TL;DR — RACE WEEKEND GAME PLAN
- 1.Stay in Sector 11. The 13 to 18 minute walk to the halls removes race-morning transport entirely — the single best decision available at this venue.
- 2.Fly into Ahmedabad (AMD) and pre-book the transfer: 35 to 55 minutes, ₹600 to ₹1,600. Do not plan to metro in with bags.
- 3.Forget the metro on race morning. First Gandhinagar train is 07:33 with 24-minute headways, so walk or take a cab.
- 4.Buy breakfast the night before. Nothing near the venue opens before 09:00 except Patnagar Café, and hotel breakfast is often 07:30 at the earliest.
- 5.Carb-load on a Gujarati thali — Manveer at Pathikashram Nilaya, or the restaurant at Crayon Hotels. Book for race eve.
- 6.Shakeout on the sector grid rather than in a park: flat, wide, quiet, no opening hours. Punit Van from 06:00 if you want trees.
- 7.Book physio before you travel. The Spine Centre in Sector 6 is the closest sports clinic and one of the few open Sundays.
- 8.Bring a physical ID. Digital copies are refused, and you can only check in on the day you race.
- 9.It is Thursday to Saturday, not a weekend. Tell your supporters and book leave accordingly.
- 10.Gujarat is a dry state. Get a tourist liquor permit in advance or plan a dry celebration.
QUICK TAKE — IS THIS A GOOD DESTINATION?
VERDICT: YES
Three race days at the Helipad Exhibition Centre in Sector 17, Gandhinagar, Thursday 26 to Saturday 28 November 2026, and the first HYROX held in Gujarat. This suits anyone who wants a well-organised indoor race in a purpose-built exhibition complex with a hotel cluster inside walking distance and very low travel friction once you land. Sector 11 holds five or six hotels 1.0 to 1.5 km from the halls, which is 13 to 18 minutes on foot on wide, flat, tree-lined sector roads. Cost level is low: Gandhinagar is one of the cheapest cities on the calendar for food, transport and mid-tier rooms. Note the venue is in Gandhinagar, the state capital, not Ahmedabad, even though HYROX brands it HYROX Gujarat.
⚠️ Caveat: Two of the three race days are weekdays, Thursday and Friday, so tell your supporters early. The metro is the trap: the first Gandhinagar train leaves Koteshwar Road at 07:33 and the first out of Mahatma Mandir is 08:00, with average 24-minute headways, so if your check-in opens before roughly 09:15 the metro cannot get you there. HYROX has not published the race schedule, lap counts, hall layout or gate plan. And Gujarat is a dry state — alcohol is prohibited without a tourist permit applied for in advance.
A walkable hotel cluster removes the single biggest race-morning variable. The only thing lifting this above a 2 is the metro's late start, which catches people out.
Air-conditioned halls, flat ground, no altitude and a dry month. The cap is afternoon heat if you draw a late wave, and the fact that nobody has raced this venue before.
FAST COURSE?
Depends. Morning waves should be quick. Late-afternoon waves in a hall that has been absorbing 30°C outside air all day are a different race, and the lap count is unpublished.
CITY VIBE — WHAT ATHLETES NEED TO KNOW
Gandhinagar is a planned grid city, and that shapes the whole weekend. The Helipad Exhibition Centre sits in Sector 17 directly across from the Gujarat Secretariat and state government district, with a Sector 11 hotel cluster 1.0 to 1.5 km away and pavements wide, flat and quiet enough that the 06:00 walk is genuinely pleasant. Travel friction is low once you are here and moderate getting here: one airport, one road transfer, then everything in this guide is inside a 3 km radius. Cost level is low. The food culture is strongly vegetarian, more so than most of India, so plan around dal, rice, rotli and paneer rather than chicken.
TYPICAL WEEKEND COSTS
Language: Gujarati and Hindi, with English widely used in hotels and larger restaurants. Currency: Indian rupee. UPI dominates and cards are accepted in hotels and bigger restaurants, but small stores, auto drivers and street food often want cash — carry ₹500 to ₹1,000 in small notes. Tipping is not obligatory: round up an auto fare, or 5 to 10% for table service. If you are not an Indian passport holder, message any hotel you book outside this guide's picks and confirm they register foreign nationals.
BEST BASE NEIGHBOURHOODS
Sector 11
Best for: Walking to the venue. The whole hotel cluster sits here, plus gyms, cafés and restaurants.
