HYROX race day checklist

The night before

Eat a normal evening meal with a good portion of carbohydrate, such as rice, pasta or potatoes, and nothing unusual. This is not the night to try a new restaurant or an extra-spicy curry. Drink normally through the day and evening.

Pack your bag, lay out what you will wear, and set out your breakfast. Check that your watch is charged and set to the screen you plan to use. Then stop thinking about it. Many people sleep badly the night before a race, and that is fine. One poor night rarely affects performance much when you have been sleeping well during the week.

What to pack

Keep it simple and use the same list every time:

• Race shoes you have trained in, plus a spare pair of socks.
• Race clothes, plus warm layers to wear while waiting.
• Gloves for the sled pull or carry, if you use them and the rules allow them.
• Watch and heart rate strap, charged.
• Your booking confirmation and any ID the event asks for.
• A water bottle and a small snack such as a banana or a cereal bar.
• Caffeine, if you use it and have tested it in training.
• A towel, a complete change of clothes and a bag for sweaty kit.
• Plasters or tape for any spots that rub.

The guide to HYROX shoes and kit goes into what to wear in more detail.

Race morning

Eat a familiar breakfast two to four hours before your wave. Something carbohydrate-based and easy to digest works for most people: porridge with a banana, toast with jam or honey, or a bagel. Keep fat and fibre moderate so your stomach is settled. The guide to HYROX race day nutrition covers timing and caffeine.

If your wave is in the afternoon, eat a normal breakfast and then a lighter carbohydrate-based meal or snack around three hours before you start. Sip water through the morning rather than drinking a lot at once.

Leave with plenty of time. Large venues can have long queues for parking and entry, and rushing is the worst way to start.

If you use caffeine, take it at the time you tested in training, typically somewhere around 30 to 60 minutes before your start. Do not add an extra dose because you feel nervous. Nerves already raise your heart rate, and too much caffeine on top can leave you shaky and queasy.

The hour before your wave

Use this time well, and in this order:

1. Check in and collect anything the event provides.
2. Watch an earlier wave to learn the layout: run exit, Roxzone entry, station positions and where water is.
3. Confirm how many laps make up each 1 km at this venue.
4. Go to the toilet, then drop your bag.
5. Warm up for 15 to 20 minutes, finishing close to your start time.
6. Take a final few sips of water and head to the start area.

The warm-up is covered step by step in how to warm up for HYROX. If there is a long wait in the start pen, keep moving and stay warm with light jogging or dynamic movements.

During and after the race

During the race, stick to your plan. Count your laps every time, pace the first run slower than you want to, and take water only at the points you planned. When things get hard, and they will, break the race into the next lap or the next set.

Listen to the judges. If you get a no-rep, fix the movement straight away. And if something unexpected happens, such as a dropped glove or a tangled sled rope, deal with it calmly and move on. Small problems only become big ones when you let them rattle you.

Afterwards, put warm clothes on, have a drink and eat something within an hour or so. A proper meal with protein and carbohydrate later in the day helps recovery. Walk around rather than sitting still immediately, and write down a few notes on what went well and what did not while it is fresh.

The following days matter too. Our guide to recovering after a HYROX race covers what to do in the first week. If you train at Lycan Strength, an early class such as the 6am Engine on a Friday is a good chance to rehearse race-morning routines on a smaller scale before the big day.