The 2024/25 HYROX season just wrapped up in Chicago at the World Championships, but the next season is already getting started as HYROX HQ released its official rulebook for the 2025/26 racing season.
The new guidelines feature many of the same rules from past seasons, but there are a few new ones that athletes should be aware of prior to racing.
Key rule changes from HYROX HQ:
- Distance-based penalties are replaced by time-based penalties.
- Athletes are no longer permitted to step on the front line of the racer box for sled pulls.
- A 70-74 age group has been added to the PRO category.
- Athletes can remove their shoes, only for the wall ball station, if the athlete brings their shoes with them over the finish line.
- Spitting or clearing your nose on the floor/carpet will incur a two-minute penalty per infringement.
- Starting in any wave other than the athlete’s official assigned wave start time will result in a disqualification.
The HYROX race remains the same from season to season, but small tweaks are always likely. Despite the new rules, the overall race format itself is very much staying the same, with HQ working to make all races as uniform as possible.
- Recently, HYROX has partnered with brands to make equipment that is used throughout all of its races. HYROX’s main partnership is with Centr, which makes the official gear for every race, including wall balls, kettlebells, and sandbags.
- A contentious issue arose at the World Championships when HYROX debuted a new turf material that left some athletes struggling to get their sleds across the surface. HYROX responded immediately and said they would work to mitigate the situation.
One last thing: The location for the 2025/26 World Championship hasn’t been announced yet, but it will likely be made public soon. We’ll have those details once they’re released.
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Credit: Scott Freymond