# HYROX Sled Push (station 2 of 8, 50 m (4 x 12.5 m)) Source page: https://roxskin.io/stations/sled-push The sled push is station 2: four 12.5 m lanes pushing a heavy sled over race carpet, which grips more than most gym turf. Good pushers get low with a flat back, drive with short, quick leg steps, and keep the sled moving, because restarting a stalled sled costs far more than pushing it slowly. ## Loads - Open Women: 102 kg incl. sled - Open Men: 152 kg incl. sled - Pro Women: 152 kg incl. sled - Pro Men: 202 kg incl. sled ## Technique 1. **Hands high, arms locked.** With your hands high on the poles and arms straight, you sit a little more upright, which makes breathing easier and puts less load on your shoulders. It works well once the sled is moving or on a lighter-feeling lane. Cues: Lock the arms; Flat back, hips low; Lean your weight into the poles; Eyes on the floor ahead. 2. **Hands low, body low.** Moving your hands lower on the poles and bending your arms brings your torso down towards about 45 degrees, so more of your force goes forward instead of down. Use it to get a sticky sled moving or when it starts to stall. Cues: Hands low on the poles; Shoulders close to the hands; Torso about 45 degrees; Push forward, not down. 3. **Short, quick leg drives.** Drive the sled with short, quick steps through the balls of your feet, fully extending each leg behind you before the next step lands. Keep your feet about hip-width apart so the sled never stops between steps. Cues: Short, fast steps; Drive through the ball of the foot; Extend the back leg fully; Keep the sled moving. ## Common faults - **You stand tall behind the sled with your hips high, pushing more with your arms than your legs.** Why it matters: An upright body sends force down into the sled instead of forward, so a heavy sled on grippy carpet stalls. Your arms and shoulders then do work your legs should be doing. Fix: Sink your hips, flatten your back and bring your torso towards 45 degrees, moving your hands lower on the poles if needed. If your arms are burning, get lower and push from the legs. - **You take long, lunging strides, reaching far forward with each foot.** Why it matters: A long stride leaves you over-extended between steps, so the sled slows and nearly stops each time, and every restart costs extra force. Fix: Shorten your steps and quicken them, landing each foot under your hips and driving it back hard. Aim for a continuous rhythm of small, hard leg drives. ## Standards (26/27 rulebook, paraphrased) - A judge assigns your sled lane, and you must use that lane. - Both you and the sled must start completely behind the white line. - You and the sled must stay inside your lane and must not interfere with a neighbouring lane. - The whole sled must pass the 12.5 m mark at the end of the lane before you change direction. - The station is complete once you've pushed all 4 x 12.5 m lanes and the entire sled has crossed the line. ## Penalties - First infringement (for example turning before the whole sled crosses the line, or leaving your lane): formal warning - Second infringement: 15-second penalty - Each further infringement: another 15 seconds, with no more warnings - Missing a sled lane: disqualification (incomplete station) - Using chalk at the sled push: 2-minute penalty (chalk is only allowed at the sled pull and farmers carry) - Unusual technique that gives a time advantage: no rep or time penalty ## Pacing (approximate) - First race: about 3:30–5:00 (varies a lot with division and surface). Start the first lane slower than you want to. Use the three turns as planned breathers, and if you must stop mid-lane, keep your hands on the poles and restart within a few seconds. - Intermediate: about 2:45–3:30. Push each lane unbroken if you can, at a steady effort rather than a sprint. Take one or two breaths at each turn, then drive the sled away low and hard. - Advanced: about 2:00–2:45. Push all four lanes unbroken and keep the turns quick. Stay just below your limit, since the sled pull and seven more runs still come after this. ## Breathing Take a deep breath and brace before the sled moves, then breathe short and rhythmically with your steps rather than holding your breath down the lane. Use the walk to each turn for two or three slow, full breaths. ## Kit Wear closed-toe shoes with a grippy outsole and test them on a sled first, since some soft or smooth running shoes slip on carpet and turf. Gloves are allowed (grips are not), but chalk at the sled push earns a 2-minute penalty. ## Drills - **Heavy sled pushes:** 6–8 x 12.5 m at about 10–15% above race weight with 60 to 90 seconds rest, focusing on a low body angle and short steps. This prepares you for the grippier race carpet. - **Race-weight 4 x 12.5 m:** Push the full 50 m at race weight, rest 3 to 4 minutes, and repeat 2 to 3 times. Practise quick turns and see whether you can go unbroken. - **Wall push holds:** 4 x 30–45 seconds holding the push position against a wall, driving with alternating short steps. It grooves the body angle and leg drive when you don't have a sled. - **Sled sandwich:** 1 km run, 50 m sled push or substitute, 1 km run, 2 to 3 rounds. It teaches you the push pace you can hold and still run afterwards. - **Single-leg strength:** 3 x 8–10 per leg of split squats or step-ups, plus heavy squats once a week. This builds the leg drive each step of the push depends on. ## FAQ ### Why is the sled push so much harder at a HYROX race? The sleds run on a thin carpet over concrete that grips more than most gym turf, so the same load takes more force. You also arrive tired from the first run and the SkiErg. Training at about 10–15% above race weight helps close the gap. ### How heavy is the HYROX sled push? Including the sled, it's 102 kg for Open Women, 152 kg for Open Men and Pro Women, and 202 kg for Pro Men. The distance is 50 m, done as four 12.5 m lanes. ### Should I push with straight or bent arms? Both work. Locked-out arms with hands higher keep you more upright and breathing easier, while bent arms with hands lower get you lower for a sticky sled. Many racers switch to low hands when the sled starts to stall. ### Should I push the sled unbroken? Only if you've done an unbroken 4 x 12.5 m at race weight in training. Otherwise, use the turns between lanes as your breathers, and if you stop mid-lane, keep your hands on the poles and restart within a few seconds. ### What is a good HYROX sled push time? HYROX Data Lab's average across all solo divisions is about 3:15 and the median about 3:01. The sled push varies more than any other station, depending on division, sled and floor, so compare yourself with racers in your own division. ### What are the sled push penalties? Turning the sled before it fully crosses the line, or leaving your lane, gets a warning first, then 15 seconds each time. Missing a lane is a disqualification, and chalk at the sled push is a 2-minute penalty.