If you've been around the fitness world in the last couple of years, you've probably heard the name Hyrox. Maybe you saw it on Instagram. Maybe a friend raced one and wouldn't shut up about it. Maybe you have no idea what it is and you're here to find out.
Either way, here's the short version: Hyrox is a standardized fitness race that's the same everywhere in the world. It combines running with functional workout stations — the kind of movements CrossFitters, gym-goers, and former athletes already know how to do. And it's growing fast. Hyrox events have sold out in cities across North America, Europe, and beyond.
Moonshot CrossFit in Park Ridge is now an official Hyrox affiliate, and we're launching dedicated Hyrox training classes in March 2026. Here's everything you need to know.
What is Hyrox, Exactly?
Hyrox follows the same format at every race, anywhere in the world. You complete 8 rounds, and each round consists of a 1km run followed by one of 8 functional workout stations:
Station 1: SkiErg
1,000 meters on the ski machine. This one hits you early and sets the tone for everything that follows.
Station 2: Sled Push
50 meters. Heavy legs, heavy sled. Pacing matters here more than raw power.
Station 3: Sled Pull
50 meters pulling a sled toward you hand-over-hand. Grip and back endurance get tested hard.
Station 4: Burpee Broad Jumps
80 meters. The station everyone dreads. Full-body fatigue meets mental toughness.
Station 5: Rowing
1,000 meters. By this point you're halfway through the race and your legs are talking to you.
Station 6: Farmers Carry
200 meters with heavy kettlebells. Grip endurance and mental willpower — just keep walking.
Station 7: Sandbag Lunges
100 meters with a sandbag on your shoulders. Quads are on fire. The finish line is close.
Station 8: Wall Balls
100 reps. The final test. Legs, lungs, shoulders — everything you have left goes into this.
Total distance: 8km of running plus 8 functional stations. The total race takes most people between 60 and 90 minutes. Elite athletes finish under an hour. The point is: you're racing against the clock, against your own previous time, and against thousands of other athletes around the world — all on the exact same course.
Why Hyrox is Blowing Up
There's a reason Hyrox events keep selling out. The format solves a problem that's existed in fitness for a long time: how do you measure general fitness in a way that's fair, comparable, and repeatable?
Marathons test running. Powerlifting tests maximal strength. CrossFit competitions test a different workout every time. Hyrox gives you the same test, every race, everywhere. You get a time. You can compare it to your last race, to your training partner, to someone who raced in Berlin last weekend. That consistency is addictive.
It also hits a sweet spot that most fitness races miss: you don't need to be an elite athlete. Hyrox has divisions for every level — Open (lighter weights), Pro (heavier weights), and Doubles (split the work with a partner). There's no qualifying. You sign up, you show up, you race.
Why CrossFitters Have a Huge Advantage
If you already do CrossFit, you're further along than you think. Look at the 8 stations again — sled pushes, rowing, wall balls, farmer's carries, lunges. You do most of these movements regularly in class. CrossFit builds the broad fitness base that Hyrox demands: strength, cardio endurance, grip, mental toughness.
What CrossFit doesn't typically train is the sustained running volume and pacing strategy that separates a good Hyrox time from a great one. That's where dedicated Hyrox training comes in. You need to learn how to pace a 1km run when you know there's a sled push waiting at the end. You need to know your transition strategy. You need to build the aerobic base to sustain effort for 60-90 minutes straight.
That's exactly what our Hyrox classes are designed to do — take the strength and conditioning base you've built in CrossFit and layer on the race-specific preparation.
What if I've Never Done CrossFit?
You don't need a CrossFit background to train for Hyrox. Every exercise in the race is a fundamental movement — pushing, pulling, squatting, lunging, carrying, rowing. Our coaches scale everything to your current level. If you can't do 100 wall balls today, that's fine. You'll build up to it.
In fact, Hyrox is a great entry point for people who've been wanting to try functional fitness but felt intimidated by CrossFit. The movements are straightforward, the goal is clear (improve your race time), and the training gives you something specific to work toward.
How to Train for Hyrox
Effective Hyrox preparation covers four areas. Neglect any one of them and you'll feel it on race day.
1. Running Volume
You're running 8km total. That's not a marathon, but it's not a sprint either — especially when every km ends with a workout station. Build your aerobic base with interval runs, tempo work, and learning to recover on the move.
2. Station-Specific Strength
Practice each station under fatigue. Sled pushes when your legs are tired. Wall balls when your shoulders are burning. The gym is easy — doing it after 6km of running is the test.
3. Pacing Strategy
Going too hard on the SkiErg in round 1 can wreck your wall balls in round 8. Smart pacing — knowing your target splits, managing heart rate, picking up speed in the second half — makes or breaks your race.
4. Transitions
The clock doesn't stop between stations. How fast you move from the run to the workout and back matters. Practice smooth transitions and eliminating dead time.
Hyrox Training at Moonshot CrossFit
Moonshot CrossFit is now an official Hyrox affiliate in Park Ridge, IL. Starting in March 2026, we're running dedicated Hyrox training classes 3 times per week:
Hyrox Class Schedule
- Tuesday: 10:00 AM
- Thursday: 10:00 AM
- Saturday: 7:00 AM (every other week)
Hyrox classes are included in all Moonshot memberships — Unlimited, 3x per week, and punch cards. No extra charge.
We have every piece of equipment you'll encounter on race day: SkiErgs, Concept2 rowers, sleds, sandbags, wall ball targets, farmer's carry handles. No substitutions, no guessing. What you train on is what you'll race on.
The Moonshot Advantage
Most gyms that offer Hyrox prep are just adding a running component to their existing programming and calling it done. At Moonshot, your training is supported by an entire ecosystem:
Moonshot Medical and Performance is in the same building. That means you have access to physical therapy, recovery services, and performance medicine without driving across town. Nagging knee from running volume? See PT downstairs. Want to dial in bloodwork or hormone optimization to support your training? It's all under one roof.
That combination — train, recover, optimize — is something you won't find at any other gym in Park Ridge, Des Plaines, Niles, or the surrounding Chicago suburbs.
Who Should Train for Hyrox?
Current CrossFitters — you already have the base. Hyrox gives you a specific goal to train toward and a race-day experience that's different from anything else in fitness.
Runners who want more — if running alone is getting stale, Hyrox adds a strength and functional fitness component that makes training more varied and race day more interesting.
Former athletes — if you miss competing but team sports aren't an option anymore, Hyrox fills that gap. You train with a team, you race individually (or as a pair in Doubles), and you get a score to chase.
Complete beginners — the Open division uses lighter weights, and our coaches scale everything. If you're looking for a reason to get in shape, signing up for a Hyrox race and training for it is one of the most effective motivators there is.
How to Get Started
If you're already a Moonshot CrossFit member, just show up to a Hyrox class when they launch in March. It's included in your membership.
If you're new to Moonshot, the best first step is a free 1-on-1 intro session. You'll tour the gym, meet a coach, talk through your goals, and see if it's the right fit. No sales pitch, no pressure. We're at 542 Busse Hwy in Park Ridge — less than 10 minutes from O'Hare.
Hyrox is coming to Moonshot. Whether you want to race competitively, finish your first one, or just train with the energy of a team preparing for something bigger — we're ready when you are.