TL;DR — RACE WEEKEND GAME PLAN
- 1.Stay in the Convention Way or Katella Avenue cluster. Anything over a 12-minute walk is a false economy on a four-day event.
- 2.Fly into SNA and take a rideshare for $30 to $45. Only use LAX if it saves you more than about $120.
- 3.Forget the ART shuttle. It ended on 31 March 2026 — walk, use OCTA routes 43 and 50 with a tap card, or take a rideshare.
- 4.Walk to the entrance named in your athlete email. The campus is 53 acres and the 2026 hall assignment is unpublished.
- 5.Registration opens 90 minutes before your division's first wave, creating a 06:30 spike. If your wave is later, check in mid-morning.
- 6.Do one Food 4 Less shop on arrival for breakfasts and electrolytes, and book Marri's or RAKKAN two days ahead for a Friday or Saturday race.
- 7.Race morning: leave your hotel 70 minutes before your wave, or 85 if you are beyond Harbor Boulevard.
- 8.Hold your target split for laps one to three. This fast indoor course tempts people into going out too hard.
- 9.Book cryo or massage before you travel. Saturday afternoon slots go first and Anaheim Wellness Center is closed on Sundays.
- 10.Do not do a Disneyland park day before you race — they run 20,000 to 30,000 steps. Book the parks for after your wave.
QUICK TAKE — IS THIS A GOOD DESTINATION?
VERDICT: YES
Four race days at the Anaheim Convention Center, Thursday 3 to Sunday 6 December 2026. This is one of the easiest races on the calendar to execute logistically: an indoor, flat, sea-level hall in a mild coastal climate, with the hotel stock sitting across the street from the door. It suits anyone chasing a time, and anyone travelling with family, because the venue is a 16-minute walk from the Disneyland esplanade. Cost level is mid to high — resort room rates are inflated year-round by theme park demand, and race weekend sits inside Disneyland's holiday season, though early December is the softer end of that window.
⚠️ Caveat: Two things catch people out. The Anaheim Resort Transportation (ART) shuttle network ended all service on 31 March 2026, so any hotel page, guide or forum post telling you to buy an ART day pass is out of date — the stops printed on campus maps are dead. And the Convention Center is a 53-acre, multi-hall campus, so the wrong entrance costs you 10 minutes. HYROX had not published the 2026 hall assignment, lap counts or race-day registration times at the time of writing. Walk to the entrance named in your athlete email, not the one your map app picks.
Hotels are on the campus, the climate is mild, and there is no transit system to learn. Points added for a 53-acre multi-hall venue and for the loss of the ART shuttle.
Indoor, flat, climate-controlled, sea level, and a course with form — Megan Jacoby set a Women's Pro world record of 58:58 at the December 2024 Anaheim edition. Deduct for a four-day field and the station congestion that comes with it.
FAST COURSE?
Yes. Indoor convention hall racing with no wind, no gradient and stable temperature. If you race in a plated shoe you will get the benefit here.
CITY VIBE — WHAT ATHLETES NEED TO KNOW
The Anaheim Resort is unusually walkable for Southern California: wide landscaped sidewalks, proper crossings, and everything in the Where to Stay section within a 4 to 12 minute walk of the halls. You will not need a car unless you want one. Your real decision is which cluster to sit in — the quiet Convention Way strip beside the venue, the food-and-pharmacy corridor on Harbor Boulevard, the value spread along Katella Avenue west, or GardenWalk if spectators are with you. Everything is card-friendly, and sales tax is added at the register so the shelf price is not the price you pay.
TYPICAL WEEKEND COSTS
Language: English. Currency: US dollar, and card or mobile payment works everywhere. Convention Center parking is cashless only and does not accept cash at all. Tipping is 15 to 20 percent in sit-down restaurants and for taxis and rideshare, plus a dollar or two per bag for hotel porters. Sales tax is added at the register. California has no Sunday trading restrictions, so Sunday 6 December runs as a normal day.
BEST BASE NEIGHBOURHOODS
Convention Way cluster (Hilton, Marriott, Clarion)
Best for: The shortest possible walk and race-morning simplicity — and the quietest of the four at night.
Harbor Boulevard corridor (Hyatt Place, Courtyard, DoubleTree)
Best for: Food options, the 24-hour CVS and the OCTA route 43 stop, at the cost of constant traffic noise.
