Doubles guide
Doubles strategy: splitting the stations so nobody blows up
In doubles you both run every kilometer, so the race is won or lost at the stations. The split is the one thing you fully control. Plan it like you mean it.
What the rules allow
Only one of you works at a time. The rulebook calls it You Go, I Go: one partner works for a distance or a number of reps you choose, then you switch, as often as you like. The resting partner stays on their feet inside the station zone. No kneeling, no sitting.
You also enter every station together and leave it together, and you run every kilometer side by side. Running ahead costs a one-minute penalty. More than three penalties for not staying together and the pair is out of the ranking. Check the current rulebook before you race, because details change each season.
Split by strength, not 50/50
The best pairs do not split every station in half. They give each station to whoever loses the least time on it, and they swap before either one slows down. A 50/50 split feels fair and is usually slow.
Ask one question per station: who of us drops the least pace here, and who recovers fastest for the next run? Those are often different people, and that is the point.
You don't have to split anything 50/50, and you can switch as many times as you want. If your partner is much stronger on the sled push, go 80/20, or even 100/0 if that works best for you. When I raced with a partner who had a bad Achilles, he couldn't push the sled, so I did the whole sled push myself. Just agree on it before the race, and keep talking during it: when you switch, and how.
Emi
Station by station
- SkiErg, 1,000 m: easy to swap. Short turns of 150 to 250 meters keep both of you near top speed.
- Sled push and sled pull, 50 m each: every swap means a restart from standstill, and that is where time goes. Give most of it to the stronger pusher and plan one or two swaps at fixed lines. On the pull, the resting partner stays behind and may not touch the rope.
- Burpee broad jumps, 80 m: split by distance. Whoever recovers faster from burpees takes the bigger share.
- Rowing, 1,000 m: the rower trap. Every swap costs the time to strap in and get the stroke going again. Two or three swaps, not ten.
- Farmers carry, 200 m: the kettlebells have to change hands, so swap at planned points, not when grip fails.
- Sandbag lunges, 100 m: swap by distance. The partner with stronger legs for the last run can take less here.
- Wall balls, 100 reps: short sets, for example 10 or 15 each, alternating. Hand the ball over or let it drop. A thrown handover, where one throws and the other catches in the squat, is a no-rep.
The runs set the ceiling
You run together, so the pair runs at the pace of the slower runner on that day. Give the slower runner a lighter station right before the longest-feeling runs, and the whole race gets faster.
Write it on a card
Before race day, write the split down: who starts each station, where you swap, who finishes. Rehearse it at least once. In the race, five seconds of "you or me?" at every station adds up to minutes.
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Questions athletes ask
Can both partners work at a station at the same time?
No. Only one partner works at a time. You choose when to switch, and the resting partner stays on their feet inside the station zone.
How often should we swap on the rower?
Rarely. Strapping in costs time, so two or three planned swaps over 1,000 meters usually beat many short turns.
Can we throw the wall ball to each other?
No. Hand it over or let it drop. A flying handover, where one partner throws and the other catches in the squat, is a no-rep.
Who should run the pace?
You run together the whole kilometer, so the pace is the slower partner's. Plan the stations so that partner arrives at each run as fresh as possible.