TOP 10 — ROWING

The Rowing station is the fifth workout in HYROX, requiring athletes to row 1,000 metres on a Concept2 rowing machine. Coming at the midpoint of the race — after the SkiErg, Sled Push, Sled Pull, and Burpee Broad Jumps — rowing tests athletes who are already significantly fatigued. The 1,000m distance demands a blend of power, technique, and pacing discipline.

Elite HYROX rowing times sit between 3:00 and 3:30 for top men and 3:30–4:00 for top women. These times are notably slower than fresh 1,000m row benchmarks due to accumulated fatigue from prior stations and runs. Athletes with competitive rowing or CrossFit backgrounds tend to dominate this station.

Efficient rowing technique — driving with the legs, maintaining a controlled stroke rate of 28–32 strokes per minute, and avoiding over-pulling — is critical. The rower is one of the few stations where technical proficiency can save 30–60 seconds compared to brute-force efforts.

Consider that many of the fastest single-station times are often achieved at the expense of the overall race time. The true elite racers — those finishing in the top 5 overall at Elite 15 events — typically hit the Rowing in around 3:49 (men) and 4:19 (women).