Sectors 16 and 17
Best for: Being closest to the halls. Thin on hotels, good for pharmacies and grocery.
Sector 14
Best for: Arriving and departing by train, and the one true luxury option.
Kudasan and Sargasan
Best for: Newer, larger hotels at low prices — but 6 to 7 km out, so you are committed to a cab every day.
VENUE & LOCATION ANALYSIS
Helipad Exhibition Centre (HEC)
Exhibition Centre Road, Sector 17, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382010
HEC is the largest exhibition venue in the state: a set of large air-conditioned halls with substantial dome structures and a great deal of open ground around them, directly opposite the Gujarat Secretariat. Parking is extensive and has historically been free here, though expect that to change for a ticketed event. HYROX has not published the venue layout, check-in windows or the gate plan. Two things are confirmed and worth acting on now: athlete check-in opens 90 minutes before the first start wave of your division and you can only check in on the day you race, and you must bring a physical ID — photographs and digital copies are refused. If you want to get into the hall before your check-in window, HYROX directs you to the Spectators Desk with your ticket and ID.
NEAREST STATIONS
- Sector-16 metro, Yellow Line — About 1.3 km, roughly 16 minutes on foot. This is your station, not Mahatma Mandir
- Mahatma Mandir metro — Yellow Line terminus, 2.5 km from the halls and linked to Gandhinagar Capital rail station
- Gandhinagar Capital rail — About 3.0 km, joined to Mahatma Mandir metro station
- Ahmedabad (AMD) airport — 22 to 25 km by road, 35 to 55 minutes depending on traffic
WALKABILITY
Sector 11 to the halls is 13 to 18 minutes on flat, wide, tree-lined pavement. The deduction is for facilities rather than distance: nothing near the venue opens early and the walkable hotels have no gyms or pools.
A government district, which is unusual for a HYROX venue and mostly good news: wide roads, easy navigation, big flat concourses. Very little is open early — most shops and cafés in Sectors 11 and 16 open between 09:00 and 10:30. The reliable exception is Patnagar Café in Sector 22, listed as 24 hours, about 1.0 km away. Ravi Enterprises in Sector 16 is the closest general store at about 8 minutes, Apollo Pharmacy in Sector 16 is 8 minutes, and the Sector 11 gyms are 15 minutes.
🏃 RACE MORNING PLAN
Leave your hotel 75 minutes before your check-in window opens if you are walking from Sector 11, 90 minutes if you are coming from Sector 14 or Kudasan and need a cab. Do not plan to arrive by metro for an early wave: the first Gandhinagar train is 07:33, the first out of Mahatma Mandir is 08:00, and average headways are 24 minutes. Buy an NCMC card or use a RuPay card if you intend to use the metro at all — cross-phase journeys between Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar require one and it carries a 10% discount.
TRANSPORT LINKS
BEST AIRPORT: SARDAR VALLABHBHAI PATEL INTERNATIONAL, AHMEDABAD (AMD)
The only sensible option, and it serves both cities. The venue is about 22 to 25 km north by road, 35 to 55 minutes depending on traffic.
Ahmedabad — pre-booked car or app cab (AMD)
Fastest and lowest stress. Budget ₹600 to ₹1,600 one way as of August 2026; Uber runs the Ahmedabad to Gandhinagar route as an intercity booking with quoted fares from roughly ₹780 for a small car. Book in advance if you land after 22:00 or before 06:00.
Time to venue: 35-55 min
Ahmedabad — auto-rickshaw plus Yellow Line metro (AMD)
The cheapest route and realistically 75 to 100 minutes with the interchange and a 24-minute headway. Metro fares top out at ₹25 a journey. Only worth it if you land mid-morning and travel light.
Time to venue: 75-100 min
Getting to the Helipad Exhibition Centre
PUBLIC TRANSPORT TIPS
- The Ahmedabad metro is clean, modern and cheap, but the Gandhinagar leg is the weak link.
- Koteshwar Road to Mahatma Mandir runs 07:33 to roughly 21:20, average 24-minute frequency, 43 minutes end to end.
- Evening services were extended in May 2026, so a late finish is now survivable.
- Sector-16 is your station at 1.3 km, not Mahatma Mandir at 2.5 km.
