Part 2: The Case for Hyrox Coaching - For Endurance Coaches

A few weeks ago I wrote about the business case for endurance coaches paying attention to HYROX.

Since then, I did the obvious next step: I raced HYROX Auckland. It was awesome! So much fun! And I’m already plotting how to make up time on each station in my next race. it’s addictive.

For more photos check my Instagram post about my Hyrox Auckland race.

Part curiosity, part market research, part “I should probably feel this before I tell coaches to build offers around it.”

Most of all it was a hell of a lot of fun. After the race I was on a high and stayed around watching more of the singles and some of the mixed doubles to keep the buzz going. It was fun to race and it was really fun to watch. As a spectator it's much easier to keep track of athletes than it is in a typical triathlon wave start. You can move from station to station and pretty much watch whoever you are supporting for their entire race.

And now that I’ve raced it and been a live spectator, I’m even more convinced HYROX is a real opportunity for endurance coaches — not just because it’s trendy, but because it caters to the typical needs in athletes:

• they want a clear goal (race day)
• they want to train with structure
• they want to feel capable and empowered
• they want community and accountability
• and they want to keep their endurance identity intact

This isn’t just a race report. It’s hopefully a practical coaching debrief: what surprised me, what matters most, and how you can coach HYROX without turning your coaching business into a pseudo-gym.

Continue reading or listen or watch the podcast version embedded below or watch the video version on Youtube.

If you want the short TLDR version here are the main reasons why athletes love it and why I think endurance coaches should add Hyrox coaching to their arsenal.

1) Why athletes love HYROX

• It’s simple and standardized: same format everywhere, easy to understand, easy to benchmark.
• It feels “endurance-native”: paced, repeatable, rewards discipline and grit.
• It’s measurable: splits + station times make progress obvious (and addictive).
• It adds strength without being overly technical: accessible movements, less “skill barrier” than CrossFit.
• It’s social and watchable: great event energy, easy for friends/partners to follow, strong community vibe.
• It scratches the “new challenge” itch: something competitive when triathlon/running feels far away.

2) Why it’s good for your coaching business

• Retention + LTV: a winter/off-season target that keeps athletes engaged and paying year-round increasing Lifetime Value of your customers.
• Protects the relationship: if you don’t coach it, they’ll go to a gym/HYROX coach for 8–16 weeks.
• Continuity: you control the HYROX block and the return-to-endurance transition (less messy handoffs).
• Differentiation: “endurance-first hybrid coaching” is a stronger position than SBR-only coaching.
• New revenue streams: easy to package as an 8–12 week add-on block, seasonal program, or hybrid membership.
• Lead gen pipeline: HYROX athletes often graduate into endurance goals—exactly where endurance coaches shine.
• Strength coaching upgrade: HYROX gives athletes a clear reason to buy into strength and durability work.

Sound interesting? then keep reading.....

HYROX Is Running Compromised

From the outside, HYROX looks like “8km with some gym stuff.”

From the inside, it feels like a repeated cycle of:

1. settle into a run rhythm
2. hit a station that super spikes your heart rate and muscular fatigue
3. try to run well again on compromised legs and grip
4. repeat until your brain starts bargaining with you

That’s the whole game.

It’s not “strength” in the traditional sense. It’s strength endurance and efficiency under fatigue.

Which is exactly why endurance athletes are getting hooked. It’s measurable, it’s paced, and it rewards the traits they already respect: discipline, repeatability, and the ability to suffer in a controlled way.

What Surprised Me Most

1) The stations don’t just hurt, they change how you run

I initially thought I was under pacing half way through as I was trying to make the runs and the two erg stations a “rest” to bring my heart rate down. In reality I probably needed that lower pace.

Every station leaves a signature:

• sleds → legs feel heavy, stride shortens
• lunges → hips and quads light up, there is a danger of running form collapsing if you’re not resilient
• carries → grip + posture fatigue makes it harder to breathe smoothly, but not surprisingly the run directly after this station feels easier once you ditch the kettle bells.
• wall balls → your heart rate goes to the moon

For coaches: HYROX is less about “can you run 8km” and more about can you repeatedly return to good running after localized fatigue.

That’s not something most triathlon or run programs train explicitly… but it’s coachable.

2) Pacing errors are brutally punished

HYROX encourages the classic endurance mistake: “I feel good early, so I’ll send it.”

If you overcook:

• the first 2–3 runs
• the ergs
• the sleds
• or the punishing burpee broad jumps

…you don’t just slow down later, you start bleeding time everywhere: transitions, station breaks, even run posture.

The winners aren’t necessarily the strongest. They’re the ones who stay smooth.

For coaches: HYROX is an education product in pacing, and endurance coaches are already great at teaching pacing.

