At the time of writing, Rachael Wade has only raced HYROX twice in the Pro division, yet she has already clocked a 61-minute personal best and finished 2nd overall in Las Vegas. It’s a rapid rise in the sport, and what makes it even more interesting is that she’s doing it on relatively low training volume while balancing life as a mum of two and running her own nutrition business.
In a chat for the Rox Lyfe podcast, Rachael shares how her background in collegiate running shaped her approach to HYROX, why she focuses on strength rather than high mileage, and what she believes could take her under the 60-minute barrier…
From College Runner to HYROX Contender
Rachael’s sporting background is rooted in endurance sport. Growing up she played soccer and swam, before eventually shifting toward distance running in college. Her main strength was always endurance rather than outright speed.
At university she ran cross country and track, competing over distances from the mile up to the 10,000m. Her best event was the 5K, where she ran a personal best of 16:23 on the track.
However, her college career was heavily disrupted by injuries, including a hip fracture and eventually a serious Achilles injury that required surgery. Those setbacks ultimately brought her running career to an end.
Years later, after getting into CrossFit-style training and group fitness, she discovered HYROX almost by accident.
Her first race in Atlanta came after a last-minute sign-up just two weeks before the event. Despite limited preparation, she still managed a 1:05 finish in the Pro division – a result that convinced her she might have real potential in the sport.
A Rapid Rise in HYROX
Rachael’s second HYROX race came in Las Vegas, where she improved her time to 1:01 and finished 2nd overall.
Considering she had only put in around two and a half months of structured training, the result surprised even her.
One key factor behind the improvement was increased strength work. Rachael already had years of endurance training in the bank, but the HYROX stations required a different kind of preparation.
Her training now includes:
- Lower body strength work such as squats, lunges, and front squats
- Threshold running sessions twice per week
- HYROX-specific workouts focused on power and station efficiency
Limited Training Volume
One of the most striking aspects of Rachael’s rise in HYROX is how little she trains compared with many elite athletes.
She currently trains around 7–8 hours per week, running roughly 20–25 miles weekly.
Notably, she rarely does double training days. Most sessions last around an hour to ninety minutes.
This lower-volume approach is partly deliberate. During college she ran 70–80 miles per week and experienced repeated injuries. That experience shaped her belief that more training is not always better.
Her current philosophy is simple: stay fresh and maximise the quality of the training time she has.
Nutrition Lessons for HYROX Athletes
Alongside racing, Rachael runs her own nutrition practice and specialises in sports nutrition and women’s health.
One major issue she sees with athletes is under-fuelling, especially among endurance athletes.
Two of the biggest warning signs she mentioned were:
- Struggling to recover between training sessions
- Missing menstrual cycles in female athletes
Both can indicate low energy availability.
She also emphasised the importance of carbohydrates for performance. Many athletes still fear carbs, but for a sport like HYROX they are essential fuel.
When racing, Rachael uses a simple fuelling strategy:
- One gel just before the race
- Another gel after the burpee station
For longer races, she recommends 30–60 grams of carbohydrates per hour as a general guideline.
In the episode we also talked about her recommended supplements for HYROX athletes.
Racing for Something Bigger
Rachael now has two young children, and that has reshaped how she views competition.
Instead of chasing results with pressure, she focuses on enjoying the process and setting an example.
When a race gets difficult, her mental strategy is simple – she smiles. It sounds small, but for her it’s a reminder that she’s doing this because she loves it, and because she wants her kids to see what it looks like to push through hard things.
 To check out the full interview, watch below or listen on the Rox Lyfe podcast…