- Buy an NCMC card or use a RuPay card — cross-phase Ahmedabad to Gandhinagar journeys require one and it gives a 10% fare discount.
- For an early wave the metro simply does not run in time. Walk from Sector 11, or take a cab.
🚕 Taxi / Uber / Ola
Uber and Ola both operate. Coverage in Gandhinagar is thinner than in Ahmedabad, so expect longer pickup waits in Sectors 16 to 24 than you would in a metro city. Auto-rickshaws are plentiful and cheap for short sector-to-sector hops.
🚗 Driving
Roads are wide, well signed and easy by Indian standards, and the venue has large parking areas that have historically been free. The catch is that two of the three race days are weekdays in the government district, so 09:00 to 11:00 traffic around the Secretariat will be heavier than a weekend visitor would expect.
WHERE TO STAY
Hotel The Grand Heaven
Near venue₹3,000-3,900 per night
Best for: The best-equipped room inside the walkable ring
Sector 11, on floors 8 to 11 of the Skyline tower opposite Ramkatha Ground. Three-star and air-conditioned, with a coffee machine, minibar, safe and seating area in the room — more useful on race morning than it sounds — plus a terrace, free WiFi, free private parking, 24-hour front desk, room service and luggage storage. Honest tradeoff: there is no on-site restaurant, so room service comes from a partner kitchen and is slow. Guests report air-conditioning failures and patchy maintenance, and being on the eighth to eleventh floors makes you dependent on the lift at 05:30. Rated 4.0 from 106 Google reviews — functional rather than polished.
₹1,900-2,500 per night
Best for: The cheapest bed that is still a short walk from the halls
Two-star, air-conditioned, soundproof rooms and non-smoking throughout, marginally closer to the halls than the near-venue pick. American breakfast daily, free WiFi, free on-site parking, 24-hour front desk, and airport transfers or car hire arranged through the property. Rated 7.1 on Booking.com and 4.6 from 140 Google reviews. Honest tradeoff: only 12 rooms, so it sells out early for a race weekend with no fallback if the booking goes wrong, and the score rests on a thin review base. It occupies the first floor of a commercial building rather than a standalone hotel, there is no gym, and guests report towels are not always supplied. Reconfirm directly with the property a few days out.
Crayon Hotels, Sector 11
Mid-range₹3,100-4,100 per night
Best for: The best room quality per rupee inside walking distance
The only walkable pick with an on-site restaurant — open to non-residents, and one of the two good thali options for race eve — plus a minimarket. American buffet breakfast, balconies, air conditioning, electric kettles, free private parking, free WiFi, 24-hour front desk and car hire. Rated 4.7 from 262 Google reviews, the strongest in the Sector 11 cluster. Honest tradeoff: it occupies the sixth and seventh floors of a mixed-use complex, so no lobby and no gym, aggregator ratings are harsher at around 3.7 to 3.8, and breakfast runs 07:30 to 10:30 — too late for an early wave.
₹7,900-10,500 per night
Best for: Treating the race as the excuse for the trip
Rated 9.2 on Booking.com from 406 reviews and the only hotel in the city with a full-service spa, a 24-hour gym, an outdoor pool, two restaurants and free valet parking. Built directly above Gandhinagar Capital railway station and linked by escalator to Mahatma Mandir metro. Honest tradeoff: you are adding a transport leg to race morning that Sector 11 guests do not have. The rail and metro connection is excellent for arriving and leaving, and irrelevant for getting to the venue, because the metro does not run early enough to be useful.
🏨 Looking to book? Compare prices on your preferred booking platform.
WHERE TO EAT
💡 Smart move: Almost nothing near the venue opens before 09:00, and hotel breakfast is often 07:30 at the earliest. Buy race-morning food at Ravi Enterprises in Sector 16 the night before — bananas, yoghurt, bread, rice dishes — and eat it in your room. Patnagar Café in Sector 22 is the only 24-hour option found, about 13 minutes' walk.
Manveer at Pathikashram Nilaya, Sector 11
Athlete PickA standard Gujarati thali is close to an ideal pre-race plate: rice, rotli, dal, two or three vegetable dishes and yoghurt, served unlimited. Manveer does one with Jain options, about 18 minutes from the venue. The restaurant at Crayon Hotels is the other reliable sit-down option in the walkable zone and is open to non-residents. Book a table for race eve.
