- Same race, different load. Open and Pro run the identical course, eight rounds, each a 1 km run followed by one functional workout station, across 8 stations. PRO divisions use heavier loads than Open.
- Only five strength stations get heavier: sled push, sled pull, farmers carry, sandbag lunges and wall balls (ball weight only). SkiErg, rowing and the burpee broad jump are the same in both.
- The jump is real. The men's sled push climbs from 335 lb (152 kg) in Open to 445 lb (202 kg) in Pro, and the women's from 225 lb (102 kg) to 335 lb (152 kg).
- Reps and distances never move. Wall balls stay at 100 reps, and target height is set by gender, not by division.
- Pro is open-entry: you just select it when you register. It is not the invite-only Elite 15, and beginners should almost always start in Open.
HYROX Open and HYROX Pro are the same race with a heavier bar. Both divisions cover 8 km of running and 8 functional stations in the same order, over the same distances, with the same rep counts. The single thing that changes is weight, and only on five of the strength stations. Everything below shows exactly where the load goes up, by how much, and how to decide which division to enter.
HYROX Open vs Pro: The Short Answer
The format is identical. Both divisions run 8 km of running across 8 stations in the same order, over the same station distances. PRO divisions use heavier loads than Open, and the increase lands on five strength stations only: sled push, sled pull, farmers carry, sandbag lunges and the wall ball. If you are choosing a division or trying to picture the real gap, read on.
What Changes Between Open and Pro (and What Does Not)
Start with what stays put, because it is most of the race. The runs, the 8-station structure, the order they come in, the central transition zone athletes run through between every run and station, the wall ball rep target of 100, and every station distance are the same whether you enter Open or Pro. Load is the only variable that moves.
The Three Stations That Stay Identical
SkiErg (1000 m), rowing (1000 m) and the burpee broad jump (80 m) carry no external weight. There is nothing to make heavier, so Open and Pro athletes do exactly the same work here. The gap between the two divisions opens up entirely on the five stations that do change.
The Five Stations That Get Heavier
Sled push, sled pull, farmers carry, sandbag lunges and wall balls all step up in Pro. The wall ball is the subtle one: Pro raises the ball weight only, not the 100 reps and not the gender-set target height. So a Pro wall-ball set is the same number of throws to the same target as Open, just with a heavier ball.
HYROX Open vs Pro Weights: Men and Women Side by Side
This is the table most people come for. Every value is pulled from the official HYROX rulebook and rendered for each division. The sled weights include the sled itself, and the farmers carry is shown per hand.
| Station | Open Women | Pro Women | Open Men | Pro Men |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sled Push | 225 lb (102 kg) | 335 lb (152 kg) | 335 lb (152 kg) | 445 lb (202 kg) |
| Sled Pull | 172 lb (78 kg) | 227 lb (103 kg) | 227 lb (103 kg) | 337 lb (153 kg) |
| Farmers Carry (per hand) | 2 x 35 lb (16 kg) | 2 x 53 lb (24 kg) | 2 x 53 lb (24 kg) | 2 x 71 lb (32 kg) |
| Sandbag Lunges | 22 lb (10 kg) | 44 lb (20 kg) | 44 lb (20 kg) | 66 lb (30 kg) |
| Wall Balls (ball) | 9 lb (4 kg) | 13 lb (6 kg) | 13 lb (6 kg) | 20 lb (9 kg) |
Wall ball reps stay at 100 for every division, and target height follows gender rather than division: 2.7 m for women and 3 m for men. The three cardio and bodyweight stations, SkiErg, rowing and the burpee broad jump, are identical across both divisions. Read across the rows and the same thing repeats: at every strength station, Pro Women lift the load Open Men lift.
Women: Open vs Pro
Walking the women's columns, the sled push goes from 225 lb (102 kg) in Open to 335 lb (152 kg) in Pro, the farmers carry from 2 x 35 lb (16 kg) to 2 x 53 lb (24 kg) per hand, and the wall ball from 9 lb (4 kg) to 13 lb (6 kg). Because Pro Women share the Open Men loads at the strength stations, a woman stepping up to Pro is training toward numbers a lot of Open men already handle. The full women's weight breakdown covers every station and division.
Men: Open vs Pro
For men, the sled push rises from 335 lb (152 kg) to 445 lb (202 kg), the sled pull from 227 lb (103 kg) to 337 lb (153 kg), and the sandbag lunges from 44 lb (20 kg) to 66 lb (30 kg). The sleds are where the gap bites hardest. See the men's weight standards for the complete list, or pull your exact Pro loads in the weight standards tool if you already know you are racing Pro.
How Much Harder Is Pro, Really?
Because five stations get heavier while the runs stay exactly the same, fatigue stacks up fast. Grip takes a beating across the sled pull and the farmers carry, legs take it on the sled push and the lunges, and you still have to run the same 8 km on tired legs. The sled push is where most Pro athletes feel the difference first, since it carries the largest single jump in the race.
Coaches who race both divisions often report a noticeably slower Pro finish on the same day, and outlets like BOXROX frame Pro as a strategically different race rather than Open with extra plates. The pacing that carries you through Open can blow up in Pro, because the sleds cost so much more per metre. Treat any percentage or minutes-slower figure you see online as a coach's estimate, not an official standard. The video below walks the Open-to-Pro jump station by station.
Can Anyone Enter HYROX Pro?
Yes. Pro is open-entry. The singles divisions are HYROX (Open) and HYROX PRO, with categories for Women, Women Pro, Men, and Men Pro. You do not qualify for Pro and you are not invited to it; you simply select Pro when you register. That makes it different from the Elite 15, the invite-only field of top athletes at each event. The only real gate on Pro is the load itself.
