HYROX has officially dropped its updated rulebook for the 2025/26 season – and while there are no drastic changes to the sport’s core format, there are a few key updates every athlete, judge, and fan should be aware of.
From refined movement standards and stricter judging to the formalization of competition categories like Elite Doubles, the new rulebook aims to bring more consistency and professionalism to the race floor.
Here’s a quick breakdown of what’s new, what’s clarified, and what it means for your next race.
Movement standards:
- Ski / Row – Erg dampers will now be set to 6 for all divisions but can be changed
- Sled Pull – Athletes must not step on the solid white line at the front of the athletes’ box
- Burpee Broad Jumps – Rule clarification: Athletes are permitted to use their knees to step up to standing
Penalties & Disqualification:
- Wave Start Time – Starting in any wave other than your official assigned wave start time will result in disqualification
- Doubles Teams – If a doubles team gets more than 3 infringements for being too far apart this will result in disqualification
- Sleds, Burpee Broad Jumps & Sandbag Lunges – There will be no more distance-based penalties, instead there will be one warning followed by a time-based penalty of 15 seconds per infringement after the warning
- Farmer’s Carry – Depending on the venue, Farmers Carry may involve multiple laps. Each missing lap will result in a 3-minute penalty
- Farmer’s Carry & Sandbag Lunges – Athletes must redo this station if the wrong weight is used and failure to redo it with the correct weight will result in disqualification
- Spitting / Clearing nose – If athletes spit or clear their nose on the floor or carpet, this will result in a 2-minute penalty per infringement
Additional:
- Transgender Rankings – In line with previous Olympic guidelines, official rankings will be based on a participant’s biological gender at birth. However, individuals who wish to participate for recreational purposes only, without being included in the official ranking may register under their gender identity
- Pro Divisions – Pro division age groups will now include 60–64 and 65–69, meaning these categories will receive an official ranking and flag. But world championship spots will only be available to those age group in the Open division as that is what they would use at the World Championships.
- Additional Doubles Age Groups – Doubles age groups have been updated to align with the Singles divisions and are now structured in 5-year increments
- Shoes – Shoes must be worn at all times during the race except for the Wall Ball station, where if an athlete decides to remove them, they must be placed under the rig and carried to the finisher stage
- Respiratory Devices – Asthma inhalers or prescribed respiratory devices are permitted to be carried during the race
- Medical Device – If a medical device requires proximity to a racer’s phone is necessary during the race, prior approval must be obtained from the Race Director
Commenting on the changes, Mintra Tilly, Director of Sport at HYROX said “We’ve been constantly evaluating the existing movement standards and penalty system throughout the season and as a result, these were the changes that we deemed necessary. Our aim is to make sure that as HYROX continues to grow as a sport, we remain consistent in the quality of racing and fair when it comes to the penalties given and guidelines for disqualification.”
You can find the full rule books on the HYROX website here. We advise that everyone reads it before racing as the format has changed and it is a lot cleared than in previous seasons.
