The HYROX sled pull is the third workout station in a HYROX race. Athletes must pull a weighted sled for 50 metres, completed as four 12.5-metre lengths.
Although the movement appears straightforward, effective technique, rope management and pacing make a considerable difference. This guide covers the current HYROX sled pull weights and rules, how to pull the sled efficiently, and how to train for the station.
HYROX Sled Pull: Quick Answer
The HYROX sled pull is 50 metres long and is completed as four 12.5-metre lengths. Depending on the division, the official weight ranges from 78kg to 153kg, including the sled. Athletes must remain within their designated box while pulling and must ensure that the entire sled crosses each marked line.
HYROX Sled Pull Weights
| HYROX Division | Weight Including Sled |
|---|---|
| Women | 78kg |
| Women Pro | 103kg |
| Men | 103kg |
| Men Pro | 153kg |
| Women Doubles | 78kg |
| Women Pro Doubles | 103kg |
| Men Doubles | 103kg |
| Men Pro Doubles | 153kg |
| Mixed Doubles | 103kg |
| Women Relay | 78kg |
| Men Relay | 103kg |
HYROX Sled Pull Rules and Standards
The sled pull is the third workout station in a HYROX race. It follows the third 1km run and is completed immediately after the sled push. If you’re new to the sport, our complete beginner’s guide to HYROX explains the full race format and where each station fits.
The total distance is 50 metres, divided into four 12.5-metre lengths. The current HYROX sled pull rules are:
- You must use the sled lane assigned to you by the judging team.
- Both you and the sled must begin completely within the designated areas behind the white lines.
- You must remain inside the marked Racers Box while pulling the sled.
- You cannot step on the solid lines at the front or back of the Racers Box while holding the rope.
- The entire sled must cross the 12.5-metre line before you change direction.
- You must remain standing while pulling. You cannot pull the sled from a seated or kneeling position.
- You must keep the rope within your lane so that it does not obstruct another athlete.
- The rope may extend behind your Racers Box, provided it remains clear of neighbouring lanes.
- You complete the station once the entire sled has crossed the final line.
In Doubles, only one teammate works at a time. The resting teammate must stay behind the working athlete and cannot help manage the rope with their hands or feet.
The first infringement results in a formal warning. A second infringement carries a 15-second penalty, with another 15 seconds added for each subsequent infringement.
Here is a HYROX video covering the sled pull standards:
HYROX Sled Pull Technique
There are three main techniques you can use for the HYROX sled pull: pulling primarily with your arms, using hip extension, or stepping backwards. Many athletes combine the techniques or switch between them during the station.
The best option will depend on your strength, body weight, the resistance of the turf and how fatigued you are when you reach the station.
Arms-Only Technique
With this technique, you remain in roughly the same position and pull the rope towards you using repeated hand-over-hand movements.
This can be a fast way to move the sled when the resistance is manageable. However, relying heavily on your arms can fatigue your grip, biceps and upper back, particularly if the sled is difficult to move. It would be extremely difficult to do this at the Pro weights, and even at Open weights very difficult for most people.
Hip-Extension Technique
The hip-extension technique allows you to use more of your body rather than relying on your arms alone.
Begin with your arms extended and hinge at your hips. Pull the rope towards your body while powerfully extending your hips, then reset and repeat.
This can produce more force with each pull and may suit athletes with a strong posterior chain. It can also help when the sled is difficult to get moving.
Stepping-Back Technique
The third option is to grip the rope and step backwards, using your body weight and legs to move the sled.
You can keep your arms relatively fixed or combine the backwards steps with hand-over-hand pulls. It can also be combined with the hip extension technique above (hip extension into a step back). This technique can reduce the demand on your upper body, although the limited size of the Racers Box means you must shorten your steps as you approach the back line.
Combining the Techniques
You do not need to use the same technique for the entire station. For example, you might use hip extension to get the sled moving, step backwards while it has momentum, and then use shorter arm pulls when you reach the back of the Racers Box.
Practise all three methods so you can identify which is most effective for you and adapt if the sled feels heavier or the turf creates more resistance than expected.
Managing the Rope
Poor rope management can cost time and create a tripping hazard. Gather the rope to one side as you pull and avoid allowing it to pile around your feet.
Before running to the opposite end of the lane, release the rope and make sure you can leave the box safely. At the other end, find the free section of rope, remove the slack and begin pulling again.
The elastic rope used at HYROX events may behave differently from a standard gym rope, particularly when it recoils after a pull. Include rope management in your training rather than trying to work it out on race day.
Check out the video below for a demonstration the 3 main techniques…
Why Some Athletes Struggle With the HYROX Sled Pull
The sled pull affects athletes differently. Some complete it quickly, while others lose considerable time because of their technique, pacing or rope management. There are a few reasons that the sled pull causes problems for HYROX competitors:
Not Ready for the Weight
The resistance of the sled can also vary between training and race day. The stated weight does not tell you exactly how difficult a sled pull will feel. The turf can also move or bunch beneath the sled, creating additional resistance. Training weight alone therefore does not provide a perfect comparison with race-day conditions. The surface, sled, rope and conditions inside the venue can all affect the resistance. If you aren’t ready for this, it can catch you out!
Relying Too Much on the Arms
Trying to complete the full station using only your arms is extremely demanding, particularly at the Pro weights. Even at Open weights, most athletes will benefit from using their hips, legs and body weight as well.
Arriving Too Fatigued
The sled pull follows 3km of running, the SkiErg and the sled push. Athletes who push the earlier parts of the race too aggressively may reach the station with fatigued legs, grip and upper body.
