For an episode of the Rox Lyfe podcast, we sat down with Ben and Harry Sutherland, one of the most exciting doubles pairings in HYROX after a 49:24 PB and a sixth-place finish at the 2025 World Championships. The brothers have built a reputation through smart racing, strong running, and a clear belief that they can still climb higher in the sport.
What makes the Sutherlands interesting is not only their results, but the route they took to get there. Their backgrounds span athletics, rugby, boxing, military service, and collegiate distance running. That broad sporting base now feeds directly into how they train, compete, and think about HYROX performance…
A Sporting Background Built for HYROX
Harry described a childhood spent doing almost every sport available, from athletics multi-events to rugby (he captained the Rugby team at the homeplace of the sport), boxing, skiing, and hockey. He even won the English Schools shot put title, an unusual strength credential for someone who also runs well. Ben took a different route, focusing more heavily on distance running before earning a scholarship in the United States.
That mix of endurance, power, coordination, and competitiveness now shows up in HYROX. It also explains why doubles racing suits them so well. They bring different strengths, but both understand how to suffer, compete, and adapt.
Racing HYROX Doubles
Although both believe they are capable of strong solo performances, the brothers have prioritised doubles in recent seasons because it gave them the clearest path into Elite 15 racing.
Rather than splitting focus between solo and doubles, they committed to one discipline and chased qualification points. That strategy helped them stay relevant at the top end of the field while the standard in doubles accelerated dramatically.
Ben also suggested they may be physiologically even better suited to solo racing long term, which makes their future progression worth watching.
One of the most valuable parts of the conversation was their breakdown of doubles tactics. They explained that success is often decided by efficient changeovers and smart station splits rather than just raw fitness.
Examples included:
- SkiErg changes every 125 metres to maximise recovery while keeping momentum
- Longer rowing blocks to reduce wasted time changing over
- Farmers carry transitions without fully putting kettlebells down
- Constant refinement based on what the fastest teams in the world are doing
Their message was clear: at elite level, seconds matter everywhere.
Training – Not to the Extreme
They told us that they certainly don’t train at maximum intensity every day (or barely ever).
They described most training sessions as controlled, repeatable, and leaving something in the tank. Weekly volume sits around 12 to 14 hours rather than the huge numbers often promoted online. Sessions are often repetitive by design so progress can be measured and overloaded properly.
Running Sessions Designed for HYROX
Their running work still follows traditional endurance principles, but with HYROX-specific tweaks.
Ben described fartlek sessions where recovery segments are still run at a strong pace, often around threshold intensity. The aim is to mimic race demands, where you rarely get true recovery. Heart rate drops slightly, then rises again, much like transitions between runs and stations.
Harry also highlighted sessions where tempo work is added before and after intervals, forcing race pace efforts under fatigue.
For HYROX athletes, this is a useful reminder: race fitness is more than pure speed.
Breaking Down Tough Moments in Racing
When races get hard, neither brother relies on dramatic motivation tactics. Instead, they focus on the next immediate task:
- Finish the row split
- Get to the carry
- Complete the lunges
- Reach the next lap
That ability to narrow focus is highly transferable for any athlete. When pressure rises, simplify.
The Future
The Sutherlands are self-driven athletes using intelligence, consistency, and belief to compete with the best.
As the sport professionalises, more athletes will need full-time support, sponsorship, and sharper systems. Ben and Harry already understand that shift and appear ready for it.
Ben and Harry Sutherland are already proven Elite 15 doubles athletes. But this conversation suggested there is more to come, and if they choose to push harder into solo racing, their story may only be getting started.
Their blend of sporting background, tactical detail, smart training, and genuine ambition makes them two of the most interesting athletes to watch in HYROX.
To check out the full interview, watch below or listen on the Rox Lyfe podcast…