Katella Avenue west (Westin, Discovery Inn, Portofino)
Best for: Value across the whole price range and quick access to the Food 4 Less supermarket.
GardenWalk / Disney Way
Best for: Spectators and post-race eating, at the cost of a 15 to 17 minute walk each way.
VENUE & LOCATION ANALYSIS
Anaheim Convention Center
800 W. Katella Avenue, Anaheim, CA 92802
A 53-acre campus with about 1.8 million square feet of function space, bounded by Katella Avenue to the north, West Street to the west and Harbor Boulevard to the east. It is not one building. ACC North and Car Park 1 are reached from the Katella Avenue side, the main exhibit halls run south toward Convention Way, and Hall E and the western car parks sit closer to West Street. HYROX used Hall D for the December 2025 edition with Car Park 4 as the closest parking, but the 2026 hall assignment has not been published — check your athlete email in race week. Registration opens for each division 90 minutes before that division's first start wave, which creates a hard spike at 06:30 on each of the four mornings. If your wave is later in the day, check in mid-morning and skip it. To enter the hall outside your check-in window, HYROX directs you to the Spectators Desk with your ticket and ID.
NEAREST STATIONS
- John Wayne / Orange County (SNA) — About 12 miles by road, 20 to 30 minutes by car — the best airport by a wide margin
- ARTIC rail station — 2626 E Katella Ave. Amtrak Pacific Surfliner and Metrolink, about 4 km east of the venue and not walkable
- OCTA route 43 (Harbor Blvd) — Stops at Harbor and Katella, roughly 9 minutes' walk from the halls
- OCTA route 50 (Katella Ave) — Runs along Katella via ARTIC and stops within 9 minutes' walk
WALKABILITY
Excellent, and unusually so for Southern California. Wide landscaped sidewalks with proper crossings, everything in this guide within a 4 to 12 minute walk, and a steady stream of other pedestrians from about 06:30.
Blossom Cafe and Market at 1020 W Katella opens at 06:00, about 4 minutes from the halls. The CVS at 1803 S Harbor Blvd is open 24 hours, about 9 minutes away, and the IHOP at 1560 S Harbor is also 24 hours, 18 minutes away. Most hotel breakfast service starts around 06:30, which is workable for an 08:00 wave but tight. Food 4 Less at 1616 W Katella is the nearest full supermarket at about 25 minutes' walk, open 06:00 to 00:00 daily.
🏃 RACE MORNING PLAN
For an 08:00 first wave, leave your hotel 70 minutes before your own start time if you are inside the resort core. That covers the walk, the bag drop queue and a proper warm-up. If you are staying beyond Harbor Boulevard or west of West Street, add 15 minutes. Walk to the entrance named in your athlete email rather than the one your map app picks, and if your wave is later in the day, avoid the 06:30 registration spike entirely.
TRANSPORT LINKS
BEST AIRPORT: JOHN WAYNE / ORANGE COUNTY (SNA)
About 12 miles by road. Smaller, faster to clear and closer than any alternative. Fly into SNA if the fare difference against LAX is under roughly $120, because the ground transfer saving and the reduced stress are worth it the day before you race.
John Wayne / Orange County — rideshare (SNA)
The default. $30 to $45, with a UberX average of $36 to $38. Taxis run $45 to $65 and a private shuttle starts around $30 to $37.
Time to venue: 20-30 min
Los Angeles International (LAX)
About 30 miles north-west and typically 60 to 120 minutes by car depending on traffic. Long Beach (LGB) is about 18 miles and Ontario (ONT) about 25 miles.
Time to venue: 60-120 min
Getting to the Anaheim Convention Center
PUBLIC TRANSPORT TIPS
- The ART resort shuttle network ended all service on 31 March 2026. Any guide, hotel page or forum post telling you to buy an ART day pass is out of date, and the ART stops still printed on ACC campus maps are dead.
- What remains is OCTA (OC Bus). Route 43 runs the length of Harbor Boulevard and route 50 runs along Katella Avenue via ARTIC.
- Both routes stop at Harbor and Katella, roughly 9 minutes' walk from the halls.
- A single fare is $2.00, and paying with a Wave card or contactless caps you at $4.50 per day.
