Gear & Kit
Training

Hybrid brick sessions: pairing runs with stations

Borrowed from triathlon, brick sessions stack one discipline straight onto another. Five hybrid bricks that train the switch from station to run.

Tony Chan

A faceless runner figure leaps from one gray block to another, connected by a curved amber arrow.
AI-generated illustration

Triathletes use “brick” sessions: a bike ride followed straight away by a run, to practise the switch. Hybrid racers can use the same idea, pairing stations with runs.

Why bricks work

Racing means switching constantly between running and stations. Bricks train that switch, so your body gets used to running on tired legs and settling into a station with a high heart rate.

Five sessions

1. Sled and run

  • 4 rounds: 50 m sled push (or heavy leg alternative), 1 km run.

2. Wall balls and run

  • 5 rounds: 20 wall balls, 400 m run.

3. Erg and run

  • 4 rounds: 500 m row, 800 m run.

4. Lunge and run

  • 4 rounds: 50 m walking lunges, 1 km run.

5. Mixed

  • 3 rounds: 500 m SkiErg, 400 m run, 20 burpees, 400 m run.

Pacing

Run at your race pace. Focus on how quickly you get back to pace after each station.

How often

Once a week is enough. It is hard, and you need other sessions for easy running and strength.

Progression

Start with fewer rounds and shorter distances. Add rounds, distance or load over the weeks.

Compromised running explains why these sessions matter, and race simulations covers the longer version.