ATHX Workouts 2026: Format, Divisions and Scoring

ATHX is built differently from most fitness races. Instead of one long effort from start to finish, you move through a fixed schedule of zones over about two and a half hours, with three scored workouts: a strength test, an endurance piece and a metcon. The 2026 workouts are published in full on the ATHX site, so you can train for exactly what you will face.

Below is the whole 2026 format: the zones and their timings, every workout with the loads for each division, how each workout is scored, and how ATHX compares with HYROX. Our ATHX format guide has the same numbers in quick-reference form.

How an ATHX event is structured

ATHX describes itself as "a 2.5-hour continuous fitness competition across six zones" (athxgames.com). You move through them in this order:

Warm-Up Zone: 30 minutes to prepare before the competition floor.
Strength Zone: 20 minutes. Workout 1.
Refuel Zone: 10 minutes to rehydrate and recover.
Endurance Zone: 30 minutes. Workout 2.
Recovery Zone: 30 minutes with recovery equipment.
MetCon X Zone: 30 minutes. Workout 3.

That adds up to 150 minutes. The rest zones are part of the schedule, so pacing across the session matters: you need to arrive at the MetCon still able to move fast.

ATHX divisions: Lite, ATHX and Pro

There are three categories, and they share the same format. The difference is the weights and how strict the movement standards are (athxgames.com/how-it-works):

Lite: pairs only. ATHX says it is "ideal if you're newer to competition, building your base fitness, or still learning the moves."
ATHX: solo and pairs. For athletes "ready to push a little harder", with heavier weights and full movements.
Pro: solo and pairs. "Built for athletes chasing the podium", with the heaviest weights and strictest standards.

Pairs race in Female, Male and Mixed categories. If you want to race solo, your choice is ATHX or Pro; Lite is not offered for individuals.

Workout 1: Strength (20 minutes)

The strength workout is the same for every category. Three lifts in fixed time windows (athxgames.com/workouts/2026):

0–6 min: 1-rep max Strict Press
6–12 min: 3-rep max Back Squat
12–20 min: 5-rep max Deadlift

Scoring: total weight lifted. Pairs add their two scores together. The score is load, not reps, so the goal is the heaviest successful set in each window.

How to approach it

Plan your attempts before race day. Six minutes is enough for a few working sets on the press and squat, but not for a long warm-up ladder, which is why the Warm-Up Zone beforehand matters. The deadlift window is eight minutes, two longer than the others.

Workout 2: Endurance (30-minute zone, 22-minute cap)

The endurance workout alternates running and rowing, with the run distance set by your category (athxgames.com/workouts/2026):

Lite: 500 m run legs
ATHX: 750 m run legs
Pro: 1 km run legs

Pairs: athlete A starts on the run, athlete B on the rower, and you swap every time a leg is completed. Individuals start on the run and swap between run and row every 750 m (ATHX) or 1 km (Pro).

The time cap is 22 minutes, and the score is the total distance covered, run plus row. This is the piece where a strong runner can gain the most, but the rower counts too, so a fast row split is worth as much as a fast run split.

Workout 3: MetCon X (25-minute cap)

The final workout is a chipper scored on finish time, with a 25-minute cap inside the 30-minute zone (athxgames.com/workouts/2026). Loads are shown as men / women.

Pairs

SkiErg: 60 calories (all categories)
Ground to overhead: ATHX 60 single-arm alternating reps at 20 / 12.5 kg. Lite 30 reps at 15 / 7.5 kg. Pro 60 reps with two dumbbells at 22.5 / 15 kg.
Sandbag carry, 60 m: ATHX 50 / 30 kg. Lite 40 / 20 kg. Pro 70 / 40 kg.
Box jump overs: ATHX 60 reps at 24 / 20 in. Lite 30 box step-overs. Pro 60 reps at 30 / 24 in.
Dumbbell walking lunges, 60 m: ATHX two dumbbells at 20 / 12.5 kg. Lite bodyweight. Pro two dumbbells in the front rack at 22.5 / 15 kg.
Burpee broad jumps: 60 m (all categories)
SkiErg: 60 calories (all categories)

Partners split reps however they like, except the sandbag carry, which is split 30 m each. Mixed pairs use the women's box height and the women's dumbbells for the lunges; the ground-to-overhead and sandbag use the prescribed men's and women's weights.