- Cash payments get no transfers and no fare capping, so tap rather than pay cash.
- ARTIC, 4 km east, connects Amtrak Pacific Surfliner and Metrolink but is not walkable to the venue.
🚕 Taxi / Uber / Ola
Uber and Lyft are plentiful and reliable across Orange County. Expect surge pricing at three predictable moments: 06:00 to 07:00 on each race morning, evening wave finishes, and Disneyland park closing time. The ACC has designated rideshare pickup zones and they move depending on which halls are in use.
🚗 Driving
Convention Center self-parking runs at a standard vehicle rate of $25.00 per day per entry for major events, cashless only, with the ticket valid for one entry and no in-and-out privileges — that no-re-entry rule is the thing that catches people out if you are driving in daily. Some sources list tiered lot rates from $16 to $26 outside big events, so confirm on arrival. Hotel parking is charged separately and guests have reported $25 to $48 per night at resort-core properties.
WHERE TO STAY
Hilton Anaheim
Near venue$200-$320 per night
Best for: Rolling out of bed and being at the hall in four minutes
Shares a frontage with the Convention Center. 1,572 rooms, so it rarely sells out entirely and it absorbs large event fields well, with an on-site Starbucks, MIX restaurant and a large fitness centre guests consistently rate well. Honest tradeoff: guest reports flag no in-room kettle and no complimentary drinking water, small bathrooms in the older room stock, and inconsistent front-desk service at peak occupancy. It is a convention hotel doing convention hotel things — you are paying for the four-minute walk, and on race morning that is the right thing to pay for.
$95-$150 per night
Best for: Keeping the trip cost down without adding a commute
Free on-site parking, which is a genuine saving of $25 to $48 per night against the resort-core hotels, rooms with A/C, and a 4.5 rating across a large review base. Honest tradeoff: the property is dated — worn furniture, older bathrooms, no on-site gym or restaurant — and reception is staffed 06:30 to 22:00 rather than 24 hours, so a very late arrival needs a phone call ahead. If you want somewhere to sleep, shower and walk to the start line, it does that job for roughly half the price of the Hilton.
$170-$260 per night
Best for: Breakfast included and a gym you can actually use
Free breakfast, an on-site fitness centre and pool, kitchenettes in some room categories, and the 24-hour CVS directly across Harbor Boulevard about 2 minutes away. Honest tradeoff: guests describe the rooms and bathrooms as clean but dated, and it sits on a busy arterial road rather than the quieter Convention Way strip.
$300-$460 per night
Best for: New room stock and full facilities within four minutes of the door
Opened in 2020, so the room stock is genuinely new rather than refurbished, and it rates 4.4 across a large review base, with an on-site restaurant, pool, fitness facilities and a fireworks-view room category if family are along. Honest tradeoff: rooms are on the compact side for the price, which several guests note when travelling as a family rather than solo, and this is the hotel most exposed to Disneyland holiday-season pricing — the gap between this and the Hyatt Place widens the later you book.
🏨 Looking to book? Compare prices on your preferred booking platform.
WHERE TO EAT
💡 Smart move: There is nothing at Nasrec itself, and the earliest supermarket near the venue opens at 07:00. Buy race-morning breakfast and post-race recovery food the day before at SUPERSPAR Xavier in Ormonde or Woolworths at Southgate Mall — Southgate shuts at 17:00 on both Saturday and Sunday, so a late wave means everything is closed when you finish.
Marri's Pizza & Pasta
Athlete Pick1194 W Katella Ave, 11 minutes' walk, serving until 22:00 daily with large pasta portions and house bread. RAKKAN Ramen at Anaheim GardenWalk is 16 minutes' walk and open to 22:00 on weekdays and 23:00 Friday and Saturday, which suits anyone finishing an evening wave and eating late. Both take walk-ins, though GardenWalk fills on Friday and Saturday nights.
Bay Poke & The Cheesecake Factory
Athlete PickBay Poke at 1801 E Katella and Pokinometry at 184 S Harbor both do high-protein rice bowls, though both are a short drive rather than a walk. Closer in, The Cheesecake Factory at GardenWalk is 17 minutes' walk, open to 22:00 or 23:00, and its portion sizes suit someone who has just spent an hour under a sled.
