To track HYROX on Garmin, start one built-in activity, such as Cardio or Indoor Track, and press LAP at every changeover between run, Roxzone and station. As of October 2026, Garmin has no HYROX mode. A Connect IQ HYROX app can time each split and name every run, station and Roxzone for you.
Key takeaways
- Garmin's built-in activities time each changeover you mark, but none names the 8 HYROX stations.
- Mixed Session, Garmin's closest built-in option, takes four steps per switch: stop, Next Activity, pick, start.
- Garmin's lap undo doesn't work in gym activities or workouts (fēnix 8 manual, September 2026).
- Turn Auto-Pause off before any HYROX session.
Which Garmin activity should you use for HYROX?
For live run pace from a built-in activity, use Indoor Track or a run with GPS off. Pace there is a wrist-sensor estimate.
For station names and a separate Roxzone split, use a Connect IQ HYROX app. Connect IQ is Garmin's platform and store for third-party watch apps, data fields and watch faces. The Roxzone is the transition area between the running course and the workout stations.
During the session
| Method | Live run pace | LAP presses | Lap undo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copied Cardio activity | Not checked | 1 per changeover | No (gym activity) |
| Indoor Track or run with GPS off | Yes (wrist estimate) | 1 per changeover | Yes¹ |
| HIIT | No | 1 per round | No (gym activity) |
| Custom multisport | Not checked | 1 sport change per leg | Sport changes¹ (not in gym legs) |
| Obstacle Racing | Not checked | 2 per station (start and end) | Not checked |
| Mixed Session | Not checked | 4 steps per switch | Not checked |
| Garmin Connect workout | Depends on the activity | Not checked | No |
| Other Connect IQ HYROX apps² | ROXZONE, ROXFIT list it | Not stated | ROXZONE lists it |
| Hybrid Smash | Indoor (estimate), Outdoor (GPS); none on Cardio. Reacts in about 3 s (V26.2) | 1 per changeover: 32 per Race Day (Rox Zones on), 17 (off) | Yes (DOWN) |
Afterwards
| Method | Station names | Roxzone split | Saved in Garmin Connect as |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copied Cardio activity | No | Unnamed laps³ | One activity, a lap per LAP press |
| Indoor Track or run with GPS off | No | Unnamed laps³ | One running activity, a lap per LAP press |
| HIIT | No | Unnamed rounds | One HIIT activity |
| Custom multisport | No | As transitions | Not checked |
| Obstacle Racing | No | No | One activity with run and obstacle intervals |
| Mixed Session | No | No | One activity with a time for each leg |
| Garmin Connect workout | Not checked | Not checked | Not checked |
| Other Connect IQ HYROX apps² | ROXFIT lists station splits | ROXZONE, RoxTrack, ROXFIT list it | Not stated |
| Hybrid Smash | Yes, stored per lap | Yes (Rox Zones on) | Indoor Run, Outdoor Run or Cardio by Run Type; a lap per segment |
Sources: Garmin owner's manuals (September 2026), Hybrid Smash's product documentation, and the other apps' Connect IQ listings. Checked 5 Oct 2026.
- ¹ On the fēnix 8 and Forerunner 970, lap undo covers manual laps and sport changes, not gym activities or workouts.
- ² ROXZONE, RoxTrack, ROXFIT and RunLabs' Hyrox Tracker. RunLabs lists 16 splits and no separate Roxzone split.
- ³ Only if you press LAP at every timing mat.
Of the methods we checked, only Connect IQ HYROX apps such as ROXFIT and Hybrid Smash name the stations. We make Hybrid Smash, so its rows stick to documented facts, like every other row.
What's the best way to record HYROX on Garmin?
The best way depends on what you want to read afterwards. If timed laps are enough, use a built-in Garmin activity. If you want every run, station and Roxzone named, use a Connect IQ HYROX app.
- Copied Cardio activity. Copy Cardio, name it HYROX and press LAP at every mat.
- Indoor Track or a run with GPS off. One running activity, stations included.
- HIIT. Timer-based: LAP moves to the next round.
- Custom multisport. Run and gym legs, with Transitions and Repeat on.
- Obstacle Racing. LAP marks each station's start and end.
- Mixed Session. A generic multisport activity on newer watches that saves several activities as one (fēnix 8 manual). the5krunner called it "way too clunky for a race, but just about OK for a slow-paced simulation session".
- Garmin Connect workout. Steps with distance, time or calorie goals, sent to your watch.
- Other HYROX apps. Per their Connect IQ listings (5 October 2026), ROXZONE adds a Race Plan (beta, built at roxzone.app) and running power, RoxTrack is free, and ROXFIT pairs with a phone app.
- Hybrid Smash. See below. More: what to press on race day · Race Day in the user guide.
Not on the list: Strength is built for sets and reps, not a race clock. Row Indoor and XC Ski Indoor suit single-station practice (Garmin manuals, September 2026).
How Hybrid Smash records a race
For HYROX race day on a Garmin, Hybrid Smash's Race Day mode times every run, station and Roxzone with one LAP press per changeover, using the race format and the station targets for your weight class, and saves the race to Garmin Connect.
Hybrid Smash doesn't detect stations automatically: you press LAP at every changeover. The app already knows what comes next, so each press closes one segment and names the next. A short buzz confirms every LAP press, so you don't have to look at the watch.
Which Garmin watches have Mixed Session and Obstacle Racing?
