ATHX Games: the format, explained
ATHX Games explained: the full race format, every station and load, the divisions and how it is scored, plus how it compares with the other hybrid series, the upcoming ATHX races and where to train for them.
ATHX takes the opposite approach to Hyrox®. Instead of one long time trial it runs a roughly two-and-a-half-hour session split into six zones (warm-up, strength, refuel, endurance, recovery and MetCon X) of which three are scored. You are not chasing a finish time; you are posting a number in each of three very different tests, and that makes it the only major hybrid series where a genuine barbell max actually counts.
- On site: ~2.5 hours
- Zones: 6 · three of them scored
- Scored on: Kilos · metres · time
- Venue: Indoor arena
- Formats: Individual · Pairs
- Tiers: LITE · ATHX · PRO
The six zones
Warm-Up (30 min) → Strength (20 min) → Refuel (10 min) → Endurance (30 min) → Recovery (30 min) → MetCon X (25 min). Athletes move through as a heat, on the clock, with the fuelling and recovery blocks built into the schedule rather than left to chance.
Only Strength, Endurance and MetCon X carry a score. The other three exist to make the scored blocks a fair test. You are warmed up, fed and recovered when it matters.
The three scored zones
| Zone | Cap | The work | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 20 min | 0–6 min: 1RM strict press · 6–12 min: 3RM back squat · 12–20 min: 5RM deadlift | Total kilos across all three lifts |
| Endurance | 22 min | Alternating run and row. Swap every 750 m (ATHX), 500 m (LITE) or 1 km (PRO) | Total distance covered |
| MetCon X | 25 min | 60 cal ski · 60 single-arm ground-to-overhead · 60 m sandbag carry · 60 box jump overs · 60 m dual-dumbbell lunges · 60 m burpee broad jumps · 60 cal ski | Time to complete |
2026 season. Weights differ by tier and by sex: the loads below are the ATHX (standard) tier; LITE is lighter and lower-volume, PRO is heavier throughout.
MetCon X loads by tier
| Movement | LITE ♂ / ♀ | ATHX ♂ / ♀ | PRO ♂ / ♀ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground-to-overhead | 30 reps · 15 kg / 7.5 kg | 60 reps · 20 kg / 12.5 kg | 60 dual · 22.5 kg / 15 kg |
| Sandbag carry | 40 kg / 20 kg | 50 kg / 30 kg | 70 kg / 40 kg |
| Box jump overs | 30 step-overs | 24″ / 20″ | 30″ / 24″ |
| Dumbbell lunges | bodyweight | 2 × 20 kg / 2 × 12.5 kg | front rack 22.5 kg / 15 kg |
| Burpee broad jumps | bodyweight | bodyweight | bodyweight |
Pairs volume shown; individuals cover roughly half of each element. Mixed pairs use the female box height and dumbbells on the movements that specify them.
Divisions & entry formats
- LITE: Reduced volume and lighter loads: the entry point, and a real race rather than a token one.
- ATHX: The standard tier. Where most trained athletes should enter.
- PRO: Heaviest loads, longest intervals, dual-dumbbell variations of the single-arm work.
- Individual: One athlete covers roughly half the pairs volume in MetCon X and swaps modalities alone in Endurance.
- Pairs: Both athletes lift in Strength and their totals are added; work is shared in Endurance and MetCon X.
How it is scored
Three separate results, in three different units: kilos lifted in Strength, metres covered in Endurance, and elapsed time in MetCon X. They are ranked and combined into the overall standing. See the organiser for the current season's points table.
Because Strength is a third of the picture, ATHX rewards a profile Hyrox® barely touches. A heavy deadlift is worth real points here, and a pure runner who can't post one will not place.
How it compares
| Hyrox® | ATHX | Deadly Dozen | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Race shape | 8 × 1 km run + 8 stations, always the same order | Six timed zones over ~2.5 hours, three of them scored | 12 × 400 m run + 12 labours, alternating |
| Venue | Indoor arena / exhibition hall | Indoor arena / exhibition hall | Athletics track (plus indoor gym-race formats) |
| Result | One finish time | Three zone scores: kilos, metres, minutes | One finish time |
| Typical duration | 60–120 min of racing | ~2.5 h on site, ~65 min of scored work | 75–120 min of racing |
| Barbell work | None | Yes: press, squat and deadlift maxes | None (kettlebell, dumbbell, plate) |
| Running share | 8 km: about half the race | Run/row intervals inside one 22-minute block | 4.8 km, broken into twelve 400 m laps |
| Entry formats | Singles, doubles, relay | Individual and pairs, in three difficulty tiers | Solo, pairs, relay of four |
| Best suited to | Runners who can hold form under load | All-rounders with real strength numbers | Grinders: volume, grip and repeated 400s |
Upcoming ATHX Games races
- ATHX Birmingham: 22 Aug 2026, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- ATHX Barcelona: 05 Sep 2026, Barcelona, Spain
- ATHX Marseille: 19 Sep 2026, Marseille, France
- ATHX Liverpool: 03 Oct 2026, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- ATHX Miami: 10 Oct 2026, Miami, United States
- ATHX Houston: 17 Oct 2026, Houston, United States
- ATHX Amsterdam: 07 Nov 2026, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- ATHX Los Angeles: 07 Nov 2026, Long Beach, Canada
- ATHX Finals: 27 Nov 2026, Lisbon, Portugal
- ATHX London: 23 Jan 2027, London, United Kingdom
- ATHX Paris: 13 Feb 2027, Paris, France
- ATHX Valencia: 20 Feb 2027, Valencia, Spain
Tools for this format
- One-Rep Max Calculator: Estimate your one-rep max from any weight and rep count, then read a full training-percentage table rounded to loadable plates.
- 5/3/1 Program Calculator: Build a full Wendler 5/3/1 cycle from your training max. Every week, set and percentage is rounded to plates you can load.
- Wilks & DOTS Calculator: Score your powerlifting total against your bodyweight with both Wilks and DOTS, and see where it lands.
- Rowing & Erg Pace Calculator: Concept2 split, power and calories for the rower and ski-erg, plus predicted times across every standard erg distance.
Frequently asked
What is ATHX Games?
A hybrid fitness competition run as a roughly 2.5-hour session across six zones, three of which are scored: a strength block of three barbell maxes, a 22-minute run/row endurance block, and a MetCon X circuit for time.
How is ATHX different from Hyrox®?
Hyrox® is one continuous 8 km race against the clock with no barbell work. ATHX scores you in three separate tests (total kilos lifted, total distance covered and one circuit for time) so strength counts for a third of your result.
What are the ATHX categories?
Three tiers (LITE, ATHX and PRO) each available as an individual or a pairs entry. The movements stay the same; the volume and the loads change.
What lifts are in the ATHX strength zone?
A 1-rep-max strict press in the first six minutes, a 3-rep-max back squat in the next six, and a 5-rep-max deadlift in the final eight. Your score is the total weight across all three.
Format details describe the 2026 season and are transcribed from the organiser's published material; formats change between seasons, so check athxgames.com before you race. ATHX Games is a trademark of its owner and is used here to name the races described. Sweatlas is not affiliated with or endorsed by it.