Herb & Crust, Sector 16
Athlete PickAbout 12 minutes from the halls, open 10:30 to 22:30, doing burgers, wraps and pizza with house-made buns. Rated 4.9 from 151 reviews and the easiest non-vegetarian-friendly reset after you finish.
Patnagar Café, Sector 22
Athlete PickListed as open 24 hours and about 13 minutes' walk, which makes it the only dependable pre-dawn option found anywhere near the venue. Shiva's Coffee Bar in Sector 11 is good but does not open until 10:00 on most days.
Ravi Enterprises, Sector 16
Athlete PickThe closest general store at about 8 minutes, open 10:00 to midnight — buy your race-morning food here the night before. Rajendra Kirana Stores in Sector 16 is 13 minutes, 10:00 to 21:00 daily. For a full shop, DMart in Sector 26 opens at 08:00 and is a short cab ride.
THINGS TO DO
Swaminarayan Akshardham, Sector 20
Pre-RaceAbout 2.2 km from the venue and Gandhinagar's main landmark. Entry rules on bags and phones are strict and change, so check on the day.
Mahatma Mandir and Dandi Kutir
Pre-RaceAbout 2.4 km west, both walkable-adjacent and mostly seated or slow-moving — the right kind of sightseeing the day before you race. Mahatma Mandir is closed Sundays.
Sector 16 and Sector 22 café strips
Post-RaceThe liveliest part of the city after dark and the celebration plan here, because Gujarat is a dry state. Food-led rather than drink-led.
Indroda Nature Park
Any Time4.1 km south, open 08:30 to 18:30 and closed Mondays: a zoo, a fossil and dinosaur park and walking trails across a large riverside site. The best half-day option in the city for anyone travelling with children. Ahmedabad, 45 to 60 minutes south, is the bigger day out — go after you race, not before.
RACE STRATEGY
VENUE
The layout is unconfirmed. HYROX has published the venue and the dates but lists the race schedule, the number of laps per running segment and the relay briefing as TBC, so treat this section as preparation rather than instruction and re-check the event page in the fortnight before you travel. What the venue tells us: HEC is a complex of large exhibition halls with substantial air-conditioned dome structures and a lot of internal floor area, which usually means a squarer run loop with fewer tight turns than a narrow arena.
COURSE FLOW
Wide-hall builds usually mean fewer, longer laps, but the lap count is not published — do not commit to a pacing plan based on lap counting until you have seen the course. Three race days across Thursday, Friday and Saturday spreads the field.
RUN SURFACE
Expect hall flooring laid over a concrete slab, the norm for exhibition venues. Plan on a firm, unforgiving surface and a shoe with some cushioning rather than a plate racer.
HEAT
The real variable. Late November days in Gandhinagar run to roughly 30°C outside with overnight lows near 17°C. The halls are air-conditioned, but a hall that has been open to 30°C air and full of people since morning will be warmer at 16:00 than at 08:00. If you draw a late wave, treat it as a hot race and start hydrating the day before.
ELEVATION
Gandhinagar sits on the Gujarat plain. There is no meaningful altitude effect on performance here, and nothing on the walk over either.
⚠️ WHERE PEOPLE BLOW UP
In a first-year venue with an unpublished layout, the classic error is going out on the first run at a pace set by a roxzone walk you have not yet seen. Run the first kilometre 10 to 15 seconds slower than your target split until you have walked the transitions.
HISTORICAL DATA
0
Finishers (HYROX Gujarat 2026 (Helipad Exhibition Centre))
N/A
Avg Finish Time (Gujarat-specific)
TBC
Time Cutoff
Unconfirmed. This is the first HYROX held in Gujarat, following sell-out races in Delhi and Mumbai. Wide air-conditioned halls on flat ground suggest a fast morning course, but the lap count and layout are unpublished.
Source: Venue, address and race dates confirmed from the official HYROX Gujarat event page, with metro timetable and frequency from GMRC reporting, verified 29 August 2026. Schedule, lap counts and relay briefing were all listed as TBC.
RECOVERY SPOTS
ICE BATHS / COLD PLUNGE
NO DEDICATED FACILITY IN GANDHINAGAR
No ice bath, contrast therapy or cryotherapy facility was found in the city. If cold water is part of your protocol, plan a hotel bathtub and ice bought from a local store rather than a booked session.
📍 n/a
Best use: Buy the ice on the way back from the halls, not on race morning.
