Alex Roncevic’s plan to beat everyone

Alex Roncevic is one of the most successful competitors in the history of Hyrox. He is the only person to finish in the top three in each of the last three Hyrox World Championships. At his last race in Stockholm, Alex finished in an incredible 54:16, making him the second-faster racer in Hyrox history. On Friday night, he will defend the Hyrox European Championship in his hometown of Vienna. 

The Hybrid Letter spoke with Alex about balancing high-level training with other responsibilities, his legendary mental toughness, and his chances of dethroning Hunter McIntyre.

The interview has been edited for length and clarity. 

The Hybrid Letter: We caught you heading into a major Hyrox race in Vienna. What does race week look like for you? 

Alex Roncevic: It always depends on how many races I have to do. Now it’s Vienna in a couple of days. Then there is the next one in Cologne, a doubles race. Then the World Championships in Nice. I’m not going to go to Washington, DC. So that’s why I did a two-week taper going into this race happening Friday. Going down in volume and going down in intensity the first week. The second week even more. With just some short, spicy sessions to stay in shape and be ready to fight. 

THL: How do you feel about tapering? Do you feel antsy because you’re so used to training at a higher volume? 

AR: No, I’m used to it. I’m used to that kind of taper because I did the same thing when I was a swimmer. You always did a three-week taper. And just because Hyrox is more of an endurance sport, I adapted it to a two-week taper. It works for me, and I feel pretty good. I feel faster and stronger than ever. I hope I can show it on Friday. 

THL: One of the interesting things about Hyrox, as a newer sport, is that there isn’t enough prize money or sponsorships just yet for top athletes to do it as a full-time job. What is a typical day like for you? How do you balance life while still competing at such an elite level? 

AR: My training volume is not that high right now just because I have a huge swimming background. I used to swim 60 to 80 kilometers a week. And I’m not running that much right now during my training. I’m waking up and going to work from 8 to 1 pm. I’m a teacher. I have the rest of the day off. I can use that time for training. I mostly train in the evenings because it’s just the time when I feel good and strong. Typically, I do 4 runs a week. Three Hyrox-specific workouts where there is a workout and run combined. And I have three strength sessions. Sometimes that’s combined. I do strength at the beginning of the workout, and then at the end, I do a Hyrox workout. It’s about eight training sessions a week in total. They are no longer than like an hour or an hour and a half. 

THL: What kind of teacher are you? Do your students know you are a high-level athlete after class?

AR: I teach primary school. Some of the teachers and some of the parents know, and they’re reaching out to me because they saw me on TV in an interview or something. The kids are too young to understand what’s going on, but they know that I do a lot of sports. 

THL: You’ve already qualified for the Hyrox World Championships. How are you approaching Vienna and this major race? What is your goal? 

AR: You never know how the venue is set up. If it’s fast or if it’s slow. But it is my home race. I’m at home here. I hope that is an advantage for me. I’ve won the race three times. Obviously, it wasn’t a major, just a normal Hyrox race. And my family is, and my friends are around. I’m going to go all out and try to win this one. I have nothing to lose, as you say. I’m already qualified for the World Championships. I did a lot of Hyrox-specific work. I worked on the first part of the race just to try to get a little bit of space coming into the sleds. I hope the crowd will carry me through the race. And they will because already a lot of people saying they are coming. It’s going to be a big show in Vienna. I’m really looking forward to it.

THL: One of the things that distinguishes you even from most of the other elite athletes is that your performances are extremely consistent. Every time you compete, you are almost always on the podium in every race. What do you attribute that to? Do you think it is your physical training, your mental approach, or a combination of those things? 

AR: I think it’s a combination of those two things, for sure. When I was swimming, I used to train 10-12 times a week — almost every day before school and after school. And I trained in every condition — being sick, being very tired, or being in good shape. I’m very used to it. It almost doesn’t matter how I wake up on race day; I know I can perform. Maybe I won’t have my best performance, but I know I can do a hard one hour. I can suffer, I can grind, and I can finish it. If I’m not in physically good shape, my mind will make it up and push through. That’s where I think most of the guys have a problem. If they feel tired, then their head is messed up. It’s even harder to finish the race or hold on at the front. 

I have the mental strength. I used to swim the amount I’m running now. For me, I can suffer very hard for a very long time. People are posting running sessions of 20 times 400 meters. I used to swim that countless times. 

For me, going into a race it’s always about thinking about the work I have done, trusting in the program, the process, and knowing what I’m capable of. That helps me always perform at a higher level. I’m not racing that much, I have like four to six races a year. I have time to rest and prepare properly to perform. 

THL: Do you have any advice on building that kind of mental fortitude? 

AR: It's a very, very long process,  the whole mental thing. It started for me when I was like seven and started with swimming. I was waking up in the mornings, at 5 am. I would think about other other kids, who sleep until 7:30 and just go to school. And you have to know why you are doing it. You always have to remember this. 

