Coach Pelayo Menéndez HYROX tip

Trendencias on May 21 highlighted a race-day cue from HYROX athlete and coach Pelayo Menéndez: relax the quadriceps during the sandbag lunge station rather than attacking every step with maximum tension. The advice was framed around one of the most punishing parts of the event, which comes late in the race after repeated runs and lower-body stations. Menéndez told the outlet that easing quad tension helps athletes hold a more even rhythm across the circuit, instead of surging and fading. The point was not to make the station easy, but to make the effort more repeatable under fatigue. ### Why would “relax the quadriceps” matter in HYROX at all? HYROX says its race format is fixed: athletes complete 1 kilometer of running followed by one workout station, repeated eight times for a total of 8 kilometers and 8 stations. That structure means the lunge station arrives after substantial accumulated fatigue, not in isolation. The sandbag lunge matters because it asks athletes to keep moving under load when their legs are already taxed from running, sled work and prior stations. (trendencias.com) Menéndez’s cue is aimed at that moment. By reducing unnecessary muscular bracing in the quads, he told Trendencias, athletes can avoid abrupt fatigue spikes and keep the circuit moving at a steadier pace. (hyrox.com) ### What is he actually telling athletes to do? Menéndez’s wording, as cited by Trendencias, was to “relajar los cuádriceps” so the athlete gets “un ritmo más consistente en todo el circuito.” In practice, that points to controlled steps instead of forceful, grinding reps that overload the front of the thighs too early. (trendencias.com) The cue is about economy, not passivity. HYROX’s official rules require athletes to complete the race in order and meet movement standards at each station, so the goal is to stay efficient enough to keep advancing without losing rhythm before the final stations. ### Why does rhythm matter more than one fast stretch? HYROX races are won and lost across repeated efforts, not one isolated station. (trendencias.com) Because every station is separated by another 1-kilometer run, a hard spike in one segment can carry into the next transition and the next run. That is the context for Menéndez’s emphasis on consistency. Menéndez’s own competitive background gives the advice weight. (hyrox.com) Hyresult lists him as a HYROX elite athlete with 32 races across four seasons, including appearances at world championship level and multiple podium finishes in 2025 and 2026 events. ### Is this a technique tip or a pacing tip? The answer is both. The Trendencias piece presented the relaxed-quad cue as a way to execute the lunge station more smoothly, but the underlying objective was pacing the whole heat. (hyrox.com) Menéndez linked the feeling in the legs to maintaining rhythm through the broader circuit, including what comes before and after the lunges. (hyresult.com) That fits the design of HYROX itself. The official rulebook describes an event built around repeated run-station cycles, which makes transitions and fatigue management part of performance, not just raw strength at a single movement. ### Where can athletes check the official standards next? HYROX maintains its rulebooks on its official website, including documents covering race format, movement requirements and judging standards. (trendencias.com) Athletes preparing for upcoming races can use those rulebooks to match Menéndez’s pacing advice with the official station requirements for their division. (hyrox.com 1) (hyrox.com 2)