istock/Tirso Lecointere

Many runners are tempted to give HYROX a try as a new challenge. And it certainly can be a great way to shake up your training and motivation to include some strength training in your week. Training for a HYROX or other hybrid race might mean sacrificing some of your runs to time in the gym, but rather than slowing you down, this could actually improve your running.

Don’t believe me? We caught up with the Alyssa McElheny, the World HYROX Elite 15 Champion and Adidas athlete who says that taking up HYROX has actually made her faster. McElheny took the World Champion title in Stockholm earlier this year but has been competing in HYROX for less than a year. Before that her background was as a distance runner with a 2:34 marathon PB that saw her compete in the US Olympic Marathon Trials.

Starting HYROX training

We chatted at the Adidas Go Full Hybrid event. “I’ve been a runner for 22 years, a marathoner for 10 years, and a HYROX athlete for like half a year. I’ve always been a stronger runner. I line up at a marathon start line and I’ll generally be the tallest, strongest, most muscular athlete. So yeah, I really value strength training.”

Image: Adidas

HYROX was, perhaps, a natural move for McElheny, but it’s a move that has seen her running improve, even as she spends less time actually running. She explains: “Since stopping marathoning and getting into HYROX, I’ve not really dedicated a lot of time to running-specific training, and I PR’d my 10K, my 5K, my mile. So I’ve already seen the dividends that strength training has paid, even without focusing heavily on running. It’s been a game changer for me.

“I still run a lot. I used to run 160 kilometres a week. I dropped it to 100 kilometres a week, so still a lot of running. But really just starting to supplement small pieces of strength for some of those miles.”

Getting into HYROX

Hybrid racing isn’t just for super fast athletes like McElheny, though. And she’s keen to encourage anyone to give it a go. “If anyone hasn’t tried a HYROX and is intimidated by it, you should go watch one because you truly see every sort of athlete. You see a 20-year-old girl, you see doubles that are, you know, a 50-year-old couple. You see, like, a 70-year-old woman pushing a sled.

“If you’re scared or intimidated by it, don’t be. Go watch a race and you’ll see that it’s more than just the influencers you see on social media. It’s everybody.”

Image: Adidas

And for those runners who want to train towards a hybrid race alongside their running goals, her advice is to work on your strength, even if that means dropping a run to give you that time to workout at the gym. “If you’re trying to be a runner and train for something like a half marathon or a 10K or whatever it may be, obviously the running is still important. But yeah, maybe substituting a strength session for an easy run or a workout.”

McElheny admits that there are some days when she doesn’t want to run, and that’s another benefit she sees to training as a hybrid athlete. “Some days running just doesn’t sound good, and I don’t believe in forcing myself to do things that don’t sound good just because I should do them. To have the variety and the option to maybe pursue a different modality on any given day is really healthy.”

Thinking of giving the hybrid life a go? Find out what to wear for a HYROX.