Station 1 of 8
HYROX SkiErg
Station 1. 1000m on the SkiErg, every division, straight off your first 1km run. It looks like a warm-up station — it is not. It is the first place the race asks whether you can hold back.
The SkiErg rewards long, patient strokes driven by the lats and the hinge, not frantic arm pulling. Nobody wins a HYROX on the SkiErg, but plenty of people lose one here by arriving at the sled push already flooded.
Official standards by division
| Division | Format |
|---|---|
| All divisions (Open, Pro, Doubles, Relay) | 1000m |
Standards from public 2025/26 season rules — verify with the official rulebook.
Coach's cue
Hinge and rip down with the lats. Long strokes — don't sprint the fan.
Common faults — and what they cost
- Sprinting the fan off the start. a split 10–15 seconds "faster" here routinely costs 30+ seconds on sled push two stations later. The fan does not care how hard your first ten strokes are.
- Pulling with the arms only. your arms are the smallest muscles in the chain. Stroke rate climbs, the split does not, and your grip — which you need for sled pull and farmers carry — pays the bill.
- No hinge. standing tall turns a full-body pull into a shoulder exercise. You lose the free power from bodyweight and lats and add strokes to the same 1000m.
- Chasing your gym PB pace. race the compartment, not the machine. A controlled split you can step off and run from beats a PB you have to recover from.
How it fits the race
The SkiErg is station 1 of 8: Run 1 → SkiErg → Run 2 → Sled Push. You arrive with an elevated heart rate from the opening run — usually everyone's fastest and most reckless kilometre — and you leave straight into the run that precedes the heaviest station on the course.
Pacing note
In typical race data the SkiErg takes about 5% of total finish time — roughly 4:30 for a 90:00 athlete. Settle into your target split by stroke 10 and hold it. In doubles, partners split the 1000m however they like; short, hard switches keep the fan spinning.
Racing doubles? The split strategy for every station lives in the HYROX doubles guide, and you can see how this station affects your projected finish with the free calculator.
Train this station with a plan
RoxDuo builds the skierg into an AI plan periodised to your race date, and tracks your station PB so you can watch it drop. Built by an athlete training for HYROX Rome 2026 on his own app.
Train every station with RoxDuoFirst station of the race · Next station: 2. Sled Push · All 8 stations
FAQ
How far is the SkiErg in HYROX?
1000m, and it is the same distance for every division — Open, Pro, Doubles, and Relay. It is the first of the 8 stations, right after your opening 1km run.
What damper setting should I use on the SkiErg?
There is no official setting — it is your choice on the day. Most athletes race somewhere in the middle of the range: high enough to reward a long, powerful stroke, low enough that the flywheel does not grind you down. Test it in training, not on race day.
How does the SkiErg work in HYROX doubles?
One machine per team, and you split the 1000m between you in any way you choose. Many pairs switch every 250m so both athletes stay fresh — plan the split on your Team Sheet before the race, not mid-stroke.
Launch access
Start together.
Finish together.
The AI training app for HYROX doubles. Be first when it hits the App Store — 3-day free trial at launch.