THE LEELA GANDHINAGAR SPA, SECTOR 14
The only hotel in the city with a full-service spa and a 24-hour gym. None of the walkable Sector 11 hotels has a gym, pool or sauna.
📍 3.1 km — a 10-min cab
Best use: The realistic recovery option the evening you finish.
SAUNAS & SPAS
THE LEELA GANDHINAGAR, SECTOR 14
Full-service spa, outdoor pool and a 24-hour gym, open to guests. Non-resident access should be confirmed by phone.
Best use: The only genuine spa option in the city.
SECTOR 11 COMMERCIAL GYMS
If you are staying in the walkable cluster, The Gym World and K91 Fitness are your facilities — no sauna, but 15 minutes on foot.
Best use: Pre-race mobility and a proper warm-up before you walk over.
PHYSIOS NEAR VENUE
The Spine Centre, Sector 6
About 1.9 km, 24 minutes on foot. Physiotherapy and chiropractic with a sports and spine focus, rated 5.0 from 111 reviews. Open 09:00 to 13:00 and 16:00 to 19:30, and it opens Sundays, which matters for a Saturday-finish race. Best use: an acute niggle the day before.
Dr. Nidhi's Physioworld, Sector 21
About 2.2 km, 27 minutes on foot. Sports injury and rehab, dry needling and taping, rated 4.8 from 117 reviews, around ₹700 a session. Best use: post-race flush and taping. Health Focus Physiotherapy in Kudasan is 6.8 km and rated 4.9 from 1,283 reviews, open 07:00 to 21:00 but closed Sunday.
WEATHER STRATEGY
LATE NOVEMBER CONDITIONS
Late November: roughly 30 to 31°C by day falling to around 17°C overnight, humidity in the 40s to low 50s, almost no rain and a UV index around 7. The diurnal swing is about 13°C.
- Race kit with a throwaway layer for the 06:00 walk, shed before check-in
- Sunglasses and sunscreen for the walk over and for spectating — UV is high even when the air feels comfortable
- A dry change of clothes for straight after the finish
- Light, breathable clothing for the 16:00 walk home, which is a different outfit to the morning
- Cushioned shoes suited to concrete-backed hall flooring
💧 Hydration
If you have an afternoon wave, start hydrating the day before rather than on the morning. Electrolytes with breakfast, not just water.
🏟️ Indoor vs Outdoor
The halls are air-conditioned, but a hall absorbing 30°C outside air all day is warmer at 16:00 than at 08:00. Morning waves start cold and finish hot; afternoon waves are simply a hot race.
SHAKEOUT RUN ROUTES
EASY 5 KM — THE SECTOR GRID AROUND 16, 17, 21 AND 22
Gandhinagar is a planned grid, which makes it one of the better HYROX cities for a shakeout. The sector roads around Sectors 16, 17, 21 and 22 are wide, flat, tree-lined and quiet before 07:30. Run a rectangle on the grid rather than a fixed route and you can dial in anything from 3 to 8 km without a single busy junction. Surface is tarmac with pavement alongside, flat throughout, with good street lighting on the main GH and CH spines. No toilets or water on the route — go before you leave and carry a bottle. Stray dogs are a normal feature of Indian cities, so run with a friend if that concerns you.
🏃 Parkrun
No parkrun event was found in Gandhinagar or Ahmedabad. The greener alternative is Punit Van in Sector 18, about 2.2 km from the venue, open 06:00 to 11:00, with a lake, mature trees and peacocks — a landscaped garden rather than a running park, so treat it as a pleasant 2 to 3 km loop. Sarita Udhyan in Sector 9 is 3.1 km away and officially opens at 09:00, so do not build a shakeout around it.
🏟️ Track Access
The Sports Authority of India complex near Mahatma Mandir has athletics facilities, but public access is not documented. Assume no track and use the grid.
Flat tarmac and pavement throughout. Traffic is light before 07:30, the lighting is good on the main spines, and the only real hazards are stray dogs and the heat once the sun is up.
GYMS NEAR VENUE
FUNCTIONAL / STRENGTH
JNXROSSFIT GYM, SECTOR 3
About 3.3 km, open 06:00 to 22:00 and closed Sunday. The closest thing to a functional-fitness box in the city, with CrossFit-style group classes.
