London Hyrox: Tom's Story

This post is independently written and is not affiliated with HYROX.

My Goal

A few weeks before London HYROX, something in my headspace shifted.

Last time, I crossed the line in 1:03. Was I proud? Yes. Satisfied...? Not quite. This time my goal was clear: a sub-60 finish.

The Weeks Before: Training That Fits Real Life

Although I now felt really focused on my goal, training didn’t suddenly become perfect. I’m a dad and I work shifts so my sessions are squeezed between nursery drop-offs, early starts, late finishes and whatever sleep I can get.

Most of my training blocks didn’t end with a leisurely stretch and a shower, they ended with me needing to be at work or spending time with my son.

For me that meant:

• Training sessions then straight into a work shift
• Carrying electrolytes with me so I could rehydrate immediately
• Fuel that I already knew my stomach could handle
• Dumping my sweaty kit straight into my Kit Bag

This meant no faff, no extra planning required and no sweaty kit covering everything else in my bag. If it wasn’t simple, it wasn’t happening so my Kit Bag actually became part of my training strategy, not an afterthought.

What to expect

If you’ve not done a HYROX before, you need to know one thing: there are no showers.

There is a bag drop and changing rooms and you’re not limited on how many bags you bring, but once you’re done racing, legs gone, heart rate still up, the last thing you want is to be rummaging around looking for clean socks or deodorant.

Another thing training doesn't really prepare you for is that there are lots of queues and noise. It is chaos, but also good vibes. Just make sure to take time out of the space as it’s intense and can be exhausting.

What I take

I pack with one rule in mind: everything has a place.

1. Kit Bag- This is where everything training-related lives.

A full post-HYROX change of clothes and space to dump sweaty race kit straight in. It's the same setup I use week-to-week when I train before work so race day just mirrors real life.

2. Shoe Carry– For quick footwear changes.

Shoes deserve their own space, especially with all of those germs. Mine has:

• Race trainers (and travel trainers will swap out)
• Spare socks in the pocket so there's no digging around trying to find them. 

No damp clothes touching dirty shoes. I finish the race, grab the shoe bag and put my comfy shoes back on (Croccs or Birkenstocks have been known to be a favourite post-HYROX shoe).

3. Anywhere-Everywhere Bag - This is the small bag that saves your sanity.

Mine contains:

• Electrolytes
• Deodorant
• Face wipes

So even with no shower, five minutes later I can feel human again.

Fuel: Stick to What You Know

HYROX are great at handing out electrolytes and protein bars after the race but you should never rely on race-day freebies for fuel and I only pack snacks and food I’ve trained with. This is not the time for experiments.

For me, that’s:

• Soreen
• Fruit toast
• Chicken Wraps for after

Simple carbs, easy to digest and familiar. I used them in training, so they stayed in the bag on race day too.

The hardest part

For me, the most challenging part was the rope pulls. Getting my technique right and only having a small box to do it in can be hard, especially as I was pretty fatigued by this point.

That sub-60 goal

When you’re juggling work and family alongside your performance goals your kit needs to support fast transitions, fuel needs to be predictable and your bag setup needs to make sense when you’re exhausted.

Chasing a faster time isn’t just about training harder, it’s about removing friction everywhere else which is actually about quite simple things - a packed bag, a routine I could repeat and no wasted energy on the small stuff.

The fastest finish in my group was 0:58 and my final time was 1:03. I was happy to shave a minute off at that level. I'll rest, recover then set my mind to next year.