Why Greyson Kilgore listens to static for 90 minutes
Greyson Kilgore is an elite hybrid athlete and coach. At the Deka World Championships last month, Greyson finished second in Deka Fit (29:33) and second in Deka Mile (17:49). He also won the co-ed Deka Fit Team competition with his partner, Katie Duke. Greyson also had a breakthrough year in Hyrox in 2024, finishing in under 60 minutes in Chicago and Anaheim.
The Hybrid Letter talked with Greyson about how to avoid plateaus, why he listens to static during hard workouts, and his passion for coaching older athletes.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
The Hybrid Letter: Can you tell us a little about yourself and your athletic background?
Greyson Kilgore: I’m from Boise, Idaho, and was born and raised here. I’m a full-time hybrid coach. I started my business geared toward hybrid and outdoor athletes. While I work with many in the Deka and Hyrox space, I also coach ultra-endurance athletes, skiers, snowboarders, long-distance backpackers, and hunters—being in the Northwest, there's a strong outdoor community here. In my free time, I’m always out doing something—on the trails with my mountain bike or running local races in the woods.
I was a three-sport athlete in middle and high school—wrestling, track and field, and cross country. In college, I competed in track and field and eventually became a decathlete, which fits well within the hybrid space. I’ve always been good at a mix of different things. My top three events as a decathlete were the 1500 meters, pole vault, and discus. That’s a blend of endurance, athleticism, and power — perfect for hybrid racing.
THL: What got you into coaching?
GK: My dad has been a coach for over 30 years, so I grew up around it. As a kid, I’d watch him at practice, and eventually, he was my coach—which felt less cool at the time.
Coaching has always been about service for me. My purpose is to help people learn to take care of themselves and appreciate their bodies. I started coaching track and field when I was 17 for local clubs, then became a head track coach for a city club in Salem, Oregon. I later moved into strength and conditioning for NCAA basketball teams. From there, my focus expanded from coaching a specific sport to overall fitness, and eventually, I got certified to do this full-time.
THL: Have you always competed?
GK: It’s been a constant in my life, and I think that ability to keep competing is what keeps drawing athletes back to this process. After college, I took about a year off—I didn’t train, gained weight, and was just searching for the next thing. It was a dark time.
One day, I visited my parents, and they had a Spartan Race broadcast on TV. I couldn’t take my eyes off it. My dad looked at me and said, "That’s your next thing." I hadn’t raced in almost a year, and I just knew—that was where I was headed. I’ve been competing ever since.
THL: What motivated you to start competing in Hyrox and Deka races?
GK: I competed in the Spartan Pro Series from 2017 to 2021, then COVID hit. Around that time, I was watching Hyrox and Deka develop and thought, "I’d probably be good at these." I’ve always been a bigger, stronger endurance athlete—more power than what was really necessary for Spartan racing.
At the time, I was also getting my master’s degree, so I told myself, "I’ll get into Deka and Hyrox eventually." When Deka Fit started advertising, they leaned into the decathlon connection. As a former decathlete and Spartan racer, it made perfect sense. Five years ago, I said I’d do it someday, and here we are.
THL: How did your training change when you transitioned into Hyrox and Deka?
GK: They require different skill sets. Deka is fast-paced, high-energy, and especially intense in team races. You have to master movement efficiency, transitions, and explosive power. That part came more naturally to me.
Hyrox, though, is a different beast. You need a massive endurance base and the ability to sustain effort for over an hour. Transitioning from Spartan, I had to rebuild muscle mass and regain strength. In Spartan, I had cut down to 165-170 pounds, which wasn’t ideal. As a decathlete, I was 185-190 pounds. To compete in Hyrox, I had to get back to that strength level.
THL: How do you train to race year-round?
GK: This is something I coach athletes on constantly. When people start hybrid or Spartan racing, they overload their schedules — 50K here, a Deka Mile there — without thinking about long-term progression.
The biggest shift for me was realizing that my training today isn’t just for a race in four weeks—it’s for January next year. The focus should be on building a strong base, not just peaking for one event. If you look at the best athletes, like Lauren Weeks, she stays fit year-round because her base is so solid. I’ve tried to model that in my own training.
This past summer and fall, I focused on base building. I ran 8-10 miles a day at a steady pace and lifted heavy to increase my strength. Many endurance athletes don’t realize that muscular endurance is limited by max strength. If your max strength is low, your endurance ceiling will be too.
THL: How do you handle plateaus in training and racing?
GK: The most common cause of plateaus in hybrid racing is an overcrowded schedule. Racing every two or three weeks makes it impossible to follow a structured training plan that leads to long-term improvement.
Another big factor is recovery. Most of my athletes follow a three-week build, one-week deload cycle. That rest week is critical for absorbing training adaptations and preventing burnout.