One detail matters for older athletes: Athletes aged 60+ may race Pro at regular HYROX events but qualify for the World Championship through the Open division only, using Open weights at Worlds. For everyone else, choosing Pro is a checkbox at sign-up, backed by whether your training says you can move the weights.
Should You Race Open or Pro?
The rule is simple: race Open until the Pro loads feel manageable in training, then step up. There is no prize for grinding through weights you cannot move cleanly, and a stalled sled in Pro will cost you far more time than starting in Open ever would.
The fastest way to check your own numbers is to look up your exact division. The interactive weight standards tool lets you pull the full Open or Pro load for every station, and the station guide covers the format, order and distances that stay the same no matter which division you race.
Open vs Pro in Doubles and Relay
The Open and Pro split is not limited to singles. HYROX runs Singles, Doubles, Team Relay (4 athletes), and Adaptive, and the same load logic carries across them. In Doubles and Team Relay, the per-station weights mirror the singles Open and Pro values for each gender, so a Pro Doubles pair pushes the same sled a Pro singles athlete does. The Doubles weights page lays out how the split works when two athletes share the course.
Not sure which loads apply to you? Pull your exact division in seconds.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between HYROX Open and Pro?
The format is identical: eight rounds, each a 1 km run followed by one functional workout station, across 8 stations in the same order. The only change is load. PRO divisions use heavier loads than Open, and it is heavier on just five strength stations: sled push, sled pull, farmers carry, sandbag lunges and wall balls. Distances, runs and reps stay the same.
How much harder is HYROX Pro than Open?
The load jump is real: the men's sled push climbs from 335 lb (152 kg) in Open to 445 lb (202 kg) in Pro, and the sled pull to 337 lb (153 kg). Because the runs do not get any easier, the same athlete usually posts a slower time in Pro. Grip and legs take the biggest hit.
Can anyone compete in HYROX Pro?
Yes. Pro is open-entry: you do not qualify, you simply select Pro when you register, so it is not the invite-only Elite 15. The only real gate is the heavier load, so you should be able to move the 445 lb (202 kg) or 335 lb (152 kg) Pro sled with good form first.
What makes someone a HYROX Pro?
Only the division you choose and the weights you lift. Pro racers cover the same 8-station course with heavier sleds, kettlebells, sandbag and wall ball. There is no separate ranking barrier to enter Pro; readiness is about handling Pro loads, for example the farmers carry at 2 x 71 lb (32 kg) per hand.
Is HYROX Pro harder than Open?
Yes. The runs, distances and 100 wall ball reps are identical, but Pro adds load: the men's sled pull rises to 337 lb (153 kg) and sandbag lunges to 66 lb (30 kg). Most athletes finish Pro slower than they would run Open on the same day, purely because of the heavier strength stations.
Which HYROX stations change between Open and Pro?
Five of the 8: sled push, sled pull, farmers carry, sandbag lunges and wall balls (ball weight only). SkiErg, rowing and the burpee broad jump carry no load, so they are identical. Wall ball reps stay at 100 and the target height is set by gender, not by division.
What are the HYROX Pro weights for men?
For Men Pro the sled push is 445 lb (202 kg), sled pull 337 lb (153 kg), farmers carry 2 x 71 lb (32 kg) per hand, sandbag lunges 66 lb (30 kg), and the wall ball is 20 lb (9 kg) for 100 reps. See the men's weights page for every station.
What are the HYROX Open vs Pro weights for women?
The women's sled push goes from 225 lb (102 kg) in Open to 335 lb (152 kg) in Pro, the farmers carry from 2 x 35 lb (16 kg) to 2 x 53 lb (24 kg) per hand, and the wall ball from 9 lb (4 kg) to 13 lb (6 kg). Pro Women loads actually match Open Men at the strength stations.
Does the running or the number of stations change in Pro?
No. Both divisions run 8 km total, split as 8 runs of 1000 m between 8 stations in the same order. Every station distance is identical. Only the weight on the five strength stations increases, and that is the entire difference between Open and Pro.
Should a beginner race Open or Pro?
Almost always Open. The singles categories are Women, Women Pro, Men, and Men Pro, and Open lets you learn pacing, transitions and the central transition zone athletes run through between every run and station without the heaviest loads. Step up to Pro once you can handle the Pro weights, such as the 445 lb (202 kg) men's sled, with clean technique.
Are the wall ball reps different in HYROX Pro?
No. Every division does 100 wall ball reps. Pro only increases the ball weight: the Open Men ball of 13 lb (6 kg) rises to 20 lb (9 kg), and the Open Women ball of 9 lb (4 kg) rises to 13 lb (6 kg). Target height stays set by gender, not by division.
Can you switch from Open to Pro between events?
Yes. You pick your division when you register each event, so you can race Open at one and Pro at another. A good rule of thumb is to switch once you can complete Pro loads, such as 227 lb (103 kg) or 337 lb (153 kg) sled pulls, in training. Note also that Athletes aged 60+ may race Pro at regular HYROX events but qualify for the World Championship through the Open division only, using Open weights at Worlds.
References
- HYROX Official Competition Rulebook, Singles. The primary authority for every Open and Pro station load, distance and rep count.
- HYROX, The Fitness Race. Official description of the race format and the Open versus Pro divisions.
- HYROX Official Competition Rulebook, Doubles. Authority for how the Open and Pro load split carries into Doubles and Relay.
- BOXROX, The Real Difference Between Open and Pro. Backs the editorial angle that the heavier load reshapes Pro pacing and strategy, so it races differently from Open.