Sled Pull HYROX Guide for Doubles: Relay Strategy and Work Intervals

In the Sled Pull for doubles you don't both pull at the same time. One pulls. The other rests. And that alternation, if it's not agreed before entering, creates exactly the same problems as in the Sled Push: late changes, uneven segments and an athlete exhausted when you need them most.

The Sled Pull also adds an element that complicates coordination in doubles: the rope. Managing it well between the two of you is part of the strategy, not a minor detail.

In this guide you'll learn how to divide the work, when to change, how to manage the rope between the two of you and which errors destroy most teams at this station.

Let's start with the video and then we'll explain some key points in more detail and how you can access the full course (Individual and doubles) for free, plus gifts, discounts and much more.

Let's break it down.

First the video to prepare the HYROX Sled Pull in doubles mode:

Remember that in this post you have the detailed explanation of the technique if you compete individually or want to improve it, with a very, very... you decide:

👉 Click here to see the Sled Pull technique explanation.

Velites is an international partner of HYROX, and we have developed specific resources for you to help you prepare for this competition: a complete video course with running technique and station-specific content, preparation for the doubles competition, free access to our app with exclusive training plans, gifts, discounts and much more. Join and enjoy.

👉 Click here or on the image:

And here are the links to the rest of the guides to prepare the race and HYROX stations in doubles mode:

• HYROX Doubles Guide: Running
• HYROX Doubles Guide: SkiErg
• HYROX Doubles Guide: Sled Push
• HYROX Doubles Guide: Burpee Broad Jumps
• HYROX Doubles Guide: Rowing
• HYROX Doubles Guide: Farmers Carry
• HYROX Doubles Guide: Sandbag Lunges
• HYROX Doubles Guide: Wall Balls

Station allocation: who does what

In the Sled Pull only one athlete works at a time. While one pulls the rope, the other waits behind the line without touching anything. The system is the same as the Sled Push: one applies force, the other recovers.

The decision of who starts is made before entering the station. Arriving to the IN is wasted time.

Who should start

The athlete who is feeling better at that moment should start, that is, the one who arrives fresher after the third kilometer of running and the Sled Push.

It doesn't have to be the same person every time. What must always be the same is the decision made before entering.

The athlete who pulls

Apply the agreed technique. Keep tension on the rope from the first pull, manage its lateral position —always to one side, never behind— and maintain a steady pace until you finish the segment.

When you finish your segment, move quickly to one side and leave the rope positioned so your teammate can start without having to reposition it. Athlete B can only start pulling when Athlete A has completely exited the area. Not before.

The athlete who rests

Stay behind the line without touching anything. You cannot interfere, you cannot touch the rope or help with the pull. This time is to truly recover: lower your breathing, relax your forearms and grip, and prepare to start.

Grip is the most limited resource at this station. If the athlete who rests doesn't use that time to recover it, they will arrive at their turn with their hands already fatigued.

Pacing strategy in HYROX doubles

Work segments must be consistent and agreed before competing. Grip fatigues cumulatively: if the first segments are too long, the last ones will be a problem.

The most common mistake: irregular segments

One pulls too much, the other doesn't recover properly. The one who worked more arrives at the next turn with a half-fatigued grip, the pace drops and the station takes longer than necessary.

Irregular segments don't only affect the Sled Pull. They affect grip during the rest of the race: Farmers Carry and Sandbag Lunges will feel it.

Recommended segments by level

If you are starting in HYROX doubles: Do two or three transitions per segment if the grip fatigues. The stronger athlete starts the first meters of each segment to maintain the sled's initial speed. Regularity is more important than speed.

If you already have experience in doubles: Reduce changes. Full segments or a single change per segment when control allows. Fewer transitions means less time lost and less risk of the rope shifting during a change.

Useful reference: the strongest always closes

The athlete with the strongest grip and posterior chain should close the station. At the end of the Sled Pull the sled will be harder to move because the body is already loaded. Closing this station with the strongest athlete protects the total time and ensures the station doesn't get stuck in the final meters.

Official rules you should know

• Enter through the IN, exit through the OUT: Confusing the gates costs a 2-minute penalty each time it happens. In the Sled Pull, with the rope in your hands and fatigue already accumulated, it's easy to exit where you shouldn't.
• The sled must fully cross the line: Before changing direction, the sled must cross the line completely. If it doesn't cross, you must keep pulling until it does. A quick check before turning prevents repeating the segment.
• The athlete who rests cannot interfere: Only the athlete whose turn it is pulls. The athlete who is resting must remain behind the line without touching the rope or the sled.
• Stay within the 2-meter area: Both athletes must remain within the marked area at all times. Stepping out counts as an infraction, especially common when walking backwards. Always watch where you step.
• Always lay the rope to one side: The rope never goes directly behind. Always to one side, right or left. Decide before starting which side you will use so the change between athletes is clean.

Common mistakes in HYROX doubles

• Not deciding who starts before arriving: Improvising at entry creates doubts at the worst possible moment.
• Segments that are too long at the start: Starting with segments that are too long fatigues the grip early and you'll pay for it in the Farmers Carry.
• Slow or disorganized changes: The relay must be automatic: the athlete who finishes moves to one side leaving the rope placed, the next takes it and starts without pause.
• The athlete who rests doesn't relax the grip: The time between turns is to recover the grip and lower the heart rate.
• Entering before your teammate has exited the area: Athlete B must wait for Athlete A to have completely exited before starting.
• Not agreeing on the side of the rope before starting: Decide before starting: always to the right or always to the left. And stick to it in all segments.

Next step: train the Sled Pull as a pair

Make sure to train this station in these three ways:

1. Specific Sled Pull blocks for pairs: build the base

Include at least one weekly Sled Pull session for pairs to consolidate work segments, changes and rope management. Start with short segments and frequent changes. The goal is not speed: it's that both of you maintain technique and that changes are clean.

2. Fatigue sets: improve effort management

Do Sled Pull sets for pairs with the body already loaded:

• 400m Run at race pace
• Sled Pull 25m with the agreed allocation
• Rest 90 seconds
• Repeat 4–5 rounds

3. Transition simulation: train the real HYROX

Finish the week by combining the Sled Pull with the rest of the stations and running, with minimal rests between blocks. The key is to recover race pace as quickly as possible after the sled.

Closing

The Sled Pull is done. Now comes the fourth run and the next station. Continue preparing your doubles race with the rest of the guides.

Velites is an international partner of HYROX, and we have developed specific resources for you to help you prepare for this competition: a complete video course with running technique and station-specific content, preparation for the doubles competition, free access to our app with exclusive training plans, gifts, discounts and much more. Join and enjoy.

👉 Click here or on the image: