Rachael Wade’s rise in HYROX has been nothing short of remarkable. In just 5 Pro Solo races she has recorded 3 wins and never finished lower than 3rd. She is already on the cusp of competing in the Elite 15. HYROX is a still a relatively young sport, however that trajectory is exceptionally impressive.
A former collegiate runner, Wade made an immediate impact on the Pro circuit by clocking an impressive 1:05:49 to secure herself a podium finish in Atlanta. She then went on to win HYROX Houston 2026 with a time that was just shy of breaking the 1 hour barrier (1:00:34).
Unlike many elite HYROX athletes who rely on double training sessions and high weekly mileage, Wade has much less time to train each week.
This is due to the realities of everyday life. Alongside competing, Wade balances work as a registered dietitian, coaching, and raising two children. I spoke with her recently to find out more about her training and how her sporting background has helped her rapid rise in HYROX. As well as her advice on how you can do the same.
A Foundation Built on Running
Wade told me how her training history has helped her, “coming from a running background, building an aerobic base over the years has been one of my biggest advantages in HYROX.”
For her, this is especially noticeable during certain parts of each race, “the cardiovascular engine I have been able to develop through consistent mileage seems to make the transitions between stations far more manageable, my heart rate recovers faster on the runs so that I can push harder through each functional movement.”
The Impact of CrossFit
Alongside Beau Wills, Wade is another HYROX competitor with CrossFit experience under her belt, “even though my background is in running, I firmly believe adding CrossFit classes to my routine about four years ago was the missing piece.”
She continued, “CrossFit layered in the strength and full-body conditioning that solely running could not, and perhaps more importantly, it taught me how to keep moving efficiently under fatigue when weights are involved. That combination, the engine from running plus durability from CrossFit, has worked well since as I began competing in HYROX.”
Wade also stressed the importance of working on your weaknesses, “For anyone coming from a similar background, my biggest tip is to resist the urge to lean into what you’re already good at. Double down on what needs work (for most runners like me, it’s consistently the strength), and trust that the running fitness will carry itself.”
Learning from Rachael Wade – How Runners Can Turn Their Biggest Strength into a HYROX Advantage
Wade’s rapid rise shows that runners already possess one of the most valuable assets in HYROX, a powerful aerobic engine. The challenge is learning how to use that engine effectively while bringing strength and performance during fatigued conditions up to the same level.
Use Running Fitness to Recover Faster Between Stations
Wade believes her years of running have given her an advantage because she recovers more quickly after each station. In HYROX, this means arriving at the next workout ready to work instead of spending the first minute trying to get your breathing under control.
To develop this ability, include workouts that force your heart rate up before performing strength-based movements.
Example session:
- 1km run
- 25 wall balls
- 1km run
- 20 burpee broad jumps
- 1km run
- 50m farmers carry
- 1km run
The goal is not maximum speed. Focus on keeping your pace consistent across every run and every station.
Replace Some Easy Miles with Strength Training
Many runners entering HYROX continue adding mileage when their biggest limitation is strength. Wade’s advice is simple, stop extensively doubling down on what you’re already good at.
If you’re running a lot every week, replacing some of this volume (one or two easy runs) with strength sessions will likely improve your HYROX performance more than additional mileage.
Focus on:
- Squats
- Deadlifts
- Lunges
- Sled pushes
- Sled pulls
- Farmers carries
A simple rule is to ask yourself is this, “will this workout improve one of the HYROX stations?” If the answer is no, it may not deserve priority.
Learn to Lift When You’re Tired
One of the biggest benefits Wade gained from CrossFit was learning to move efficiently under fatigued conditions. Many runners always perform strength work while fresh. HYROX doesn’t work that way. Always training in this manner will not prepare your body for the actual demands of race day.
Try introducing compromised workouts where strength follows running.
Example session:
3 rounds:
- 800m run
- 15 walking lunges per leg
- 15 burpees
- 20 deadlifts
Rest 2 minutes between rounds.
These sessions teach your body to maintain movement quality when fatigue is high, a key HYROX skill. Remember that strength work under fatigued conditions is a skill in itself.
Build Strength-Endurance, Not Just Maximum Strength
Being able to squat a huge 1RM is less useful than repeatedly producing force over an hour-long race for HYROX athletes. Runners should focus on strength-endurance as well as pure strength work.
Example workout:
4 rounds for time:
- 20 goblet squats
- 20 kettlebell swings
- 50m farmers carry
- 500m run
This develops the ability to continue producing power after multiple transitions, something Wade highlighted as critical in HYROX.
Remeber however that it is still beneficial to perform more traditionally programmed and periodized strength work (with rest periods) as this will build your foundational strength. CrossFit is a fantastic bridge between these two aspects of fitness.
Keep Your Running Edge
The mistake some runners make after discovering HYROX is neglecting the very part of their athletic background that gives them an advantage. Wade’s success demonstrates that the aerobic engine remains a weapon. If you are from a running background, the goal is not to become a strength athlete who runs, it’s to become a runner who is strong enough to handle every station.
A useful weekly structure could look like:
- 1 long run
- 1 threshold or interval session
- 2 strength sessions
- 1 HYROX-specific compromised workout
- 1 easy recovery run
This allows runners to maintain their endurance advantage while steadily improving the practical strength and fatigue resistance needed to compete with more complete HYROX athletes.
Wade’s story is proof that runners do not need to abandon their background to succeed in HYROX. Instead, they should view their aerobic fitness as a foundation and spend most of their energy developing the qualities they lack. The athletes who improve fastest are often the ones who train their weaknesses most aggressively. Mat Fraser is another athlete that was incredibly good at training his weaknesses, and his results speak for themselves.
Rachael Wade’s HYROX Pro Solo History
| Race | Division | Time | Placement |
|---|---|---|---|
| HYROX Houston 2026 | Pro Women 25–29 | 1:00:34 | 1st |
| HYROX Miami 2026 | Pro Women 25–29 | 1:00:45 | 1st |
| HYROX Ottawa 2026 | Pro Women 25–29 | 1:00:59 | 1st |
| HYROX Las Vegas 2026 | Pro Women 25–29 | 1:01:01 | 2nd |
| HYROX Atlanta 2025 | Pro Women 25–29 | 1:05:49 | 3rd |
| HYROX London 2023 | Doubles Women 16–29 | 1:32:54 | 827th* |
* Competed with partner Zoe Wade.
Conclusion
Rachael Wade’s rise in HYROX has been one of the standout stories of the 2025-26 season. After finishing third in her Pro Solo debut in Atlanta with a time of 1:05:49, she rapidly established herself as one of the fastest athletes in the sport, following that performance with a second-place finish in Las Vegas and three consecutive victories in Houston, Miami, and Ottawa.
Her winning times of 1:00:34, 1:00:45, and 1:00:59 underline a level of consistency that few athletes achieve so early in their HYROX careers.
What makes those results particularly interesting is the way she has achieved them. Her aerobic engine allows her to recover quickly between stations, maintain pace deep into races, and continue producing high-quality work under fatigue. At the same time, she has invested heavily in strength and functional fitness to address the demands that pure running simply cannot prepare athletes for.
For runners entering HYROX, Wade’s progression offers a clear blueprint. Keep the endurance base that gives you an advantage, but dedicate serious attention to strength, durability, and race-specific training. The goal is not to become a different athlete, it is to become a more complete one.
Learn More about Rachael Wade
She trains at The ROXX, Birmingham’s premier HYROX training club, and offers personalized, holistic nutrition counseling for women at RX Nutrition.
Follow her here on Insta.
