Guide
How do you train for the last 8 weeks before HYROX Ghent?
With 8 weeks to HYROX Ghent (17 to 20 December 2026) you have plenty of time for 6 weeks of focused training and a 2-week taper. The HYROX Sports Science Report names at least 6 weeks. Split the 6 weeks over threshold, compromised running and a peak week with one heavy sim. If you race on Thursday 17 December, that sim falls between 3 and 7 December and your last heavy strength between 7 and 10 December.
In short
- On 22 October, Ghent is exactly 8 weeks away for anyone racing on Thursday 17 December.
- 6 weeks of training, 2 weeks of taper (about 65% and then 40% volume).
- Last heavy sim 10 to 14 days before the race, last heavy strength 7 to 10 days before.
- Early check-in on Wednesday 16 December, only for athletes racing on Thursday.
- Your race day depends on your division; the times on the race page are provisional.
When is HYROX Ghent and what do you need to arrange?
HYROX Ghent takes place from 17 to 20 December 2026 at Flanders Expo, Maaltekouter 1. The schedule per division is provisional. You get your personal start time about 3 days beforehand, and it cannot be changed.
| What | According to the race page |
|---|---|
| Dates | Thursday 17 to Sunday 20 December 2026 |
| Location | Flanders Expo, Ghent |
| Doors | 07:00 for all participants |
| Early check-in | Wednesday 16 December, 17:00 to 20:00, only for those racing on Thursday |
| Check-in on race day | From 90 minutes before the first start wave of your division |
| Cancelling | Only with Flex Add-On: 100% back up to 31 days before the race (16 November), 50% up to 7 days before |
| Transfers | Not possible, not even to another division |
Check the terms of your own ticket. You cannot add the Flex Add-On afterwards.
How do you divide 8 weeks?
6 weeks of training and 2 weeks of taper. This is an example split for a race on Thursday 17 December, meant as a starting point, not a fixed rule of the app.
| Week | Period | Phase | Core |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 to 28 Oct | Starting point | Threshold test, easy running weeks, strength for your weakest stations |
| 2 and 3 | 29 Oct to 11 Nov | Threshold | Threshold intervals, a sim at about half of race volume |
| 4 and 5 | 12 to 25 Nov | Compromised running | Running at race pace after station work |
| 6 | 26 Nov to 2 Dec | Peak | Sim at race weights, recalibrate paces |
| 7 | 3 to 9 Dec | Taper 1 | About 65% volume; last heavy sim between 3 and 7 Dec |
| 8 | 10 to 16 Dec | Taper 2 | About 40% volume; last heavy strength between 7 and 10 Dec |
What the full 16-week build looks like is on the HYROX training plan. With 8 weeks the phases get shorter.
What do you do in the six training weeks?
You train running under fatigue. In the study by Brandt and colleagues (2025), 11 recreational athletes ran a simulated race. The median finish time was 86.5 minutes, of which a median of 51.2 minutes was running. According to the researchers that was more than 60% of race time. VO₂max was most strongly linked to finish time; grip strength and muscle mass were not.
The researchers did not measure running under fatigue. So compromised running is a Benchmrk choice based on the research, not a proven biggest factor. See building a HYROX simulation and compromised running.
An example week for the compromised phase (5 days):
| Day | Session |
|---|---|
| Mon | Threshold: 4 × 1600 m at threshold pace minus 3 s/km |
| Tue | Station strength for your two weakest stations |
| Thu | Easy run, below 89% of your threshold heart rate |
| Sat | Sim: 8 × (500 m + station at 50% of race volume) |
| Sun | Long run, easy |
How do you taper for Ghent?
Taper for 2 weeks with less volume and the same pace. Bosquet and colleagues (2007) analysed 27 studies; a taper of 2 weeks worked best, with 41 to 60% less volume. Benchmrk uses about 65% in the first and 40% in the second taper week. Those are rules of the app. If you race later than Thursday, shift all the dates. More in the HYROX taper.
How do you adjust this if you race later in Ghent?
Shift the taper and your last sim, and keep the training weeks the same. If you race as a man on Saturday 19 December, your taper starts on 5 December and your last heavy sim falls between 5 and 9 December. If that gives you 2 extra days, use them for an easy run or a light station session, not for an extra heavy session.
You cannot change your division after you enter. So look at the weights now, see Open or Pro.
How Benchmrk does it
You enter your race date and division, and the plan counts back from that day. With 8 weeks the phases get shorter and the 2-week taper stays. The app plans your last heavy sim 10 to 14 days before the race, uses your own threshold pace and adjusts the plan to what you log. With the quick check you see beforehand whether your goal time fits.
Frequently asked questions
Is 8 weeks enough for HYROX Ghent?
Yes, if you already run and train regularly. The HYROX Sports Science Report names a structured plan of at least 6 weeks, and with 8 weeks you have 2 weeks of taper left after that.
Where is HYROX Ghent?
At Flanders Expo, Maaltekouter 1, 9051 Ghent. The race page says doors open at 07:00 for all participants.
When do I race in Ghent?
That depends on your division. According to the provisional schedule, Men race on Thursday 17 and Saturday 19 December, Women on Thursday 17 and Sunday 20 December, and Men Pro and Women Pro on Friday 18 December. Your personal start time follows about 3 days beforehand.
Can I switch division or event?
No. According to the race page, there are no transfers to other events or division changes. Name changes are possible up to 1 day before the race.
What do I need to bring when checking in?
A valid ID. You get a wristband, a venue wristband, an ankle band with a timing chip and a start number. Without all of these you may not race.
Sources
- HYROX Ghent, official race page (dates, location, check-in, tickets) (accessed on 22 October 2026)
- HYROX, Find my race (calendar 2026/27) (accessed on 22 October 2026)
- HYROX Sports Science Report 2025 (Robinson & Olthof, concurrent training) – Recommendation to train in a structured way for at least 6 weeks. (accessed on 22 October 2026)
- HYROX Singles Rulebook, season 26/27 (accessed on 22 October 2026)
- Bosquet et al. (2007), Effects of tapering on performance – a meta-analysis, Med Sci Sports Exerc (accessed on 22 October 2026)
- Brandt et al. (2025), Frontiers in Physiology (accessed on 22 October 2026)