Blossom Cafe and Market
Athlete Pick1020 W Katella, open from 06:00 every day and the closest option at about 4 minutes. Courtyard Cafe at 515 W Katella opens 06:30, and Brewberry Cafe at 1770 S Harbor opens 07:00 and does gluten-free properly. For a 06:00 breakfast before an 08:00 wave, the IHOP at 1560 S Harbor is open 24 hours.
Food 4 Less, 1616 W Katella
Athlete PickThe nearest full supermarket at about 25 minutes' walk, open 06:00 to 00:00 daily. Do one shop on arrival for breakfast supplies, fruit and electrolytes rather than relying on hotel service times. The convenience stores on Harbor Boulevard carry basics but at tourist pricing, with several reviewers reporting unmarked prices and heavy markups.
THINGS TO DO
Anaheim GardenWalk
Pre-Race15 minutes' walk, with restaurants, a cinema and public restrooms, and quiet in the mornings. The best low-effort way to stay off your feet, and the practical base for spectators between waves.
Downtown Disney District
Pre-RaceAbout 16 minutes' walk and free to enter, so you can see the Christmas decorations without buying a park ticket or spending six hours on your feet.
Disneyland Resort holiday season
Post-RaceIn full holiday season from 13 November to 6 January, with the Christmas Fantasy Parade, Believe in Holiday Magic and holiday ride overlays. Book tickets and reservations well in advance, because early-December dates sell through. Do not do a park day before you race — they routinely run 20,000 to 30,000 steps.
Anaheim Coves Trail
Any TimeA paved out-and-back of about 3 miles alongside the Santa Ana River, with restrooms, water and parking at both ends. Anaheim Coves Park opens 05:00 and the trail section from 07:00, about a 12-minute drive. The best proper 5 km in the area.
RACE STRATEGY
VENUE
HYROX runs its standardised global format here: 8 km of running split across eight 1 km laps, with the eight functional stations between them. The 2026 hall assignment and lap count had not been published at the time of writing, so treat any specific lap map you find online as unconfirmed. Walk the course during your check-in window.
COURSE FLOW
Four race days with waves stacked from 08:00 to 20:30 on Thursday and Friday. That means high station traffic and a real chance of a queue at the sleds or the wall balls during peak blocks. Multiple venue reviewers also flag long restroom queues during large events, which matters when you are timing your last toilet stop before a wave.
RUN SURFACE
Indoor convention hall flooring, typically concrete slab under event covering. Expect a firm, fast, unforgiving surface. A plated shoe pays off here, but if your calves or shins have been complaining this is not the weekend to test a new pair.
HEAT
The Convention Center is climate-controlled and December ambient temperature outside sits around 18 to 20 °C, so the hall will be comfortable rather than hot. Roster density, not heat, is the issue.
ELEVATION
No elevation change of consequence — Anaheim sits close to sea level. The one physical quirk is any ramped access between exhibit halls, which some HYROX venue builds include. Look for it when you walk the course.
⚠️ WHERE PEOPLE BLOW UP
On a fast indoor course the trap is going out too hard on the first two run laps, because the surface feels quick and the crowd noise carries. This course has produced world records, which tells you the pacing ceiling is high and also that plenty of people chase it too early. Hold your target split for laps one to three and take the risk after the burpee broad jumps, not before.
HISTORICAL DATA
0
Finishers (HYROX Anaheim 2026 (Anaheim Convention Center))
N/A
Avg Finish Time (Anaheim-specific)
TBC
Time Cutoff
Yes. Indoor, flat, sea level and climate-controlled, and the venue holds form: Megan Jacoby set a Women's Pro world record of 58:58 at the December 2024 Anaheim edition.
Source: Venue, address, race dates, wave windows, transport fares and parking rates verified from the official HYROX Anaheim event page, OCTA route and fare documents and the Convention Center parking page, all as of 29 August 2026. Lap counts, hall assignment, race-day athlete registration times, relay briefing and ceremony times were still unpublished.
RECOVERY SPOTS
ICE BATHS / COLD PLUNGE
PURIFY SAUNA LOUNGE, ANAHEIM HILLS
Infrared sauna, open 09:00 to 21:00 on weekdays and 09:00 to 18:00 at weekends. There is no dedicated cryotherapy or contrast studio within walking distance of the venue, so this needs a car or rideshare.
