Station 3 of 8
HYROX Sled Pull: Complete Station Guide
50m (4 × 12.5m lengths), hand-over-hand rope pull
The sled pull is the most technique-sensitive strength station in HYROX. Two athletes with identical strength can be 90 seconds apart here purely on rope method and body position. It's also a grip tax collected early in the race — sloppy pulling now shows up as failed grip at farmers carry and wall balls later.
How long should the Sled Pull take?
- Beginner: 5:00–6:30
- Average: 4:00–5:00
- Competitive: 3:15–4:00
- Elite: 2:30–3:15
Athletes consistently underestimate this one: it's usually 60–90 seconds slower than the sled push despite the lighter load, because pulling is less trained and the rope punishes poor technique.
Official weights & standards
- Open Men: 103 kg total (including sled)
- Open Women: 78 kg total
- Pro Men: 153 kg total
- Pro Women: 103 kg total
- Doubles: Same as equivalent singles division, work shared
Technique
- Anchor your bodyweight: sit back into a quarter squat with your weight behind your heels — you pull with your posterior chain and bodyweight, not your biceps.
- Use long, full-arm strokes, hand over hand — short choppy pulls double your grip time under tension.
- Stay inside the box lines; stepping out earns penalties, so learn to shuffle backwards within the zone while pulling if it's allowed to you, or anchor and strip the rope.
- When the sled arrives, don't celebrate — turn immediately and walk the rope back with purpose; rope management is free seconds.
- Alternate lead hands each length to spread grip fatigue.
Where athletes lose time
- Standing tall and pulling with arms — the sled barely moves and your grip empties fast.
- Short rapid tugs instead of long strokes.
- Chaotic rope piles that tangle on the next length.
- Ignoring grip training for months, then discovering a 78–103 kg sled doesn't move for weak hands.
Race-day pacing
Steady long strokes at a rhythm you could hold for six lengths, not four. Your heart rate recovers here more than at the push — treat it as a controlled-burn station and protect your grip for the second half of the race.
How to train it
- Rope pulls: 4 × 12.5m at race weight, weekly. No rope sled? Bent-over dumbbell rows + backwards heavy carpet drags.
- Grip volume: 3 × max-time dead hangs and heavy farmer holds, twice weekly — grip is trainable fast, in about 6 weeks.
- Compromised: 1km run → 12.5m pull × 4, focusing on stroke length when breathing hard.
FAQs
Why is the sled pull slower than the sled push for most athletes?
Less familiar movement, higher technique demand, and grip fatigue. Most athletes train pushing patterns (squats, presses) for years but rarely train hand-over-hand pulling. The 60–90 second gap between the two sled stations is mostly buyable back with technique practice.
Do I need straps or grips for the sled pull?
Bare hands or light grips both work; what matters is trained grip endurance. If your hands are the first thing failing in training, add dead hangs and heavy carries twice a week — most athletes fix grip in 4–6 weeks.