How many burpees are there in HYROX?

HYROX® does not prescribe a set number of burpees. Station 4 is the Burpee Broad Jump, measured by distance rather than repetitions. The required distance is 80 metres, split into two 40-metre sections. How many individual reps that takes depends entirely on how far each jump travels.

As a rough guide:

• Elite and Pro athletes: approximately 35 to 40 reps (longer, more powerful jumps covering 1.8 to 2.2 metres each).
  
  
• Average participants: approximately 40 to 60 reps.
  
  
• Beginners or athletes fatigued from earlier in the race: up to 70 or 80 reps (shorter jump distances of around 1 metre per rep).
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The length of each broad jump is entirely up to the athlete. There is no minimum distance per jump in the rulebook. This means that improving your horizontal jump distance directly reduces how many burpees you have to do to cover the 80 metres.

This is the only station in HYROX where burpees appear. They do not feature anywhere else in the race.

How the station is structured

The 80 metres is divided into two 40-metre sections. The athlete starts behind the line, completes burpee broad jumps down the first 40-metre section, turns at the end, and completes the second 40-metre section back. Each section ends when the athlete jumps completely over the finish line with both feet. If either foot lands on the line rather than clearing it, another full rep must be completed.

At venues where turning points are used at the end of each section, athletes do not need to perform a burpee around the turning point. However, they must jump across every start and finish line with both feet fully crossing before turning. Each new section begins from the designated start position: chest on the ground, hands placed behind the white line.

What the movement standards require

The movement standards are specific and worth knowing before race day. The most common sources of no-reps are preventable with preparation.

• The first burpee of each section begins with both hands placed on the ground behind the white start line, with the chest on the floor. "Chest on the ground" is defined in the rulebook as the nipple line making clear contact with the ground.
  
  
• During the broad jump, both feet must take off and land in parallel. No staggered foot positions, additional steps, or shuffles are permitted at any time.
  
  
• When starting all subsequent burpees, the athlete's hands must be placed no more than 30cm forward of their toes. Once placed on the ground, the hands cannot be moved further forward.
  
  
• When jumping or stepping out of the burpee, the feet cannot go beyond the athlete's fingertips.
  
  
• Racers are permitted to use a knee when coming out of the bottom of the burpee position.
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The penalty protocol follows the standard HYROX structure: a formal warning on the first infringement, a 15-second penalty on the second, and an additional 15-second penalty for each infringement thereafter.

Technique: horizontal, not vertical

The single most impactful technical cue for this station is to jump forward, not upward. A high jump wastes energy and covers less horizontal distance. The most efficient approach is a low, horizontal frog jump: both feet take off together, the body moves forward close to the ground, and both feet land together.

Experienced athletes manage energy by varying how they transition between the floor and the standing position:

• Jump transition: both feet jump in together. Faster and more powerful but more cardiovascularly demanding.
  
  
• Step transition: one foot steps in, then the other. Slower but conserves energy and allows breathing to settle.
  
  
• Mixed approach: starting with jump transitions and switching to step transitions as fatigue builds later in the station or later in the race.
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The key is to automate the choice rather than making it under pressure. Decide your approach in training and practice it until it is instinctive.

Pacing strategy

The Burpee Broad Jump is Station 4, which arrives after three 1km runs, the SkiErg, the Sled Push, and the Sled Pull. The body is already working hard. Going out at maximum effort on the first section tends to result in deteriorating form and shortened jumps through the second section, which actually increases the total rep count.

A block approach works well for most athletes: complete a planned number of reps (for example, 8 to 10), take a brief standing rest of five to ten seconds, then continue. Planned pauses are more efficient than reaching the point of collapse and needing a longer recovery. Keep the upper body low between reps and get off the ground quickly. The transition from floor to standing is where most time is lost.

In Doubles and Relay

In Doubles, both partners share the 80 metres using a You Go, I Go format. One partner works while the other rests behind them. When switching, the resting partner begins their section from where the working partner's feet landed. The resting partner must walk behind the working partner at all times and must not obstruct other athletes.

In Relay, the Relay Member assigned to Station 4 completes the full 80 metres alone.

For a full breakdown of all eight stations and how the race is structured, the HYROX stations guide covers the complete race in detail.

Mobility: before and after this station

The Burpee Broad Jump demands a lot from the hips. Each rep requires hip flexion to drop to the floor and explosive hip extension to generate power for the jump. Over 40 to 60 repetitions in a fatigued state, two distinct hip restrictions tend to show up. Limited hip extension range shortens the broad jump distance and can cause the lower back to hyperextend as a compensatory strategy during the takeoff, loading the lumbar spine rather than the glutes. Limited hip flexion range makes the burpee descent feel stiff and restricted, slowing the transition to the floor and back.

Before the race, a targeted activation routine helps prepare the hips, glutes, and posterior chain for the demands of this station. The pre-race activation guide covers the full warm-up sequence for race day.

After the race, the hip flexors, quads, and chest all carry accumulated load from this station. The quads and glutes drive the jump, while the hip flexors work eccentrically as a brake during the takeoff phase, resisting rapid hip extension to control the pelvis. The chest handles the push-up phase of each burpee. The post-race recovery guide covers what to do in the hours after the race to support recovery. Thigh and hip flexor work is particularly relevant given the eccentric demand placed on the hip flexors across each jump.

Mobility exercises targeting hip extension range (to support jump power and reduce lumbar compensation) and hip flexion range (to support a clean burpee descent) address the two most common movement restrictions at this station. GOWOD builds personalized routines based on your individual movement profile, so the work you do in training targets what your body actually needs rather than a generic programme.