Including sled pulls after running or another station in training will help you understand how your technique changes under fatigue.
Poor Rope Management
The HYROX rope is long and has some elasticity. It can recoil, become tangled or accumulate around your feet as you pull.
Poor rope management can interrupt your rhythm, create a tripping hazard and slow your transition to the opposite end of the lane.
Misjudging the Racers Box
The limited size of the Racers Box restricts how far you can step backwards. Athletes can also receive warnings and penalties for stepping on the boundary lines while holding the rope.
Practising within a correctly marked space will help you adjust your steps and pulls before reaching the back of the box.
How to Train for the HYROX Sled Pull
Your training should include heavy sled pulls, practice with your intended race weight, technique work and sled pulls performed under fatigue.
Match the Resistance, Not Just the Weight
The same weight can feel very different depending on the sled, rope and surface. If your gym has smooth turf, you may need to load the sled above your official HYROX weight to create a similar level of resistance.
From personal experience, I need to add approximately 35kg to the sled at my gym for it to feel comparable to race weight. However, the difference will vary considerably between gyms.
Focus on how hard the sled is to move and how long each effort takes, rather than assuming that matching the official weight will replicate race-day conditions.
Practise Your Technique
Use training to practise the three main techniques: pulling with the arms, using hip extension and stepping backwards.
Experiment with combining the techniques and learn which option works best at different levels of resistance. You should also mark out a Racers Box so you can practise using the available space without stepping on the boundary lines.
Use a long rope whenever possible. Rope management is a specific skill and is difficult to practise properly with a short gym rope.
Elite 15 athlete Louis Osselaer is one of the strongest sled pull athletes in HYROX. As he explained on the Rox Lyfe podcast: “By just doing a lot of sled pull, making sure the mechanics are there, I think you can come a long way.”
Louis focuses on creating a direct connection from his hands, through his body and feet, into the sled. He aims to remove the slack from the rope immediately and describes his technique as “a deadlift the entire time”, with his arms contributing some additional speed.
Include Heavy Sled Pulls
Heavy sled pulls help develop the strength required to start the sled moving when the turf creates more resistance than expected.
One example session is:
-
Complete 5 x 20-metre sled pulls
-
Use a heavier resistance than your expected race-day load
-
Rest for two minutes between efforts
-
Aim to maintain effective technique throughout every set
Increase the resistance gradually. The objective is to develop strength without allowing your technique to deteriorate completely.
Practise at Race Effort
You should also complete longer efforts using a resistance that allows you to replicate your expected race-day intensity.
Rather than focusing only on the stated weight, consider the amount of time you expect to spend working. This can help you prepare for the muscular and cardiovascular demands of the full 50-metre station.
Include Compromised Sled Pulls
The sled pull comes after 3km of running, the SkiErg and the sled push. You should therefore practise pulling when your heart rate is elevated and your muscles are already fatigued.
A simple compromised session is:
-
Run 500 metres at approximately your expected HYROX race pace
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Complete a 30-metre sled pull at race resistance
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Repeat for four rounds
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Take no planned rest between the run and sled pull
The aim is to maintain your technique and rope management under fatigue, rather than making every round an all-out effort.
You can learn more about combining running and workout stations in our guide to compromised running.
Training Without a Sled
If you cannot use a sled regularly, exercises such as pull-ups, bent-over rows, single-arm dumbbell rows and rope-grip pull-ups can develop useful pulling and grip strength.
Your legs and posterior chain also contribute to the movement, particularly when using hip extension or stepping backwards. Deadlifts and other hip-extension exercises can therefore support your sled pull training.
These exercises will help build the required strength, but they cannot fully reproduce the technique, rope management and variable resistance of pulling a real sled.
HYROX Sled Pull Race-Day Tips
Control Your Effort
The sled pull is only the third of eight workout stations. There is still 5km of running and five stations remaining, so avoid creating unnecessary fatigue by treating every pull as an all-out effort.
You should still work with purpose, but a few seconds gained on the sled may not be worthwhile if the effort significantly affects your running or later stations.
Expect the First Pull to Feel Different
The HYROX rope is long and has some elasticity. Your first movement may take up the slack and stretch the rope before the sled begins to move.
Do not panic if the sled does not respond immediately. Continue applying force, establish your rhythm and adapt your technique to the resistance.
Use the Full Racers Box
The box is small, but being overly cautious can mean using less space than the rules allow.
As Rox Lyfe coach Paul Gillingham explains: “Use the box space to your advantage. Be careful of your feet at the back and the front, but if you are overly cautious, you will cost yourself time and energy by not fully utilising all the space you do have.”
Practise judging your position so you can use the available space without stepping on the boundary lines while holding the rope.
Keep the Rope Away From Your Feet
Move the rope to one side as you pull and stay aware of where it is accumulating. Tripping over the rope can interrupt your rhythm and cost time.
Before leaving the box, release the rope and make sure you have a clear path to the opposite end of the lane.
Reduce Unnecessary Pauses
Try to minimise the time spent standing between pulls or walking to the opposite end of the lane. A brief pause may be necessary, but remain conscious of time passing when the sled is not moving.
Once the entire sled has crossed the line, release the rope, move safely to the other end and begin the next length.
I really hope that helps. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out, and please remember to sign up to our mailing list below so we can keep you up to date with any new articles on the site. Also, to help with training for HYROX, check out our training programmes and 12 week training plans (for individuals or doubles).
