HYROX Verona
Goal
1h25–1h35
After Bologna the question changed. Not “can I do HYROX?” anymore, but “can I do it well?”. And this time with nobody to split the stations with.
The plan runs for twenty-two weeks, six sessions a week, split into two blocks. First I build the engine, then I bring strength and stations back up to race level. The order isn't random: in HYROX the limit isn't the stations, it's the eight broken-up kilometres you run when you're already cooked.
The goal is somewhere between 1h25 and 1h35. The window is wide on purpose: the missing number isn't a running time, it's experience doing the stations alone. The full simulation in January will narrow it down.
The road
31 Aug 2026
The plan kicks off
Engine block: running at the centre, strength on maintenance. The Saturday long run is untouchable, intervals on Tuesday, isometrics to protect my tendons from the jump in kilometres.
16 Sep 2026
I drop the half marathon from the plan
The November half was a tool to build the engine, not the point. The aerobic work still counts without a race: from here to January the only race is Verona.
19–25 Oct 2026· now
The peak of the engine block
The longest long run of the plan, between 20 and 22 km. From here the running volume starts coming down.
9 Nov 2026
The race block begins
Strength is back on top. Running gets specific: one-kilometre repeats at race pace, and running straight after a station on legs that are already heavy.
23 Nov 2026
The front squat becomes the main lift
It's the position of the sled push and the wall balls, and it hits the quads: my weak spot.
5 Dec 2026
First simulation: 4 stations and 4 km at 80%
I time the transitions, not the total. That's the Bologna lesson.
19 Dec 2026
Second simulation: 6 stations at 85%
9 Jan 2027
Dress rehearsal: full race at 90%
Eight timed stations. The time on this day already tells me how Verona is going to go.
23 Jan 2027
Short simulation at 95%
Volume down 40%. I need to feel fast, not tired.
28–31 Jan 2027
HYROX Verona
What I learned
What I'm bringing from Bologna
- Burpee broad jumps: the station where I lost the most time and mental energy.
- Transitions: six minutes in Bologna. Free minutes, if you train them.
- Running well straight after a station, not just running well.
- Grip: in the race it gives out in the farmer's carry and the sled pull, two stations out of eight.
FAQ
What is HYROX Verona Solo Open?
It's the HYROX race held on 28–31 January 2027 (Fiera di Verona), which Simone Tabellini is racing in the Solo Open category. Eight one-kilometre runs alternating with eight functional stations.
What is Simone Tabellini's goal at HYROX Verona?
To finish in 1h25–1h35. After the Bologna Doubles, my first race on my own. Twenty-two weeks of prep: first the engine, then the race.
How is he preparing?
The plan kicks off (31 Aug 2026): Engine block: running at the centre, strength on maintenance. The Saturday long run is untouchable, intervals on Tuesday, isometrics to protect my tendons from the jump in kilometres. I drop the half marathon from the plan (16 Sep 2026): The November half was a tool to build the engine, not the point. The aerobic work still counts without a race: from here to January the only race is Verona. The peak of the engine block (19–25 Oct 2026): The longest long run of the plan, between 20 and 22 km. From here the running volume starts coming down.
What did he learn?
Burpee broad jumps: the station where I lost the most time and mental energy. Transitions: six minutes in Bologna. Free minutes, if you train them. Running well straight after a station, not just running well. Grip: in the race it gives out in the farmer's carry and the sled pull, two stations out of eight.