Mostly newer models have them. In Garmin's September 2026 manuals, the vívoactive 6 has Obstacle Racing but not Mixed Session. Neither appears in the Forerunner 965 (April 2026) or Forerunner 165 manuals.
| Watch (manual date) | Mixed Session | Obstacle Racing |
|---|---|---|
| fēnix 8, fēnix E, Forerunner 570, 970, Venu 4, Venu X1 (Sep 2026) | Yes | Yes |
| tactix 8 (Sep 2026) | Yes | Not checked |
| vívoactive 6 (Sep 2026) | Not in manual | Yes |
| Forerunner 965 (Apr 2026), Forerunner 165 | Not in manual | Not in manual |
Garmin owner's manuals, such as the Forerunner 970. Checked 5 Oct 2026. Check your own watch's manual.
Hybrid Smash is on the Connect IQ listing for every watch in this table. As of October 2026, it isn't available for older models such as the Forerunner 55, 245 or 945. Those need a built-in method. Look up your own model.
How to track HYROX on Garmin, step by step
Whichever method you choose, these five steps decide whether your splits are usable.
- Turn Auto-Pause off. Turn it off in your watch's activity settings, or slow stations such as the Sled Push can be cut from your times. With Hybrid Smash, do it for running and for the Cardio activity type: Auto-Pause is a watch setting the app can't override.
- Check that LAP records a lap. In a built-in activity, keep the Lap Key on and Auto Lap off. Auto Lap by distance won't match official run splits, which are timed between timing mats. Setup steps for both Garmin menu styles.
- Turn GPS off at an indoor venue. With Hybrid Smash, pick Run Type Indoor. Pace then comes from the wrist sensor, which is an estimate; a paired footpod gives more reliable indoor pace.
- Mark every changeover. Press LAP as you enter the Roxzone, enter the station, leave the station and leave the Roxzone. A missed press merges two splits.
- Save, then check your laps in Garmin Connect. With Hybrid Smash, the watch shows COMPLETED and Remember to Save: open the menu and choose Save & Exit. The watch then shows the summary. Every segment is saved as a lap, but where Garmin Connect shows laps has changed between Garmin Connect releases.
Fewer presses in a built-in activity: press only at the Roxzone IN and OUT arches and at Wall Balls. That gives 16 laps, with each Roxzone inside its station lap and runs that still line up with official results.
What is Hybrid Smash?
Hybrid Smash is a Garmin Connect IQ watch app that tracks and paces HYROX races, simulations and workouts while you do them. One press of the LAP button per changeover, and every run, station and Roxzone is timed, labelled and saved to Garmin Connect.
It is a one-time purchase on the Connect IQ store with no account, no subscription and no phone needed while you train. It offers Race Day (the official sequence of 8 × 1 km runs and 8 stations, with station targets for your weight class), Hyrox Sim, Free Training (pick the next station on the watch as you go), 8 ready-made HYROX workouts and 3 custom workouts.
It is built for the balance between simplicity and the right features: a clean screen, few options and a design nobody needs a tutorial for.
- Three controls run the session: LAP for the next segment, DOWN to undo a mistaken press, SELECT for the menu.
- Saved to Garmin Connect as Indoor Run, Outdoor Run or Cardio, depending on the Run Type you pick, with every segment as a lap.
- Works on most current Garmin watches, including Forerunner, fēnix, epix, Venu and vívoactive models. Check your model on the Connect IQ store.
FAQ
Does Garmin have a HYROX mode?
No. As of October 2026, no Garmin watch has a HYROX activity, profile or mode, and Garmin's September 2026 manuals list none. The closest built-in option is Mixed Session, a generic multisport activity on newer watches. Why Garmin has no HYROX mode sets out the evidence.
Why doesn't my Garmin show exactly 1 km for each HYROX run?
HYROX runs are only approximately 1 km. The 26/27 Singles rulebook (14 September 2026) sets 8 runs of about 1,000 m in venue-specific laps, timed between timing mats. With GPS off, your watch estimates distance with its wrist accelerometer.
Hybrid Smash also times a Roxzone before Wall Balls; official results don't, so the app shows a shorter Run 8 and a longer Roxzone total than results.hyrox.com.
Do you need your phone to track HYROX on a Garmin?
No. Every built-in Garmin option in this guide records on the watch alone. That matters, because the HYROX 26/27 Singles rulebook (version of 14 September 2026) bans phones on the race floor. Hybrid Smash needs no phone to track either: your phone is only used afterwards, to sync to Garmin Connect and to open the share link.
Hybrid Smash or Smash Coach?
Hybrid Smash's job is the session itself: it times and paces today's race, simulation or workout on your watch. If your next question is what to train this week, that's a different tool: Smash Coach is a separate subscription app from the same maker that plans your HYROX training week by week around your other sports and any injuries.
| Hybrid Smash | Smash Coach | |
|---|---|---|
| Job | Tracks and paces the session you're doing right now | Plans your HYROX training week by week around your other sports and injuries |
| When you use it | During the session: race day, a sim, an open-gym workout | In the weeks before a race, every week |
| Where it runs | On your Garmin watch (Connect IQ app) | smashcoach.app, with an account and onboarding. It sends sessions to your Garmin |
| Commitment | One-time purchase. No account, no subscription | Subscription after a free trial |
Hybrid Smash runs your session. Smash Coach plans your season. Already on Smash Coach? Race day is built in.
Sources
- How can I undo a lap button press?, fēnix 8 Series Owner's Manual, Garmin, v9, September 2026. Accessed 5 October 2026.
- Multisport: Recording a Mixed Session Activity, fēnix 8 Series Owner's Manual, Garmin, v9, September 2026. Accessed 5 October 2026.
- Garmin 2026 Q1 update features, the5krunner, 23 December 2025, updated 3 October 2026. Accessed 5 October 2026.
- Forerunner 970 Owner's Manual (PDF), Garmin, September 2026. Accessed 5 October 2026.
- HYROX Singles Rulebook 26/27 (EN), HYROX, version of 14 September 2026. Accessed 5 October 2026.