thing is running pace. You spend a large share of the race running side by side, and the pair can only go as fast as the slower runner. If one of you is much quicker, the faster partner will spend 8 km holding back while the slower one runs at their limit, which is a recipe for a miserable second half.

Station strengths matter less, because you can divide the work. A partner who is strong on the sleds and a partner who is fast on the SkiErg and rower can complement each other well. What you want to avoid is two people with the same weakness, such as both struggling with wall balls.

Finally, choose someone you can train with regularly, who will turn up and who handles pressure well. On race day you will both hit a rough patch, and how you speak to each other matters.

Splitting the stations

There are two broad approaches: frequent swaps, where you split every station roughly evenly with short work bouts, or specialising, where each partner takes more of the stations they are best at. Most successful pairs use a mix. Here is a sensible starting plan:

• SkiErg: swap every 200 to 250 m, or split it according to who is faster.
• Sled push: alternate lengths, with the stronger pusher taking an extra length if needed.
• Sled pull: alternate lengths, or split by distance pulled.
• Burpee broad jumps: swap every 10 to 20 m, whatever keeps the rhythm high.
• Rowing: swap every 200 to 250 m. Practise getting in and out of the straps quickly.
• Farmers carry: swap each lap or length, so grip never fully fails.
• Sandbag lunges: swap every 20 to 25 m.
• Wall balls: sets of 10 to 15, swapping every set.

Every swap costs a few seconds, so there is a balance. Short bouts keep you fresh and powerful; too many swaps and the handovers start to eat into your time. Test different splits in training and time them.

Running as a pair

Pace the runs to the slower partner's sustainable effort. The faster runner's job is to set a steady rhythm, not to pull ahead. Running a stride in front and constantly checking behind you creates pressure that makes the slower partner speed up beyond what they can hold.

Agree before the race how you will communicate. A quick check-in at the end of each lap, a simple word for slow down or pick up, and an honest answer when asked are all you need. Most pairs find the later runs are where communication breaks down, so decide on it while you are fresh.

Handovers and communication

Fast Doubles teams treat handovers like relay changes. The resting partner stands ready, in position, and starts the moment the working partner stops. On the sleds, that means already standing at the far end. On wall balls, it means standing next to the ball with the target in view.

• Count out loud so your partner knows when the swap is coming.
• Use a set word such as your name or go for each tag.
• Rest actively: walk around, shake out, breathe deeply, but stay close.
• Never let the working partner go past the point where they are close to failure.

Training together

Each partner needs to build their own fitness individually, with easy running, strength work and engine sessions as in any HYROX plan. On top of that, train together at least once a week in the final two months.

Joint sessions should practise the things you cannot rehearse alone: running at a shared pace, handovers on each station and your agreed splits. A great session is a Doubles half simulation: four runs together, four stations split as you plan to race them, timed. Compare your splits with your plan and adjust.

For station technique, both partners should know how to do every station well, even if one of you will do more of it. The guides to sled push technique and wall balls technique are good places to start.

Race day as a team

Write your plan down: target run pace, your split for each station, and what you will do if one of you is struggling. Having an agreed fall-back, such as the stronger partner taking more of the lunges, removes a lot of stress in the moment.

Pairs racing is something Lycan Strength builds into its community too: Lycan Games is the gym's in-house competition for same-sex pairs, which is excellent practice for working as a team under pressure. See the Lycan Games page for details. If you are still deciding between formats, compare Doubles with HYROX divisions explained and the HYROX Relay.