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Hyrox is the fastest-growing fitness race in Australia right now. And if you’ve done one — or you’re training for your first — you already know the problem.

You need knee support for the stations. Sandbag lunges, sled push, wall balls — these movements hammer your knees. But then you’ve got eight 1km runs in between. And nobody wants to clock up 8.7km of running with thick neoprene baking your legs.

So what do you do?

Most athletes either wear their sleeves the entire race (and overheat), leave them off entirely (and regret it at the lunge station), or do the ankle shuffle — pushing them down around their ankles between stations like a sad pair of fallen socks.

Hyrox’s own rules even acknowledge this awkward reality. They officially permit athletes to “wear them around your ankles and pull them up when you need them.”

There’s a better way.

Let’s Talk About What Actually Happens in a Hyrox Race

A Hyrox race is eight rounds of 1km run followed by one workout station. In order:

1.     SkiErg — 1,000m

2.     Sled Push — 50m

3.     Sled Pull — 50m

4.     Burpee Broad Jumps — 80m

5.     Rowing — 1,000m

6.     Farmers Carry — 200m

7.     Sandbag Lunges — 100m

8.     Wall Balls — 100 reps

Average finish time in Australia? Around 90 minutes. Elite athletes go under an hour. First-timers might take two hours or more.

That’s a long time to have neoprene strapped to your knees. And here’s the thing — not every station needs knee support equally. The SkiErg and rowing are seated or standing pulls. The farmers carry is grip and core. But sandbag lunges over 100m? Wall balls for 100 reps? Sled push? Your knees are absolutely copping it.

The smarter play is to have sleeves that go on and come off in seconds — not ones that require a 3-minute ceremony and a plastic bag.

The Problem With Traditional Knee Sleeves in a Race Setting

Standard 7mm neoprene sleeves — the ones most CrossFitters use — are built for the gym. You put them on before training, they stay on for an hour, you peel them off when you’re done.

That workflow doesn’t translate to a race. In Hyrox, you’re transitioning between running and stations constantly. Every time you enter the Roxzone, there’s a decision to make: sleeves on or off?

With traditional sleeves, the options are bad:

•        Wear them the whole race. You overheat on the runs, your legs cook, and by the time you hit station five your heart rate is spiking for the wrong reasons.

•        Leave them off. Fine for the runs. Not fine at 100 sandbag lunges when your knees are already loaded from everything that came before.

•        The ankle roll. Push them down between runs, pull them up for stations. Sounds fine in theory. In practice, you’re wasting transition time and creating an opportunity for a roll, a trip, or just losing precious seconds on a race clock.

None of these are ideal. And that’s before we even mention that most traditional sleeves can’t be put on without removing your shoes — which is completely useless in a race environment.

Why Buff Roo Changes the Game for Hyrox Athletes

Buff Roo Knee Sleeves were built specifically to solve the on/off problem. The velcro closure system means you can put them on or take them off in under 10 seconds — shoes on, standing up, mid-transition.

That’s a genuine race advantage.

Here’s what the Buff Roo approach looks like in a Hyrox race:

•        Clipped to your kit bag at the start. Not on your legs, not around your ankles.

•        On in seconds before station 2 (sled push). Snap the velcro, done.

•        Off for the 1km run after. No ankle rolling, no bunching, no restriction.

•        Back on for station 7 (sandbag lunges) and station 8 (wall balls). The two hardest stations on your knees.

•        Off at the finish line. Fresh, not cooked.

The 7mm neoprene construction means you’re still getting proper compression and joint support when they’re on — this isn’t a flimsy wrap or a thin sleeve you’ve sized up just for ease of use. It’s real support, on demand.

Which Hyrox Stations Actually Need Knee Support?

Not all eight stations put the same load through your knees. Here’s a quick breakdown so you can decide your own strategy:

High knee load — sleeves on

•        Sled Push (50m): Low drive angle, heavy knee loading on the push through

•        Burpee Broad Jumps (80m): Repeated knee extension under fatigue, hard floor impact

•        Sandbag Lunges (100m): 100 metres of weighted lunges. Your knees will know about it.

•        Wall Balls (100 reps): Deep squat, 100 times, towards the end of the race when your legs are already gone

Moderate — your call

•        Sled Pull (50m): Core and upper body dominant, but knee drive involved

•        Farmers Carry (200m): Upright carry, knees involved but not loaded heavily

Low knee load — sleeves off

•        SkiErg (1,000m): Arms and core, minimal knee involvement

•        Rowing (1,000m): Seated, knee drive but controlled, no impact

•        All 1km runs: Running with heavy sleeves adds heat and restricts natural movement

Over 30 and Doing Hyrox? This Matters More

Hyrox is genuinely for everyone — the oldest finisher on record is 77. But if you’re 30 or older, your knees are operating on a different recovery curve to a 22-year-old.

Cartilage wears differently. Old footy injuries flare under load. Hard indoor floors — and Hyrox takes place in massive indoor exhibition halls, not a cushioned CrossFit floor — increase impact through the joint.

The argument for using knee sleeves in Hyrox isn’t about weakness. It’s about smart racing. You’ve done the training. You’ve got the engine. Don’t let your knees become the reason you limp out of station seven or scratch on the finish.

The compression from a 7mm sleeve keeps the joint warm, improves proprioception (your body’s awareness of knee positioning under fatigue), and gives you the confidence to drop into deep lunges and squat throws without hesitation.

And the mental edge is real too. When you know your knees are locked in, you stop second-guessing and start executing.

Race Day Strategy: How to Use Buff Roo Knee Sleeves in Hyrox

Here’s a simple race day plan:

·       Warm up without sleeves. Let your body generate its own heat first.

·       Clip your Buff Roo sleeves to your race belt or kit bag. They’re accessible but not on your legs.

·       After the run into station 2 (sled push), snap them on. Takes 10 seconds.

·       After each heavy knee station, pop them off for the run. Regulate your temperature, move freely.

·       For stations 7 and 8 (lunges and wall balls), keep them on. These are the ones that will test your knees hardest when you’re already fatigued.

·       Cross the finish line. Peel them off. Eat a banana. You’re done.

This only works because the sleeves come on and off without a production. That’s the whole point. Traditional sleeves make this strategy impossible. Buff Roo makes it simple.

Final Word

Hyrox is a different beast to a standard gym session or a CrossFit WOD. It’s a race. Every second counts. Every transition is an opportunity to gain or lose time.

Your gear needs to work with that, not against it.

Buff Roo Knee Sleeves were designed by someone who trains hard, sweats a lot, and doesn’t want to sit on a gym floor pulling neoprene over their Nanos. The velcro system isn’t a gimmick — it’s a genuine improvement on how knee support works in a dynamic race environment.

If you’ve got a Hyrox coming up and you’re serious about your knees — especially if you’re over 30 — don’t leave this to chance.

Check out Buff Roo Knee Sleeves at buffroo.com.au and sort your race day kit before the start gun fires.