Free race timing guide

How To Time A HYROX-Style Event For Free

You don't need a phone on every station. Time athletes in and out of the station area, plus the finish, and the system works out every run and every station for you.

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1. The 3 phones

Each phone has one job: tap the athlete's number as they pass.

HYROX with 3 phones Run In · stations in the middle · Run Out The run (about 1 km) - repeated 8 times START wave start, or a separate start phone THE STATIONS 1SkiErg2Sled Push3Sled Pull4Burpee BroadJumps5Rowing6FarmersCarry7SandbagLunges8Wall Balls no phones needed on the stations RUN IN tap as they arrive at a station RUN OUT tap as they leave the station FINISH tap as they cross the line after the last station Each athlete is tapped: 8 times at Run In 7 times at Run Out 1 time at the Finish the system works out the rest

Run In

At the entrance to the stations. Tap each athlete as they finish a run and arrive at their station.

Run Out

At the exit from the stations. Tap each athlete as they leave their station and start the next run.

Finish

At the finish line. Tap each athlete as they cross it after the last station.

How athletes start: you choose

Option A

Wave start

No extra phone. Import your start-wave file and each athlete's start time is the wave time. Marshals send each wave off at the right moment.

Option B

A separate Start phone

A 4th phone at the start line. Tap each athlete's number as they set off, so everyone has their own start time.

Either way, athletes just need a visible number (a printed race number or a race-number tattoo).

2. How the system works out the stations

Every athlete passes the Run In phone 8 times and the Run Out phone 7 times (the last station ends at the finish). The phones only record when each tap happened. The system does the rest, using the order of the taps:

Run 1 Station 1 Run 2 Station 2 . . . Run 8 Station 8 Startwave / start phone Run In tap 1 Run Out tap 1 Run In tap 2 Run Out tap 2 Run In tap 8 Finish
  • Run 1 is the start to the 1st Run In tap.
  • Station 1 is the 1st Run In tap to the 1st Run Out tap.
  • Run 2 is the 1st Run Out tap to the 2nd Run In tap, and so on.
  • Station 8 (Wall Balls) is the 8th Run In tap to the finish.

Here is one athlete, as the system sees it:

TapTime of dayWhat it works outTime
Start10:00:00
Run In 110:05:10Run 100:05:10
Run Out 110:08:45Station 1 (SkiErg)00:03:35
Run In 210:14:02Run 200:05:17
and so on for all 8 stations
Finish10:58:30Total00:58:30
Why it's simple: the names (SkiErg, Sled Push and so on) are just a list you set up once. The system matches the 1st pair of taps to the 1st station, the 2nd pair to the 2nd, and so on. You can rename or reorder them for gym events.

3. Watch it work (animation)

An athlete does 8 laps of run then station. Watch the three phones record the taps, and the runs and stations appear on the right.

10:00:00
Ready 
The run (1 km each time) Stations 8 stations, no phones needed START wave or start phone Run In Run Out Finish
Run In taps 0 / 8Run Out taps 0 / 7Finish 0 / 1

Worked out by the system

    Speed

    The phones only record the clock time of each tap. The system turns the order of the taps into runs and stations.

    4. Setting it up

    1. Create the event. Choose the event type HYROX - 3 Phone Setup. It creates the race and four timing points for you: Start, Run In, Run Out and Finish.
    2. Add your athletes. Import your participant list (add an Entry Type column if you have doubles, see section 5). If you're using wave starts, import the start-wave file too. If you're using a Start phone instead, you don't need one.
    3. Set up the phones. Open the timing app on each phone, enter the event password, and in Settings pick that phone's timing point: Run In, Run Out or Finish (and Start on the 4th phone, if you're using one).
    4. Check the stations. On the event's HYROX Run In/Out tab you'll see the 8 stations pre-filled in the standard order. Rename or reorder them if your event is different, then save.
    5. Run the event. Tap each athlete's number as they pass. Results build up live.
    6. After the event. Print the HYROX - Run in/out report or the HYROX Category - Run in/out report from the same tab. Athletes also see their own runs and stations on their public results page.

    5. Singles and doubles (entry types)

    HYROX events often have solo athletes and pairs. On a HYROX - 3 Phone Setup event you can mark each entry as Singles, Men's Doubles, Women's Doubles or Mixed Doubles. The entry type only appears on HYROX events, so every other event looks exactly as it did.

    Singles

    One athlete. Ranked by gender and by age category, as normal.

    Men's & Women's Doubles

    A pair of men, or a pair of women. Ranked within their own type.

    Mixed Doubles

    A man and a woman. Ranked within their own type.

    How to enter a pair

    1. One pair is one entry, under one number. Both partners wear the same number and the phones tap that number, so a pair is timed exactly like a single athlete.
    2. Put both names in the name fields, for example Mark and Michelle. A pair has no date of birth or age category, so leave those blank.
    3. Choose the entry type. When you add or edit a participant, pick it from the Entry Type box. Leaving it on Singles (default) is right for solo athletes, so existing entries don't need changing.
    4. Importing a list? Add an Entry Type column to your CSV (for example Singles, Men's Doubles, Women's Doubles or Mixed Doubles) and map it when you import. Entries with a blank entry type are treated as Singles.

    What you see in the results

    WhereWhat changes
    Participants listAn Entry Type column.
    HYROX Run In/Out tab and reportA Type column, shown once there are any doubles entries.
    HYROX Category reportThe age categories list singles only, followed by a section for each doubles type: Men's, Women's and Mixed. Each shows the top 5 pairs by time, with all their runs and stations.
    Public results tablePairs show e.g. Mixed Doubles 1 out of 4 instead of gender and age category, and there is an All entry types filter.
    Public runner pageA pair gets a Doubles position box and a podium badge for the top 3 in their type, but no gender or age category position.
    Why pairs don't get an age category: two partners are often different ages, so there is no single category that fits. Pairs are ranked against other pairs of the same type, and singles keep their usual age categories.
    One time per pair. The phones tap one number, so a pair has one set of runs and stations. Both partners must pass Run In and Run Out together, as they do at a real HYROX doubles event.

    6. Tips for marshals

    • Tap the number as the athlete crosses. The time is taken at the tap, so tap straight away, then check the number.
    • Accidental double taps are fine. Two taps within 10 seconds count as one.
    • Missed someone? After the event, the results page flags anyone with the wrong number of taps (they should have 8 Run In and 7 Run Out). Fix it in Raw Times and their stations appear.
    • Position the phones well. Put the Run In phone where athletes arrive at the stations and the Run Out phone where they leave, so each person passes only one marshal each time.
    • The Finish time is the one that matters most. It sets the final result, so keep your best marshal on the finish phone.
    Remember: every athlete goes past Run In 8 times and Run Out 7 times. If a phone gets crowded, put two marshals on it.

    7. Summary

    • 3 phones: Run In, Run Out and Finish.
    • Starts: use a wave start, or add a separate Start phone.
    • The system does the maths: all 8 runs and all 8 stations from the order of the taps.
    • Singles and doubles: mark each entry as Singles, Men's, Women's or Mixed Doubles. A pair is one entry under one number.
    • Live results: totals and splits appear as athletes finish, with printed reports at the end.

    Fewer phones, fewer people, less hassle.

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