What does heart rate look like during a HYROX race?
1,157 heart rate samples from a 2:01:06 finish in Bengaluru — mapped to all 16 segments, decomposed into zones, drift, and recovery. The story the splits alone can’t tell.
01 — INTENSITY92.3% of the race was at threshold or above. Of 2 hours 1 minute, only ~8 minutes ran below 80% of max heart rate. HYROX is functionally a 2-hour threshold event, not an interval workout.
02 — RUNS > STATIONSRunning heart rate drift was +4.2 bpm (168.7 → 172.8 across halves). Stations stayed flat at +0.6. The runs accumulate the real cardiovascular cost, not the strength stations.
03 — DECEPTIVE STATIONSled Pull ended at the race’s lowest station HR (157) — then the transition into Run 4 spiked HR 21 bpm to 178. The biggest cardiovascular jump of the race lives in a recovery moment.
Further findings
04 — TRUE RECOVERYOnly one of six measured transitions saw HR actually drop into the next run:Sandbag Lunges → Run 8 (167 → 146, −21 bpm). Likely the only moment of true pacing release in the race.
05 — Z5 BURDEN40.6% of the race spent in Z5 anaerobic (>90% max HR). That’s 41 minutes accumulated above 171 bpm — the cost of a sub-2:05 finish.
By Prashant Singh
Bib 95039
Age group 30–34
Race 12 April 2026
Final time 02:01:06
Tracker Apple Watch
167bpmAverage heart rate
189bpmPeak (99% max)
92%Time at threshold+
2:01:06Total race time
Every station. Every beat.
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1,157 samples · ~5 second resolution · zones shown as background bands
Where the 2 hours went
Time spent in each heart rate zone · 102:01 of valid data
Heart rate zones are defined as percentages of a reference max of 190 bpm (one above the observed race peak). In this race, two zones dominate: Z4 Threshold and Z5 Anaerobic.
Effort, segment by segment
Average bpm per segment · bar coloured by zone · vermilion tick = peak bpm
The pattern is striking: every running segment from Run 3 onwards landed in Z5. Stations are mixed, with Sled Pull, Row, and Wall Balls coming in below the race average.
Cardiovascular drift across the race
First half vs second half average — overall, runs only, stations only
Overall drift is nearly invisible (+0.6 bpm). But isolating just running segments reveals the real fatigue picture: a +4.2 bpm rise from early to late runs. Stations were almost identical across halves.
How the body handled transitions
HR at end of station → first HR sample of next run, for each measured transition
Most transitions see heart rate rise into the next run — the run effort exceeds what the station was demanding at its end. The exception, Sandbag → Run 8, was the only true recovery moment of the race.
The full breakdown
#
Segment
Duration
Avg
Peak
Low
% max
Zone
01
Run 1~1 km
7:01
154
168
101
81%
Z4 Threshold
02
SkiErg1000 m
5:11
—
—
—
—
—
03
Run 2~1 km
6:40
166
168
162
88%
Z4 Threshold
04
Sled Push50 m
5:26
170
182
150
89%
Z4 Threshold
05
Run 3~1 km
7:33
178
189
144
94%
Z5 Anaerobic
06
Sled Pull50 m
10:01
158
172
141
83%
Z4 Threshold
07
Run 4~1 km
6:53
176
183
169
93%
Z5 Anaerobic
08
Burpee Broad Jump80 m
8:37
162
171
148
85%
Z4 Threshold
09
Run 5~1 km
6:45
172
175
151
90%
Z5 Anaerobic
10
Row1000 m
5:49
159
165
151
83%
Z4 Threshold
11
Run 6~1 km
5:44
170
179
149
90%
Z4 Threshold
12
Farmers Carry200 m
2:29
167
176
163
88%
Z4 Threshold
13
Run 7~1 km
5:22
178
183
156
94%
Z5 Anaerobic
14
Sandbag Lunges100 m
8:03
170
181
157
89%
Z4 Threshold
15
Run 8~1 km
8:02
171
181
143
90%
Z4 Threshold
16
Wall Balls100 reps
11:28
161
179
143
85%
Z4 Threshold
Station by station
A closer look at each workout station’s heart rate signature — what the trace reveals about physiological cost and pacing.
SkiErg NO HR DATA
The SkiErg has no recorded heart rate data in this dataset — a ~11-minute sensor gap covered the SkiErg and the start of Run 2, likely due to skin contact on the upper-body pulling motion. From the split time (5:11), this was a controlled effort. A typical Z4 effort would be expected based on surrounding context.
Sled Push Z4 THRESHOLD
Sled Push averaged 170 bpm with a peak of 182 — squarely in threshold and pushing toward anaerobic at the end. At 5:26 for 50 metres, this was a continuous near-max effort with brief restarts. The lasting cost shows up in the next run: Run 3 hit the race's overall peak of 189 bpm.