📍 About a 20-min drive
Best use: Evening after your race, or the day after.
TG CRYO, TUSTIN
Open 13:00 to 18:30 on weekdays and 09:00 to 14:00 Saturday, closed Sunday. Book ahead, particularly for the Saturday afternoon slot when the largest wave block finishes.
📍 About a 25-min drive
Best use: Post-race cryo if you race Thursday, Friday or Saturday.
SAUNAS & SPAS
YOUR HOTEL POOL AND HOT TUB
Several resort hotels have both. A cold pool and a hot tub in sequence is a perfectly serviceable contrast protocol and costs nothing — the Hilton, Westin and Hyatt Place all have pool facilities.
Best use: The zero-effort option on the evening you race.
GARDENWALK DOWNTIME
Not a spa, but the practical low-fatigue option: seating, food across price points and restrooms 15 minutes from the halls, and quiet in the mornings.
Best use: Staying off your feet the day before you race.
PHYSIOS NEAR VENUE
Anaheim Wellness Center, 600 S Harbor Blvd
Chiropractic plus sports massage, to 19:00 weekdays and 14:00 Saturday. Closed Sunday, so no use to you if you race on the 6th.
AFC Urgent Care Anaheim-Katella, 1711 W Katella Ave
Open 08:00 to 20:00 seven days, about 2 km west of the venue. The right call for a rolled ankle or a suspected fracture rather than the ER.
WEATHER STRATEGY
LATE NOVEMBER CONDITIONS
Early December in Orange County is mild and dry: daytime highs around 18 to 20 °C, mornings and evenings down to roughly 9 to 12 °C, and low rainfall. It is one of the most benign weather windows on the HYROX calendar.
- Normal indoor race kit — the hall is climate-controlled and comfortable
- A long-sleeve throwaway layer for the 06:30 walk to the venue
- Beanie and gloves for an early or evening walk in
- Dry layers in your bag for immediately after you finish, because it is 9 to 12 °C outside
- Sunglasses for the daytime, which is usually bright
💧 Hydration
Hall air is dry and air-conditioned. Water with electrolytes from waking, not just on the start line, and take fluid at every chance in the Roxzone.
🏟️ Indoor vs Outdoor
All racing is indoors on a level hall floor. Everything either side of it — the walk in, the plaza, the rideshare wait — is outdoors, and mild.
SHAKEOUT RUN ROUTES
ANAHEIM RESORT SIDEWALK CIRCUIT — ABOUT 5 KM
Be honest about running here: the immediate area is wide arterial boulevards with frequent signalised crossings, and one Orange County running guide says outright that the options around the convention centre are poor. The best walkable loop is a resort circuit — west on Katella Avenue, north on West Street, east on Disney Way, then south on Harbor Boulevard and back along Katella. Roughly 5 km on wide, well-lit, landscaped concrete sidewalks, busy from about 06:30. The traffic lights mean you treat it as an easy shakeout, not a session. Toilets and water at your hotel or the 24-hour CVS on Harbor.
🏃 Parkrun
Brea Reservoir parkrun is free every Saturday at 07:30 from the dam wall in Fullerton, an out-and-back on asphalt and packed dirt, about 10 km north of the venue. If you are racing on Saturday 5 December, do not attempt this — the 07:30 start and the 08:00 first HYROX wave are incompatible. It works only if you race Thursday or Sunday, or if you are spectating.
🏟️ Track Access
Anaheim High School's athletic field has a track that residents use, with the back gate reported open outside school hours, about 5 km from the venue. Access is not guaranteed and it is not an official public facility, so do not build a plan around it.
Concrete pavement on the resort loop, paved trail at Anaheim Coves. Safety is good and both are well used. The better option with a car is Anaheim Coves Trail, about 3 miles out-and-back along the Santa Ana River with restrooms, water and parking, roughly a 12-minute drive.
GYMS NEAR VENUE
FUNCTIONAL / STRENGTH
UFC GYM ANAHEIM
The closest full-service option to the resort for a proper pre-race session. Confirm day-pass rates at the desk.
WALK-IN POLICY
Day passes in the area are sold per club and rates change without notice. Call ahead rather than turning up.
COMMERCIAL GYMS
Resort-area chains
Several large commercial gyms sit within a short drive along Katella and Harbor. Nothing is inside the Convention Center itself.
