HYROX SkiErg Guide: Rules, Damper Setting, Technique and Pacing for Station 1

The SkiErg is the first station of every HYROX race, and it comes straight after the opening 1 km run. Go out too hard here and you pay for it for the next hour. This guide covers the rules, the damper, technique and pacing.

It’s based on the 2026/27 Singles Rulebook and coaching guides from Rox Lyfe and Centr, listed under Sources.

The SkiErg rules

Rule	What the 2026/27 rulebook says
Distance	1,000 m, the same in every division
Damper	Preset to 6 for all divisions; change it as often as you like
Feet	Both feet on the platform at all times
Heels	May hang over the edge, but must not touch the floor
Jumping	Allowed, as long as you land back on the base
Finish	Stay on the platform and raise an arm; leave only when a judge confirms
Penalties	1st infringement a warning, then 15 seconds each

Ski the full distance. The rulebook treats anything under 980 m as an incomplete station, which means disqualification.

In Doubles, Rox Lyfe notes only the working athlete can change the damper, and handles can’t be passed directly between partners. See our doubles guide for the rest.

Damper: is 6 right for you?

The damper controls how much air reaches the flywheel, so it changes how each pull feels rather than simply making it harder. Rox Lyfe says 6 is “not necessarily the best choice for every athlete.”

Try a few settings in training and race at the one that keeps your stroke smooth without frying your arms before the sled push. Because you can change it on course, decide your number in advance and set it in the first few seconds. Our SkiErg review covers the machine itself, including Concept2’s own damper guidance.

Technique cues

Most of the power comes from your lats, core, hips and legs. Rox Lyfe and Centr agree on the basics:

1. Set up. Feet about shoulder-width apart, knees soft, hands above shoulder height with a slight bend in the elbows.
2. Drive. Brace your core, engage your lats and hinge at the hips as the handles come down, bending your knees as you go.
3. Pull to your pockets. Rox Lyfe’s cue is to bring your hands toward your pockets, not the floor.
4. Finish. Knees comfortably bent, torso leaning forward, handles close to your hips.
5. Recover under control. Let the handles rise smoothly so the cords don’t yank your arms up, and keep the same rhythm and stroke length.

Centr suggests a few short pulls to get the flywheel moving before you build up to full strokes.

Common mistakes

• Pulling with your arms. It tires your upper body before the sleds.
• Squatting too deep or rounding your back.
• Pulling the handles well past your hips.
• Rushing the recovery, which breaks your rhythm.
• Starting too fast. Centr coach Meg Jacobi: “Faster isn’t always smarter – this can lead to early blow up.”

Pacing: split targets

Rox Lyfe gives these target ranges:

Division	Per 500 m	1,000 m
Competitive Open men	1:50–2:05	3:40–4:10
Competitive Open women	2:00–2:15	4:00–4:30
Elite 15 men	1:40–1:50	3:20–3:40
Elite 15 women	1:50–2:05	3:40–4:10

Not racing at that level? Our pacing splits for every finish time give SkiErg targets from 4:15 (1:15 finish) to 6:48 (2:00 finish).

Two ways to find your own pace:

• From a test you already have. Rox Lyfe suggests 5 to 10 seconds per 500 m slower than your 2 km SkiErg pace, or roughly your 5 km pace.
• From a session. Centr’s Jake Williamson suggests 5 × 1 km on the SkiErg to “find a pace that you can hold consistently across the 5 sets.”

Watch the 500 m split on the monitor and hold it steady. As Meg Jacobi puts it, “sacrificing a few seconds on your overall ski time will yield a better run afterward.”

A SkiErg session to try

Centr’s sample workout, 3 rounds:

• 1,000 m SkiErg at a sustainable pace
• 30 seconds rest
• 12–15 dumbbell bench pullovers
• 30 seconds rest

Centr also recommends lat pulldowns, deadlifts and core stability work to build the pulling strength the SkiErg needs.

Training at home

Most racers train the SkiErg at a gym. If it’s your weak station and you train at home, Concept2’s SkiErg is the machine HYROX races on.

Check price on Amazon: Concept2 SkiErg · Garmin Forerunner 265 for heart-rate pacing

Read our Concept2 SkiErg review before you buy. For the other erg station, see our HYROX rowing guide, and for the full weights in every division, Open vs Pro.