Sled Pull Z4 THRESHOLD
Sled Pull was the longest single segment at 10:01 but had a deceptively low average HR of 158 bpm — among the lowest of any segment. The technical, stop-start nature of pulling the sled lets HR come down between efforts. But the followup is brutal: the transition into Run 4 produced a 21 bpm spike (157 → 178), the biggest cardiovascular jump of the race.
Burpee Broad Jump Z4 THRESHOLD
Burpee Broad Jumps averaged 162 bpm — surprisingly lower than the surrounding runs. The combination of mandatory deep breaths (burpees force them) and forward locomotion produces a different HR signature than continuous-grind stations. Peak hit 171.
Row Z4 THRESHOLD
The 1000m Row sat at 159 bpm average — the second-lowest of any station after Sled Pull. Rowing's biomechanical advantage (large muscle groups, controlled rhythm) translates to better HR efficiency. Peak 165, very narrow range.
Farmers Carry Z4 THRESHOLD
The shortest station at 2:29 ran at 167 bpm average / 176 peak. Heart rate sits at race-average — it's heavy but brief, not enough time to build above threshold. The carry's grip and trunk demand is the cost; cardiovascular cost is moderate.
Sandbag Lunges Z4 THRESHOLD
Sandbag Lunges averaged 170 bpm with a peak of 181. Despite being primarily lower-body strength, the static eccentric loading combined with sustained time-under-tension keeps HR high. Interestingly, the transition into Run 8 showed a 21 bpm drop (167 → 146) — the only true recovery transition of the race.
Wall Balls Z4 THRESHOLD
Wall Balls — the final station and a 11:28 grind — averaged 161 bpm with peaks up to 179. Despite being the closer, the average HR is lower than mid-race stations because the smart strategy is small-set wave throws with brief rests. This is paced effort, not all-out.
Frequently asked questions
What's a typical heart rate during a HYROX race?
For a competitive sub-2-hour finish, expect to average around 167 bpm and spend 90%+ of the race at threshold or above (Z4 + Z5). In this race, the average was 167 bpm across 2 hours 1 minute, with 92.3% of total time at or above 80% of max HR.
Which HYROX station has the highest heart rate?
In this race, the running segments produced higher average heart rates than the strength stations. The single highest segment average was Run 3 and Run 7, both at 178 bpm. Among workout stations, Sled Push (170 bpm avg) and Sandbag Lunges (170 bpm avg) the highest.
Which HYROX station gives the most recovery?
Sled Pull, despite being a heavy strength station, ended with the lowest finishing heart rate at 157 bpm — the slow, technical nature of pulling the sled the full 50 metres in stages allows HR to come down between efforts. It's a deceptive 'recovery' though: the heart rate jumped 21 bpm into the following Run 4.
How much time do you spend in each heart rate zone during HYROX?
In this race: Z1 Recovery 0.1%, Z2 Aerobic 0.0%, Z3 Tempo 7.6%, Z4 Threshold 51.7%, Z5 Anaerobic 40.6%. More than 92% of the race was spent at threshold or anaerobic effort — HYROX is functionally a 2-hour threshold race.
Does heart rate drift during a HYROX race?
Yes, but unevenly. In this race, the second-half average heart rate was only +0.6 bpm higher than the first half overall — but when you isolate just the running segments, drift was +4.2 bpm (168.7 → 172.8). Stations stayed nearly flat. Translation: the legs were paying the cumulative cost on the runs.
How is heart rate during the roxzone (transitions)?
The roxzone — the time spent moving between segments — averaged ~41 seconds per transition in this race (10:12 total across 15 transitions). Heart rate behaviour in transitions was bidirectional: 5 of 6 measured transitions saw HR rise into the next run rather than drop, because the run effort exceeds what the previous station was demanding by the end.
How is this heart rate data collected and processed?
Heart rate was captured on an Apple Watch during a Mixed Cardio workout session, exported as JSON via the Health Auto Export iOS app. 1,157 samples were recorded during the 2:01:06 race window at a median interval of 5 seconds. Segment durations are taken from the official HYROX race results. The 10:12 of total roxzone time is distributed equally as ~41 seconds between each of the 15 segment transitions for charting.
Every station. Every beat.
Want to see your own race analysis like the charts above? Upload your Apple Health export and HYROX card to the free tool. Processed locally, 100% private.
Heart rate was captured on an Apple Watch (Mixed Cardio workout, started 09:50:10 IST, ended 11:51:38 IST on 12 April 2026), exported via the Health Auto Export iOS app as JSON. 1,157 heart-rate samples were recorded across the race window at a median interval of 5 seconds.
Segment durations are taken directly from the official HYROX results (bib 95039, HYROX Bengaluru 2026, Sunday division). The 10:12 of roxzone (transition) time is distributed equally as ~41 seconds between each of the 15 segment transitions for charting.
One ~11-minute window during the SkiErg and early Run 2 has no HR samples (a watch sensor gap) — this region is shown as a break in the line rather than interpolated. Heart rate zones use a reference max of 190 bpm (one bpm above the observed race peak of 189). Time in zone is summed only between consecutive samples less than 60 seconds apart, to avoid mis-attributing the sensor gap.