Anaheim Coves
If you only want easy aerobic work, the trail is a better use of your legs than a treadmill.
HOTEL GYMS WORTH USING
Hilton Anaheim
A large fitness centre that guests consistently rate well — the best hotel gym within four minutes of the halls.
Hyatt Place Anaheim Resort/Convention Center
On-site fitness centre and pool, plus free breakfast, which makes it the best value for an athlete.
The Westin Anaheim Resort
New-build fitness facilities and a pool, opened 2020.
Confirm day-pass rates at the club itself. Published rates vary between locations and change without notice.
ESSENTIALS — RACE WEEKEND OPS
SUPERMARKETS
Food 4 Less
1616 W Katella Ave
Nearest full supermarket, about 25 minutes' walk, 06:00 to 00:00 daily. Do one shop on arrival.
Blossom Cafe and Market
1020 W Katella Ave
Opens 06:00 daily and is only about 4 minutes away — coffee and breakfast, not a full shop.
Harbor Boulevard convenience stores
Harbor Blvd
Basics at tourist pricing. Reviewers report unmarked prices and heavy markups.
PHARMACIES
CVS
1803 S Harbor Blvd
Store open 24 hours, about 9 minutes' walk. Buy your 'oh no' kit here on arrival.
Walgreens
1802 S Harbor Blvd
Across the street, but the pharmacy counter is 10:00 to 18:00 weekdays and closed at weekends. For a pharmacist, go to CVS.
SPORTS SHOPS
Wholesale Nutrition Center, 10870 Katella Ave, Garden Grove
10:00 to 19:00 weekdays and 10:00 to 17:00 weekends, about 34 minutes' walk or a 10-minute drive.
No running shop nearby
The nearest specialist is A Snail's Pace in Brea, about a 25-minute drive. Bring the shoes you intend to race in.
🆘 "OH NO" KIT CHECKLIST
VENUE DAY TIMELINE
SPECTATOR GUIDE
BEST VIEWING ZONES
- HYROX Anaheim has previously offered a raised viewing area described as the Thunderdome, giving a view across the racing floor
- The finish stage and the wall ball zone are where the noise concentrates — position there if your athlete only wants to be seen once
- Spectator tickets for HYROX Youngstars Anaheim also grant access to the main event, and vice versa
- If your athlete podiums on a weekday they can collect free ceremony access from the Help Desk with ID, but extra spectators need their own ticket
- Convention hall seating is limited and mostly standing or bleacher
FAMILY LOGISTICS
- The Convention Center has accessible parking, entrances, push-button doors, lifts and restrooms, and pram access throughout
- Multiple reviewers report long restroom queues during large events — build that into your timing
- Food is available inside the halls and from food trucks on the plaza, with real queues at peak
- Bring ear defenders for small children. Race halls are loud for hours
- GardenWalk, 15 minutes away, is the practical base between waves — seating, food across price points and restrooms
📍 MEET-UP PLAN
Agree a fixed point before you go in and do not rely on phones — mobile signal in large exhibit halls is unreliable. The Grand Plaza between the Convention Center and Katella Avenue is the cleanest external meeting point, and it is on the walking route back to the Convention Way and Katella hotels.