THL: How do you train for the mental challenge of racing?
GK: This is my favorite part of coaching. Racing and training are expressions of who I am. My brother is a musician—his guitar is his outlet. For me, it’s competition. That’s why I don’t get too nervous before races. I just feel free.
That doesn’t mean I’m not competitive. I want to crush people. I know my competitors, I’m friends with them, but when we race, I’m locked in.
I also have a mantra: "Not there yet." It’s printed on the back of my shirts with a mountain range. It reminds me that I’m always pursuing growth, whether in racing, training, business, or life.
THL: So are you the type of person who trains in silence during hard workouts?
GK: The mental training piece is such a hard thing for me. In every hybrid race, even the most elite racers in the world get to a point where they don't want to be there anymore. Like, this hurts. It sucks. I want to be done. So I want to train for that moment all the time, I want to lean in.
My gym is really close to my daughter's bedroom, and when she goes to bed at night, I turn on my baby monitor on my phone and plug it into my ears. All I hear is the static from her sound machine. I'll train for an hour and a half with nothing but static in my ear. It's almost the opposite of getting help from music. It's mental torture to sit and listen to static in my ears for an hour and a half. There have been some hard nights, I'll be honest. Some nights I don’t want to do this, but I put the static in my ears, and I tell myself, 'It’s time to rumble.' I try to make things as hard on myself as I can sometimes.
THL: Do you have any pre-race rituals?
GK: I used to—specific socks, shoes, little routines. But as a pole vaulter, I learned how fragile mental preparation can be. I once snapped a pole during a championship meet and struggled to jump again.
After that, I trained myself to rely on nothing. Now, all I need is water and a sandwich. If I forget my shoes, I’ll borrow a pair. If the hotel bed is uncomfortable, I’ll sleep on the floor. I don’t let external factors dictate my performance.
THL: What are your goals for this year?
GK: I want to win every Deka distance at the World Championship. The guys who beat me this year know I could beat them next year.
I also want to be an Elite 15 athlete in Hyrox. It’s tough, but I believe I have what it takes. More importantly, I want to bring 100 athletes to the Deka Fit World Championship and have my team dominate the podium. I want people to experience the joy of competition—our glory days aren’t behind us; they’re ahead.
I’m especially excited about the opportunities for older athletes. I watched the age group team races at Worlds this year, and it was incredible to see athletes in their 40s and 50s battling it out. I want to help more people in that age range see what they’re capable of. There’s a misconception that peak performance ends in your 30s, but that’s not true. If you train smart and build your engine, you can be competitive for a long time. I want to help athletes redefine what’s possible at any age.
You can follow Greyson on Instagram or learn more about his coaching program.
Video of the Week: Master the sled pull
Elite 15 Hyrox athlete Rich Ryan, who ran a blazing 54:28 last year in Chicago, just released a really useful video on training, technique, and strategy for the sled pull. Rich completed the sled pull in Chicago in 2:40, so he knows what he is talking about.
Study of the week: Go with your gut
A recent study of 40 male endurance runners found that taking a daily probiotic supplement resulted in a 4.7% increase in VO2max and a 7.2% improvement in time to exhaustion. The supplement in the study contained "a blend of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium lactis, and Lactobacillus plantarum." It suggested that there is a significant connection between the gut microbiome and athletic performance. You can read the full study here.
Hybrid Athlete of the Week: Juan Marcano
Name: Juan Marcano
Age: 31
Hometown: Caracas, Venezuela
Why did you start hybrid racing? I started hybrid training about two years ago after being introduced to HYROX by a couple of friends. The combination of endurance and strength training immediately resonated with me. Over time, I noticed significant improvements in my physical performance.
What has been your favorite race so far? My most memorable race was the DC HYROX, which also happened to be my first competition. The event stood out because of the incredible sense of community. Seeing people from different DC communities come together to support each other was really special.
Do you have a race goal? Right now, my primary goal is to achieve a sub-1:05 time in the doubles category with my partner, Mike Winter. I also want to complete a sub-60 minute time in the relay event with my team at an upcoming DC competition.
What is your favorite station? The SkiErg is definitely my favorite. It was one of the last machines I figured out, but once I got the hang of it, I loved it. I can generate a lot of power while staying pretty relaxed, which makes it a really satisfying station during the race. It’s also one of my fastest.
What is your least favorite station? If running counts as a station, then it’s definitely my least favorite. Since it makes up half the race, it’s always been a challenge for me. Running is something I struggle with the most, and while I’m actively working to improve, it requires constant effort and focus.
What is something you wish you knew when you started racing? I wish I had understood just how much running would be involved. As someone who doesn’t naturally excel in endurance running, I initially underestimated it. But now, I recognize its importance—improving my running ability can significantly reduce my overall race time. That realization has shifted my training priorities.