Individual

SkiErg: 45 / 30 calories
Ground to overhead: ATHX 30 single-arm alternating reps at 20 / 12.5 kg. Pro 30 reps with two dumbbells at 22.5 / 15 kg.
Sandbag carry, 30 m: ATHX 50 / 30 kg. Pro 70 / 40 kg.
Box jump overs: 30 reps. ATHX 24 / 20 in. Pro 30 / 24 in.
Dumbbell walking lunges, 30 m: ATHX two dumbbells at 20 / 12.5 kg. Pro front rack at 22.5 / 15 kg.
Burpee broad jumps: 30 m
SkiErg: 45 / 30 calories

How ATHX is scored

Each workout has its own score (athxgames.com/how-it-works):

Strength: total weight lifted.
Endurance: total distance covered in 22 minutes.
MetCon X: finish time.

The official leaderboards show a result for each workout and a points total, with the lowest total ranked first (athxgames.com). ATHX does not publish the exact points formula on its how-it-works page, so we have not described it here. The practical takeaway is simple: there is no single workout you can afford to throw away.

Qualifying for the ATHX Finals

The 2026 ATHX Finals take place on 27–29 November 2026 at the Lisbon Exhibition and Congress Centre. At each qualifying event, the top four pairs in each of the Female, Male and Mixed categories qualify in Lite, ATHX and Pro, plus the top four men and women in the individual ATHX and Pro categories. There are additional age-group slots (athxgames.com/finals-qualification/2026).

ATHX vs HYROX

Both are indoor fitness races mixing running with functional strength, which is why they get compared so often. The formats are very different, though:

Structure: HYROX is one continuous race of 8 × 1 km runs, each followed by a station (hyrox.com). ATHX splits the session into three separately scored workouts with scheduled rest zones in between.
Strength: HYROX tests strength under fatigue with fixed loads (sleds, farmers carry, lunges, wall balls). ATHX has a dedicated max-strength test: a strict press, back squat and deadlift where heavier lifts score more.
Running: HYROX has 8 km of running for every athlete in every division. In ATHX, running only appears in the endurance workout, alternated with rowing, and the leg distance depends on your category.
Scoring: HYROX is ranked on one finish time. ATHX combines three workout results.
Divisions: HYROX has Open and Pro, plus Doubles and Relay (see the HYROX format guide). ATHX has Lite, ATHX and Pro, raced solo or in pairs, with Lite reserved for pairs.

Is ATHX harder than HYROX?

There is no fair one-word answer, because they test different things. If heavy barbell work is your weakness, ATHX will expose it in a way HYROX does not, since HYROX never asks for a one-rep max. If running is your weakness, HYROX is likely to feel harder: 8 km of running is unavoidable there, while ATHX caps the endurance piece at 22 minutes and shares it with the rower. For a side-by-side view of prices and dates, see ATHX vs HYROX.

Where to race ATHX

Upcoming events, including ATHX London 2027 at ExCeL in January, are on the ATHX brand page. The official site also lists events across the UK, Europe and the US for 2027 (athxgames.com).

Sources

ATHX, race format and zones: https://athxgames.com/
ATHX, 2026 workouts: https://athxgames.com/workouts/2026
ATHX, how it works (divisions and scoring): https://athxgames.com/how-it-works
ATHX, 2026 Finals qualification: https://athxgames.com/finals-qualification/2026
ATHX, individual leaderboards: https://athxgames.com/individual-leaderboards
HYROX, The Fitness Race: https://hyrox.com/the-fitness-race/

ATHX 2026 Workouts Explained: Zones, Divisions, Scoring and ATHX vs HYROX