MAIDAAN THE FITNESS HUB, RANDESAN
5.7 km, open 06:00 to 22:00, rated 5.0 from 110 reviews.
COMMERCIAL GYMS
The Gym World, Sector 11
About 15 minutes' walk, open 05:00 to 22:00 on weekdays — the earliest opening found, which makes it the best pre-race option. Separate aerobics room, high equipment count, rated 4.0 from 138 reviews.
K91 Fitness, Sector 11
Same complex, about 15 minutes. Rated 4.8 from 468 reviews with newer equipment and quieter floors.
HOTEL GYMS WORTH USING
The Leela Gandhinagar
24-hour gym, full-service spa and outdoor pool — the only hotel in the city with any of it, 3.1 km from the halls.
Sector 11 cluster
None of Grand Heaven, Green Park or Crayon Hotels has a gym, pool or sauna. Use The Gym World or K91 Fitness instead, both 15 minutes away.
Call ahead. Indian gyms often sell short passes but rarely advertise them online.
ESSENTIALS — RACE WEEKEND OPS
SUPERMARKETS
Ravi Enterprises
Sector 16
Closest general store, about 8 minutes, open 10:00 to midnight.
Rajendra Kirana Stores
Sector 16
About 13 minutes, 10:00 to 21:00 daily.
DMart
Sector 26
Opens 08:00 and a short cab ride — the only proper full shop.
PHARMACIES
Apollo Pharmacy
Sector 16
About 8 minutes. Listed as 24 hours, but recent reviews report it shut overnight — do not count on it after dark.
Shyam Medical Stores
Sector 16
About 12 minutes, 08:30 to 22:00. The more dependable evening option.
SPORTS SHOPS
Sports House, Sector 2
About 37 minutes on foot or a short cab, open 09:00 to 21:00.
Decathlon, Motera
16 km south toward Ahmedabad for a full range.
Supplements
No dedicated sports-nutrition retailer was found in Gandhinagar. Bring what you need.
🆘 "OH NO" KIT CHECKLIST
VENUE DAY TIMELINE
SPECTATOR GUIDE
BEST VIEWING ZONES
- Spectator tickets are sold separately and are not eligible for Flex or Flex Lite, so they cannot be refunded or name-changed
- Buy for the right day — check-in and access are day-specific
- The layout is not published. At exhibition-hall builds the sled and wall-ball zones give the best sustained sightlines
- Aim for a spot near the wall balls, which is usually where the finish is visible too
- The run loop lets you see your athlete repeatedly, which is the fallback if the wall-ball area is full
FAMILY LOGISTICS
- HEC has a permanent food court, extensive toilet provision and very large flat concourses — good for prams and for anyone with mobility limits
- Reviewers flag that food court quality and pricing at big events is variable, so bring snacks for children
- HYROX arenas are loud, with sustained music and commentary. Bring ear defenders for young children
- Two of the three race days are Thursday and Friday, so local supporters are working and travelling ones are burning annual leave — tell them the dates early
- Carry cash in small notes. Not everything on site or nearby will take a card
📍 MEET-UP PLAN
Agree a fixed landmark outside the hall before you go in, plus a fallback time. Mobile signal inside large exhibition halls is unreliable when several thousand people are on it at once.