BUDGET CALCULATOR
| Line item | Budget | Mid | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel (3 nights) | $285 | $645 | $1,380 |
| Food (3 days) | $90 | $210 | $420 |
| Local transport (3 days) | $14 | $90 | $200 |
| Race extras & spectator tickets | $0 | $70 | $180 |
| Recovery (massage / cryo / sauna) | $0 | $80 | $220 |
ESTIMATED TOTALS (excl. flights)
PACKING CHECKLIST
RACE KIT
- Race shoes, broken in, for a firm indoor surface
- Race socks plus a spare pair
- Shorts or tights, race top and a spare
- Watch, charged, and charger
- Gloves if your grip work demands them
- Bib belt or safety pins
WARM UP
- Long-sleeve throwaway layer for the 06:30 walk
- Beanie and gloves for the walk in
- Resistance band
- Skipping rope
- Foam roller or massage ball
RECOVERY
- Full change of dry clothes for the bag, not the hotel room
- Compression garments
- Flip-flops or slides
- Small towel
- Massage gun if you travel with one
NUTRITION
- Pre-race breakfast you have used before
- Electrolyte tablets
- Gels or chews
- Recovery protein
- Reusable water bottle
- Caffeine in your usual form and dose
TRAVEL ESSENTIALS
- Photo ID, mandatory for athlete check-in
- Race confirmation and ticket, downloaded offline
- Travel insurance documents
- ESTA or visa if arriving from outside the US
- US plug adapter, type A or B, 120V
- Power bank
- Contactless card or phone wallet for OCTA tap-to-ride
- Blister plasters, tape, anti-chafe, spare laces, basic pain relief
SAMPLE RACE WEEKEND ITINERARY
DAY 1: ARRIVAL & RECON
- Land at SNA and take a rideshare 12 miles to the resort, 20 to 30 minutes for $30 to $45
- Check in on Convention Way, Katella Avenue west or the Harbor Boulevard corridor — all 4 to 12 minutes' walk
- Walk the campus in daylight and find the entrance named in your athlete email
- One shop at Food 4 Less on Katella for breakfasts, fruit and electrolytes, plus the 'oh no' kit at the 24-hour CVS
- Carb dinner at Marri's Pizza & Pasta, 11 minutes' walk, open to 22:00
DAY 2: RACE DAY
- Wake 05:45 with water and electrolytes, breakfast 06:00 from last night's shop
- Leave the hotel 70 minutes before your wave, 85 if you are beyond Harbor Boulevard
- Check in inside your window, bag drop and toilet before the queue builds, then walk the course
- Warm up from 35 minutes out, final toilet at 10 minutes, start pen at 08:00
- Hold your target split for laps one to three and take the risk after the burpee broad jumps
- Finish, walk 10 minutes, dry layers on immediately, carbs within 30 minutes
DAY 3: RECOVERY & EXPLORE
- Easy loop of the resort sidewalk circuit, or drive 12 minutes to Anaheim Coves Trail for an uninterrupted 5 km
- Pre-booked massage at Anaheim Wellness Center, or BoJin Massage if it is a Sunday
- Infrared sauna at Purify in Anaheim Hills, or contrast work in your hotel pool and hot tub
- Downtown Disney District, 16 minutes' walk and free to enter, for the holiday decorations
- Celebrate at the GardenWalk restaurant cluster, or House of Blues at 400 Disney Way for live music
LOCAL RULES & EMERGENCY INFO
Forget the ART shuttle
Anaheim Resort Transportation ended all service on 31 March 2026. Printed ACC maps still show ART stops on Convention Way. They are dead. Walk, use OCTA routes 43 and 50 with a tap card, or take a rideshare.
Know your entrance
The campus is 53 acres and multi-hall. HYROX has not published the 2026 hall assignment — walk to the entrance named in your athlete email, not the one your map app picks.
Parking has no re-entry
Convention Center self-parking is $25.00 per day per entry, cashless only, valid for one entry with no in-and-out privileges. Hotel parking is separate at $25 to $48 per night.
Tipping
15 to 20 percent is standard and expected in sit-down restaurants, and the same for taxis and rideshare. A dollar or two per bag for hotel porters.
Cash vs card
Card and mobile payment work everywhere and Convention Center parking takes no cash at all. Sales tax is added at the register, so the shelf price is not the price you pay.
Sunday and holiday trading
None. California trades normally on Sundays and there is no US public holiday during race weekend. Thanksgiving falls on 26 November 2026, the week before, so domestic flight prices should have normalised by the 3rd.
Travel insurance
US healthcare costs are high and an emergency room visit without cover is a serious financial event. If you are travelling from outside the US, insure the trip.
EMERGENCY INFO
911
Police, fire and ambulance
Ask your hotel front desk
Non-emergency medical advice
Hospital: Anaheim Global Medical Center, 1025 S Anaheim Blvd, open 24 hours, about a 10-minute drive. For a rolled ankle or a suspected fracture use AFC Urgent Care Anaheim-Katella at 1711 W Katella Ave, open 08:00 to 20:00 seven days, about 2 km west of the venue — not the ER.
Pharmacy: CVS at 1803 S Harbor Blvd is open 24 hours, about 9 minutes' walk. The Walgreens across the street has a pharmacy counter open only 10:00 to 18:00 on weekdays and closed at weekends, so for anything needing a pharmacist go to CVS.