And, of course, in the training sessions, you can suffer very hard and work on your mindset. If I’m on the treadmill, and I have a 40-minute fast run, and I’m trying to hold a pace of, say, 10 miles per hour. I might start thinking about slowing down the speed a bit in the last five minutes. If I start thinking about doing it, I will actually increase the speed to go faster. I will go one mile per hour faster to punish myself for thinking that way. Slowing down is not an option. These are the little games I play in my head. 

The wall balls is where I think most guys have the biggest problems. That’s all in your head. Everything is in your head. You need to focus on yourself during the wall balls like you do in training. I’m sure all the guys perform well on wall balls when they are in training. And then during the competition with other people around watching, cheering you on. You need to focus just on yourself. Don’t get distracted, and try to finish as fast as possible.

THL: Last major race in Stockholm, Hunter McIntyre obviously got a lot of attention because he broke the world record. You were less than a minute behind but pretty close to that previous world record. Hunter is very confident that he’s going to win, and he says there isn’t any real competition. I know you’ve beaten Hunter at the World Championships a couple of years ago. Do you think you can beat Hunter again in Nice?

AR: The American guys are all talking before every race. It’s kind of a show, and it belongs in the sport and helps it grow. But every race, when I go to the start line, I always believe in myself and I always believe I’m going to win this because I’m prepared. I know what the other guys did. I know what I did. I know Hunter is the guy to beat. And if he’s in the race, I always try to keep with him as long as possible and then try to take my chance and pass him, and leave him behind. But going into Nice, I have four months left, and I know exactly where I have to put in work to get better. There is a lot of potential on the runs for me and on some stations. If I manage that, Hunter will have a hard race. 

THL: You mentioned earlier you were working on your speed at the very beginning of the race. Hunter is known for going out very fast and hitting the SkiErg very hard. Are working on the start of your race with an eye toward Nice?

AR: For me right now Hunter and [Ryan] Kent are the guys I have to watch out for. If Hunter is going with that strategy and I want to beat him, I have to keep up with him. So I have to adapt my training. I need to stay with him at the SkiErg, and at the push, and at the pull. And then we’ll see who is better.

THR: Is there an aspect of your training that you think a typical Hyrox athlete could incorporate to see improvement? 

AR: A lot of athletes are following a very strict training plan. I’m working with Tiago Lousa out of Portugal. He’s giving me the plans. But I’m not sticking with it 100% because if I wake up and I’m not feeling like doing that workout today, I’m not going to do that workout. That’s just because of my experience. I have a very good feeling about my body. I really know where I can do a bit more that day or back off a bit. That makes a huge difference because a lot of guys are just like, that’s the plan. And I need to do that today because, when the race comes, I will think of that missed session. I think that’s the wrong approach. You have to take it day by day and see how you feel and adapt. That’s what I’m doing. I’m checking on myself and how I feel and then adapting the training sessions. 

THR: If the sponsors and prize money got to a certain level, would you consider giving up your job and being a full-time Hyrox athlete? Or do you like the way you have things set up now?

AR: My job is not physically hard. I can do both. But if the money is good, I would like to be a pro athlete and focus on the races, on training, and on traveling the world. That would be a dream for me. I dreamed about it for swimming years ago. Now with Hyrox, I have a chance to live this life. If the sponsors pay enough, if they really want to work with Hyrox athletes, that would be great. I would take the opportunity. Hyrox is growing. Maybe after the major, someone will reach out and offer me enough money. Maybe it is after the World Champs. You never know. 

For more on Alex’s training and racing, follow him on Instagram.

Hybrid Athlete of the Week: Karyn Guidry

Name: Karyn Guidry
Age: 34
Hometown: Raleigh, NC 

Why did you start training for hybrid races? I am always looking for a new challenge. I began getting into Spartan races and transitioning away from bodybuilding because I wanted a performance-based goal. Bodybuilding was challenging for me mentally as it didn't help with my relationship with food and body image. Through Spartan, I was introduced to DEKA and fell in love. I enjoyed the style of training because it incorporated running, which is where I started. Later I was introduced to Hyrox by a great friend and coach.

Favorite race to date? 2022 Deka Worlds. I felt like I had no clue what I was doing, had an amazing time, and managed to bring home two world championships. 

Do you have a race goal? I try to set too many goals when it comes to time. I go into every race with the goal of simply doing my best and trusting my training. I would love to do a Hyrox race overseas!

Favorite station? As crazy as this sounds, I actually enjoy the running the most! 

Least favorite station? I absolutely hate the [assault] bike… with a passion.

Things you wish you knew when you started racing? Trust the process. I started working with a coach because I will overanalyze my training program when I try to do it myself. I’ll feel like I haven't trained enough or I'll do too much. It's a constant mind game. Find a coach you trust and someone who is willing to invest in you as an athlete! 

Video of the week: The Unseen Journey of Graham Halliday

A fascinating 45-minute documentary that gives viewers an inside look at the dedication of elite Hyrox athlete Graham Halliday. The film shows Halliday’s approach to the sport, even when things do not go according to plan.