BUDGET CALCULATOR
| Line item | Budget | Mid | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel (3 nights) | ₹5,700 | ₹10,800 | ₹30,000 |
| Food (3 days) | ₹1,800 | ₹4,500 | ₹12,000 |
| Airport transfers & local transport | ₹600 | ₹2,400 | ₹4,000 |
| Race extras & spectator tickets | ₹1,500 | ₹3,500 | ₹8,000 |
| Recovery (physio / massage / spa) | ₹0 | ₹1,400 | ₹5,000 |
ESTIMATED TOTALS (excl. flights)
PACKING CHECKLIST
RACE KIT
- Race shoes with cushioning for hard hall flooring
- Socks, race pair plus a spare
- Shorts or tights
- Race top
- Bib pins
- Physical photo ID, not a digital copy
- Watch, charged
WARM UP
- Throwaway layer for the 06:00 walk
- Resistance band
- Skipping rope
- Foam roller or massage ball
RECOVERY
- Compression garments
- Dry change of clothes
- Flip-flops
- Kinesiology or zinc oxide tape
- Anti-chafe balm and blister plasters
- Basic pain relief
NUTRITION
- Gels or chews
- Electrolyte tablets
- Race-morning breakfast bought the night before
- Refillable bottle
- Recovery protein
TRAVEL ESSENTIALS
- Passport and visa or e-visa
- Travel insurance covering competitive sport
- ₹500 to ₹1,000 in small notes
- NCMC or RuPay card if using the metro
- Universal adaptor — India uses Type C, D and M
- eSIM or local SIM
- Sunscreen and sunglasses
- Gujarat liquor permit if you want one, applied for in advance
SAMPLE RACE WEEKEND ITINERARY
DAY 1: ARRIVAL & RECON
- Land at Ahmedabad (AMD) and take a pre-booked car north to Gandhinagar, 35 to 55 minutes
- Check into Sector 11, then walk the route to the halls in daylight so 06:10 is familiar
- Buy race-morning food at Ravi Enterprises in Sector 16 — nothing opens before 09:00
- Gujarati thali at Manveer in Sector 11, or the Crayon Hotels restaurant, booked in advance
- Quiet sightseeing if you want it: Akshardham in Sector 20 or Mahatma Mandir, both mostly seated
DAY 2: RACE DAY
- Wake 05:15 with water and electrolytes, breakfast 05:30 from last night's shop
- Leave the hotel 06:10 on foot with a throwaway layer for the walk
- Check in from 06:30 with a physical ID — wristbands, ankle strap, timing chip, bib
- Walk the transitions if the course is open, then warm up from 07:10
- Run the first kilometre 10 to 15 seconds slower than target until you have seen the roxzone
- Finish, walk for 10 minutes before you sit, then Herb & Crust in Sector 16 from 10:30
DAY 3: RECOVERY & EXPLORE
- Easy loop on the sector grid, or Punit Van in Sector 18 from 06:00
- Physio at The Spine Centre in Sector 6, one of the few clinics open Sunday
- Indroda Nature Park, 4.1 km south, open 08:30 to 18:30 and closed Mondays
- Ahmedabad for the museums, old city and Sabarmati riverfront, 45 to 60 minutes south
- Food-led celebration on the Sector 16 or Sector 22 café strip — dry state, so no drinks without a permit
LOCAL RULES & EMERGENCY INFO
Gujarat is a dry state
Alcohol is prohibited under the Gujarat Prohibition Act 1949. Non-residents and foreign nationals can apply for a temporary tourist permit through the state Prohibition and Excise Department's online portal, and hotels cannot serve you without one. Possession without a valid permit carries serious penalties. Apply before you arrive, or plan a dry celebration.
Tipping
Not obligatory. Rounding up an auto fare or leaving 5 to 10% at a sit-down restaurant is normal and appreciated.
Cash vs card
UPI dominates and cards work in hotels and larger restaurants. Small stores, auto drivers and street food often prefer cash — carry ₹500 to ₹1,000 in small notes.
Closures
Sunday is the quietest day. Mahatma Mandir is closed Sundays, Indroda Nature Park is closed Mondays, and several pharmacies and clinics close Sunday or run half-days.
Public holidays
Guru Nanak Jayanti falls on Tuesday 24 November 2026, a gazetted national holiday two days before racing. It does not affect race days, but it lifts flight and hotel demand across the preceding weekend — book early.
ID
Bring a physical photo ID. HYROX refuses photographs and digital copies at check-in, and you can only check in on the day you race.
Booking as a foreign national
Smaller Indian hotels are not always set up to register foreign guests. The four picks here are listed internationally; if you book elsewhere, confirm with the property before you pay.
EMERGENCY INFO
112
All emergency services
100
Police
108
Ambulance
Hospital: GMERS Civil Hospital in Sector 12 is about 1.7 km from the venue with a 24-hour emergency department. Advanced Superspeciality Hospital in Sector 6 is about 1.9 km, private, open 24 hours and rated 4.6 from 725 reviews — the better option if you want a private facility and can pay. India offers no free healthcare to foreign nationals and private treatment is billed directly, so travel insurance that covers competitive sport is essential.
Pharmacy: Apollo Pharmacy in Sector 16 is closest at about 8 minutes and listed as 24 hours, but recent reviews report it shut overnight. Shyam Medical Stores in Sector 16, 08:30 to 22:00, is the dependable evening option. Bring blister plasters, tape, electrolytes and pain relief with you.