Guide
How do you pace the SkiErg and the rower in HYROX?
Pace the SkiErg and the rower evenly, at an effort you can hold for the full 1000 m. Do not start the SkiErg too hard: it comes straight after the first kilometre, and HYROX itself warns that many athletes start too fast there. Both machines are set to resistance 6 by default, and you may adjust it yourself. On the rower you stay seated until the 1000 m are done, but you may pause. Each erg is 1000 m, for all divisions.
In short
- SkiErg and rower are 1000 m each, the same for all divisions.
- Resistance is set to 6; you may adjust it yourself.
- Start the SkiErg easy; it is only the first station.
- The ergs differ least between athletes, but rowing says a lot about your finish time.
- Train them with short blocks at race effort.
What are the rules on the SkiErg and the rower?
Both stations are 1000 m, for all divisions. The season 26/27 rulebook says:
| Rule | SkiErg | Rower |
|---|---|---|
| Distance | 1000 m | 1000 m |
| Resistance | Damper at 6, adjustable | Damper at 6, adjustable |
| Position | Both feet on the platform; heels may hang over | Stay seated until the 1000 m are done |
| Jumping or pausing | Jumping is allowed, but land on the platform | Stopping and resting is allowed, but stay seated |
| Foot stretchers | – | Default setting 4, adjust yourself beforehand |
| Finished | Stay on the platform, arm up, wait for the official | Only stand up once an official confirms |
If a foot touches the floor on the SkiErg, a warning follows first and then a 15-second penalty each time.
Why do you start the SkiErg easy?
Because it is only the first station. HYROX itself writes that many athletes run their first kilometre as a personal best and then go hard on the SkiErg. According to HYROX, the race is an endurance effort, comparable to a half marathon. Brandt and colleagues (2025) refer to research in which controlled pacing worked better than giving everything from the start. What you overspend on the SkiErg, you miss later. Runs 5 to 8 are most strongly linked to your finish time, see run pacing.
How much time can you gain on the ergs?
Less than at other stations, but the rowing does count. In a data analysis of over 14,000 results in Open men, the SkiErg and the rower were the most consistent stations, with the smallest differences between athletes. The researcher ties that to the lower technical demands.
Rappelt and colleagues (2026) saw in seven seasons of Pro results that rowing and SkiErg got faster the least over the years. They name technique, pacing and a ceiling as possible causes. Still, for Pro men, rowing explained the most of finish time of all parts in their analysis. That is a link, not proof that better rowing causes your finish time.
| Station | What the data show |
|---|---|
| SkiErg | Little difference between athletes; the first station of the race |
| Rowing | Little difference, but in Pro strongly linked to finish time |
How do you pace the ergs?
Evenly, at an effort you can hold for 1000 m. No HYROX study has established a best split time for the ergs. So Benchmrk uses your own data: test your erg times at race effort in your sims, and see whether your run after it collapses.
| Moment | Goal |
|---|---|
| SkiErg, after run 1 | Even, not harder than you can hold for the full 1000 m |
| Rowing, after run 5 | Even; according to HYROX the second half of the race starts here |
| Run after it | At your required pace, without a long lead-in |
How do you train the SkiErg and the rower?
With short blocks at race effort, and in your sims straight after running. This is what Benchmrk uses in strength training for these stations:
| Station | Training in Benchmrk |
|---|---|
| SkiErg | 6 × 200 m at race effort, 45 s rest + 3 × 10 straight-arm pulldowns |
| Rowing | 5 × 250 m hard, 1 min rest + 3 × 10 Romanian deadlifts |
Without a SkiErg, Benchmrk uses the rower over the same distance, and the other way round. Without either, it is 2 to 4 minutes hard on the (air) bike. More substitutes are on training for HYROX without a HYROX gym. If you cannot run for a while, the bike, rower or SkiErg also replace your threshold session, see return to running after an injury. How the ergs fit in your sim is in building a HYROX simulation.
How Benchmrk does it
If the SkiErg or rowing is a weak station, you get weekly blocks at race effort with a strength exercise added. In Doubles the app splits the SkiErg into turns of 125 m and the rowing into turns of 250 m. With shoulder problems, the SkiErg drops out of your strength training.
Frequently asked questions
How far is the SkiErg in HYROX?
1000 metres, for all divisions. It is the first station, after the first kilometre of running.
Which resistance do you use on the SkiErg and the rower?
According to the rulebook, the damper on both machines is set to 6 by default, for all divisions. You may adjust it as often as you like.
Can you stop on the rower?
Yes. You may put the handle down and rest, but you must stay seated until the 1000 m are done and an official has confirmed it.
What happens if your foot comes off the SkiErg?
Your feet must stay on the platform; your heels may hang over it. If a foot touches the floor, you get a warning first and then a 15-second penalty.
How do you split the ergs in Doubles?
Benchmrk splits the SkiErg into turns of 125 m and the rowing into turns of 250 m. One partner works at a time at a station.
Sources
- HYROX Singles Rulebook, season 26/27 (accessed on 22 October 2026)
- HYROX – Best HYROX Preparation (accessed on 22 October 2026)
- HYROX Sports Science Report 2025 (data analysis by Duffuler) (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)