isurvivehyrox
A free HYROX training tracker: Built for one athlete. Used by many.
Year
2026
Type of Project
Personal Work
My Role
Product Designer
Timeline
1 weekend
Stack
React · Recharts · Tailwind CSS
Build With
Claude Code (AI-assisted development)
Live at
Case Study
The Problem
My boyfriend is training for HYROX DC.
HYROX is a global fitness race combining 8km of running with 8 functional workout stations - ski erg, sled push, sled pull, burpee broad jumps, rowing, farmers carry, lunges, and wall balls.
He needed a way to track his training progress across each station. The existing apps were either too complex, required subscriptions, or weren't built specifically for HYROX. So I built him one.
The User
One user. Right in front of me. Having direct access to my user meant I could ask the right questions immediately:
What do you actually want to track?
What would motivate you to open this every day?
What would make you stop using it?
The answers shaped every decision.
Design Decisions
**Dark mode + yellow accent**
HYROX's brand is black and yellow - aggressive, athletic, high-energy. The design had to feel like the sport.
**localStorage, no login**
Removing friction was the priority. No account, no password, no barrier. Open the link and start tracking immediately.
**Real benchmark data**
I sourced benchmarks from 700,000+ real HYROX race results via HyroxDataLab - giving users meaningful context for their times, not just a log.
**Race day countdown front and center**
The countdown creates urgency and focus. Every session logged feels like progress toward a real deadline.
The Outcome
Shipped in 1 weekend
Works as a PWA — installable on any phone
Free, no backend, no maintenance cost
Shared publicly to the HYROX community
Real benchmark data from 700,000+ race results
What I Learned
The best design brief is a real person with a real problem.
Constraints — 1 user, 0 budget, 1 weekend — forced sharper decisions. There was no room for unnecessary features. Every element had to earn its place.
Shipping something real, even small, is worth more than a perfect prototype that never gets used.