Guide
What is the difference between HYROX Open and Pro?
HYROX Open and Pro have the same 8 km of running and the same stations. The difference is the weights: Pro is heavier. For men, the sled push goes from 152 to 202 kg including the sled and the wall ball from 6 to 9 kg. Women Pro uses the same weights as Men Open. Choose Pro if you can handle the heavy stations without long pauses; otherwise Open is the standard.
In short
- Open and Pro have the same distances and reps.
- Pro uses heavier sleds, kettlebells, sandbag and wall ball.
- Women Pro = the weights of Men Open.
- Doubles has the same weights as the singles division.
- Choose Pro only when the heavy stations do not cost you extra minutes.
What is the difference between Open and Pro?
Only the weights. According to the season 26/27 rulebook, there are four singles divisions: Women, Women Pro, Men and Men Pro. The running distance is 8 × 1 km everywhere, and the distances and reps at the stations are the same too. Pro uses heavier weights at five stations.
Which weights go with which division?
These are the weights from the season 26/27 rulebook. Sled weights include the sled.
| Station | Women Open | Men Open and Women Pro | Men Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| SkiErg | 1000 m | 1000 m | 1000 m |
| Sled push (4 × 12.5 m) | 102 kg | 152 kg | 202 kg |
| Sled pull (4 × 12.5 m) | 78 kg | 103 kg | 153 kg |
| Burpee broad jumps | 80 m | 80 m | 80 m |
| Rowing | 1000 m | 1000 m | 1000 m |
| Farmers carry (200 m) | 2 × 16 kg | 2 × 24 kg | 2 × 32 kg |
| Sandbag lunges (100 m) | 10 kg | 20 kg | 30 kg |
| Wall balls (100) | 4 kg | 6 kg | 9 kg |
The wall ball height depends on your sex, not your division: 2.70 m for women and 3.00 m for men. On the SkiErg and the rower, resistance is set to 6 by default for all divisions; you may adjust it yourself.
What about Doubles?
In Doubles too, the division sets the weight. According to the Doubles rulebook, on the sled push Doubles Women push 102 kg, Doubles Women Pro, Men and Mixed 152 kg, and Doubles Men Pro 202 kg. So Doubles Mixed uses the weights of Men Open. How to train together is in training for HYROX Doubles.
What does the heavier weight mean for your race?
Mainly more time at the strength stations. Rappelt and colleagues (2026) analysed seven seasons of Pro results, almost 40,000 in total. Running was about half of race time, in Pro too. But at the strength stations, such as the sleds, a weak performance could push finish time up the most, especially for slower athletes. According to the researchers you need enough strength not to lose time there; beyond that, extra maximal strength gives less and less.
In Open the picture is slightly different. Brandt and colleagues (2025) saw in recreational athletes in Open that grip strength and muscle mass were not linked to finish time. VO₂max, endurance training volume and body fat percentage were. At Open weight, running decides more often.
| Division | Where the time is |
|---|---|
| Open | Mostly running; stations at average weight |
| Pro | Still about half running, but heavy stations cost more and differ more per athlete |
How do you choose between Open and Pro?
Look at your weakest strength station at Open weight. If you can finish the sled push, the sled pull and the lunges at Open weight without long pauses, you can consider Pro. If a station already costs you a lot of time at Open weight, it will cost you more in Pro.
| Question | If the answer is no |
|---|---|
| Do you push the sled at Open weight without stopping? | Stay in Open and train strength first |
| Do you do the lunges at Open weight without putting the sandbag down? | Stay in Open |
| Do you throw 100 wall balls in big sets? | Train the wall balls first, see wall balls without stopping |
HYROX itself calls Pro the division for the experienced racer, and has a short questionnaire on its site to gauge your level. According to HYROX you may choose any division.
How do you train for Pro?
With the same build as for Open, but with heavier station strength. Running remains the biggest part. Train the sleds above your race weight, see a faster sled push and sled pull technique. Do your dress rehearsal at Pro weight, so you know what it does to your runs. See building a HYROX simulation.
How Benchmrk does it
You choose your division at the intake, and per race in your season it can be a different one. The app uses the official weights of that division in your strength training, your sims and your prediction. Pro calculates with heavier stations. That way you see beforehand what a switch to Pro does to your finish time.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between HYROX Open and Pro?
Only the weights. The distances, reps and 8 km of running are the same; Pro uses heavier sleds, kettlebells, sandbag and wall ball.
How heavy is the sled push in Pro?
202 kg including the sled for Men Pro and 152 kg for Women Pro. In Open it is 152 kg for men and 102 kg for women.
Is the wall ball height different in Pro?
No. According to the rulebook, women in Open and Pro throw at 2.70 m and men at 3.00 m. Only the weight of the ball differs.
Can you race both Open and Pro in a season?
You enter a division per race. Separate rules apply for World Championships qualification; athletes aged 60 and over qualify only through Open.
Which division suits me?
Look at your station times on the heavy stations. If the sled push or the lunges already cost you a lot of time at Open weight, Pro will cost you more. HYROX also has a short questionnaire to determine your level.
Can you start in Pro over 60?
Yes, at regular races you can enter Pro from age 60 up to 80+ and make the podium. For the World Championships you qualify at 60+ only through Open, and at the World Championships you race with Open weights.
Sources
- HYROX Singles Rulebook, season 26/27 (accessed on 22 October 2026)
- HYROX Doubles Rulebook, season 26/27 (accessed on 22 October 2026)
- HYROX – The Fitness Race (divisions and weights) (accessed on 22 October 2026)
- Rappelt et al. (2026), Longitudinal performance development in PRO and ELITE HYROX competitions, Frontiers in Physiology (accessed on 22 October 2026)
- Brandt et al. (2025), Frontiers in Physiology (accessed on 22 October 2026)