3) Transitions and station economy are free speed

A huge amount of time is gained or lost in:

• entering/exiting stations with intent
• knowing your setup (hand positions, cadence, breathing rhythm)
• breaking sets strategically (not emotionally)
• moving efficiently between zones

The biggest “beginner tax” I saw wasn’t fitness. It was chaos.

For coaches: this is a gift. You can add a lot of value quickly with process coaching, not just fitness programming.

What Matters Most in HYROX Prep (For Endurance Athletes)

If I had to boil HYROX readiness down to four priorities for endurance athletes, it’s this:

1) Repeatable running, not peak running

You don’t need a standalone 10K PB. You need the ability to run “pretty well” eight times after eight disruptions.

Key sessions:

• compromised running (station → run → station → run)
• threshold intervals with short recoveries
• cadence work under fatigue

2) Leg strength endurance (especially knee-dominant)

Sleds + lunges + wall balls will expose anyone who only strength-trains “a bit.”

You don’t need to turn athletes into "lifters" but they do need progressive loading and tolerance.

Key focus:

• squat patterns, split squats, step-ups
• controlled eccentrics
• high-rep durability blocks in-season

3) Grip and trunk resilience

Carries and ski/row under fatigue can turn into posture collapse, which turns into poor breathing, which turns into a death spiral.

Key focus:

• farmer carries, dead hangs, rows
• trunk bracing under breathing demand
• “stay tall when tired” coaching cues

4) Skill at the stations (simple movements, done well)

HYROX isn’t complicated, but the standards are real and mistakes are costly.

Key focus:

• sled technique (foot position, push angles, patience)
• wall ball rhythm and set management
• lunges with clean reps and minimal “wobble”
• burpee broad jump style and pacing (don’t hero it, the fastest technique is the most fatiguing)

How To Offer HYROX Coaching Without Blowing Up Your Business

You don’t need to become “a HYROX coach.” You need a clear product that keeps athletes in your ecosystem.

Here’s a simple structure that could works:

Offer #1: HYROX Add-On Block (8–12 weeks)

For existing triathlon/running athletes who want a winter target.

• 2 station/strength sessions per week
• 2–4 run sessions per week (one compromised run day)
• optional low-impact aerobic work (bike/row)
• one benchmark every 2–3 weeks

Coach value: retention + continuity + paid upsell.

Offer #2: Hybrid Membership (year-round)

For athletes who love training but don’t want to be “in triathlon season” all year.

• rotating cycles (endurance emphasis ↔ hybrid emphasis)
• community touchpoints (group station days, challenges)
• progression structure (strength endurance blocks)

Coach value: recurring revenue + lower churn.

Offer #3: On-Ramp for HYROX Athletes

HYROX athletes often have the consistency and mindset already, they just lack long-term structure. That’s your lane.

• 8–12 week HYROX build
• then a “what’s next?” bridge (half marathon / trail / triathlon)
• keep them inside your coaching ecosystem

Coach value: lead gen pipeline that doesn’t rely on competing for triathletes only.

The Coach-First Positioning That Keeps Your Brand Clean

Some coaches worry HYROX will confuse their positioning.

It won’t — if you frame it properly.

Not:

“We do HYROX now!”

But:

“We coach endurance athletes to get strong, stay durable, and race HYROX without losing their endurance base.”

That keeps you in your identity: performance, progression, durability, outcomes.

You’re not trying to out-gym gyms.

You’re doing what endurance coaches do best: structure + progression + pacing + continuity.

Bottom Line

Racing HYROX Auckland made the opportunity clearer.

HYROX creates a predictable fork in the road for your athletes:

• You keep them year-round with a structured HYROX block that still respects their endurance base.
• Or they go elsewhere for 8–16 weeks (gym program / HYROX coach), bond with a new community, and you become the “summer triathlon/run coach” they might return to.

For coaches, the upside of saying “Yep, and we’ll do it properly” is more than just being helpful. It’s a clean business win:

• Retention + LTV: HYROX becomes an off-season target that reduces churn and keeps athletes paying through winter.
• Continuity: you control the transition back to SBR (instead of inheriting a messy block from another coach/system).
• Differentiation: “endurance-first hybrid coaching” is a stronger position than yet another SBR-only offer.
• New revenue streams: add-on HYROX blocks, hybrid memberships, and seasonal packages, without a full rebrand.
• Lead gen pipeline: HYROX athletes often graduate to half marathons, marathons, trail, and triathlon, and they need the long-term structure endurance coaches do best.

If you can confidently say:

“Awesome. Let’s do it properly.”

…you stay at the center of their athletic identity, and you build a coaching business that lasts.