A HYROX simulation workout copies all or part of the race in race order, so you can rehearse pacing and transitions. A full sim is 8 × 1 km runs and 8 stations at race weight. A half sim halves every run and station, or stops after 4 full rounds. A quarter sim cuts every run and station to 25%.
Key takeaways
- Scaling a sim shortens distances and reps, never the weights: a Men Open half sim still pushes a 152 kg sled.
- Hyrox Sim always runs 8 rounds. For a 4-round half, use Build 1: Pace Build or Build 2: Back Half.
- In Hybrid Smash's Hyrox Sim, Run Dist 500 m and Station Dist/Reps 50% give a half sim.
What is a HYROX simulation?
A HYROX simulation is the race format rehearsed outside an official HYROX event, so its time isn't an official result.
HYROX is a fitness race of 8 km of running, split into 8 runs of about 1 km. Each run is followed by one workout station, in a fixed order.
The Roxzone is the transition area between the running course and the workout stations. In a gym, it's whatever your layout makes it.
HYROX simulation workout distances: full, half and quarter
In the 8-round versions, a half sim takes 50% of every run and station, and a quarter sim takes 25%. Every weight stays at race weight.
| Segment | Full sim (race) | Half sim (8 × 500 m) | Quarter sim (8 × 250 m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Each of the 8 runs | about 1,000 m | 500 m | 250 m |
| SkiErg | 1,000 m | 500 m | 250 m |
| Sled Push | 50 m | 25 m | 12.5 m |
| Sled Pull | 50 m | 25 m | 12.5 m |
| Burpee Broad Jumps | 80 m | 40 m | 20 m |
| Rowing | 1,000 m | 500 m | 250 m |
| Farmers Carry | 200 m | 100 m | 50 m |
| Sandbag Lunges | 100 m | 50 m | 25 m |
| Wall Balls | 100 reps | 50 reps | 25 reps |
Full distances from the HYROX 26/27 Singles rulebook, version of 14 September 2026. They are the same in every division, and each run is approximately 1,000 m. Half and quarter values are straight 50% and 25% scales, not an official HYROX format.
The 8 × 500 m half, with every station halved at race weight, is the version Built for Athletes describes.
Scaling distance doesn't change the load. A Men Open half sim still means a 152 kg (335 lb) Sled Push, including the sled. Weights change by division, not by distance.
The other half sim: 4 rounds at full distance
The second common half sim stops after 4 rounds. GOWOD lists a half simulation as "4 runs and 4 stations".
At full distance, that's 4 × 1 km runs and one half of the race: either SkiErg to Burpee Broad Jumps, or Rowing to Wall Balls. Each half or quarter sim keeps the full weights for your division.
How do you set up a full, half or quarter sim on your watch?
In Hybrid Smash, open Hyrox Sim from the Training menu. Set Run Dist to the run length you want and Station Dist/Reps to the matching percentage.
For a HYROX simulation on a Garmin, Hybrid Smash's Hyrox Sim mode runs the race sequence with every setting adjustable (run distance, station distance or reps, and weight) and times each run, station and Roxzone separately.
| Sim | Workout (Training menu) | Run Dist | Station Dist/Reps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full | Hyrox Sim (defaults) | 1,000 m | 100% |
| Half, 8 × 500 m | Hyrox Sim | 500 m | 50% |
| Half, first 4 stations | Build 1: Pace Build (defaults) | 1,000 m | 100% |
| Half, last 4 stations | Build 2: Back Half (defaults) | 1,000 m | 100% |
| Quarter, 8 × 250 m | Hyrox Sim | 250 m | 25% |
| Quarter runs, half stations | Peak 2: Sprint Relay (defaults) | 250 m | 50% |
Leave Station Weight at 100% (race weight) throughout. Run Dist goes from 200 to 2,000 m, and both station settings from 25 to 150%. Ranges for Hybrid Smash V26.2, as of October 2026.
Hyrox Sim always runs all 8 rounds. For a 4-round half, use the ready-made Build 1: Pace Build or Build 2: Back Half, or add the same 8 segments to Custom 1–3.
There's no account to create and no setup questions when you start: Hyrox Sim's five settings sit in its own menu, each showing its current value.
Before you start
- Full sim: settings are saved per workout, so set Run Dist back to 1,000 m and Station Dist/Reps to 100% after a half or quarter sim.
- Runs: Run Dist is literal, so Station Dist/Reps never shortens the runs.
- Weight Class: sets the station weights and the Wall Balls target height (Weight Class in the user guide). Wall Balls are 100 reps in every class. Set it before your first session.
- Preview: check every station target in View & Start.
- Roxzones: leave Rox Zones on (Main Menu → Settings, on by default) to time every transition as its own segment, with a separate Roxzone total on the summary. Turn it off and each segment follows the next directly.
Auto-Pause is a watch setting the app can't override. Turn it off in your watch's activity settings, for running and for the Cardio activity type, or slow stations such as the sled push can be cut from your times.
During the sim
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.
Ways to record a HYROX sim on a Garmin compares this with Garmin's own activities, press by press.
Can you do a HYROX simulation without a sled or SkiErg?
Yes. Build the sim in Custom 1–3 and add Other where the missing station would be. The substitute is then timed as its own Other lap, not under a station you didn't do.
Each custom slot holds up to 20 segments. Open the slot, choose Edit, then add segments with Add Station.
Add them in race order, because segments can't be reordered. Other has no target or weight, and Garmin Connect sums its time in an Other column.
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
Is a HYROX simulation race an official HYROX race?
No. A HYROX simulation race copies the race format, but its time isn't an official HYROX result. On Indoor without a footpod, watch distance is also a wrist-sensor estimate. Venues differ too: Roxzone Time depends on where each venue puts its timing mats, and a gym layout is different again. So sim and race times differ, even at the same effort.
How long does a HYROX full sim take?
No official sim time exists, but a HYROX full sim covers the race distances and weights, so race times give the scale. HYROX Data Lab analysed more than 700,000 race results (updated 31 March 2026). Its median finish, across all age groups and divisions, is about 1:33–1:38 for men and 1:47–1:52 for women. Times vary by venue, season and division.
Does Hybrid Smash give me a training plan?
No. Hybrid Smash runs the session on your watch: it times and paces your race, simulation or workout and saves every split to Garmin Connect. It doesn't decide what you train each week. For that, Smash Coach is a separate subscription app from the same maker that plans your HYROX training around your other sports. Already on Smash Coach? Race day is built in.
Sources
- HYROX Singles Rulebook 26/27 (EN), HYROX (Upsolut Sports GmbH), version of 14 September 2026. Accessed 5 October 2026.
- Half HYROX Simulation, Built for Athletes, 21 January 2025. Accessed 5 October 2026.
- What Is A HYROX Simulation?, GOWOD, 23 April 2026. Accessed 5 October 2026.
- What is a good HYROX time, HYROX Data Lab, analysis of 700,000+ race results, updated 31 March 2026. Accessed 5 October 2026.