Four thousand meters of running, 150 kettlebell swings, and 150 pull-ups, all in one piece. Eva isn’t a sprint — it’s a long grind where grip fatigue, not lung capacity, usually decides the back half.
Suggested time cap: 40 minutes · Competitive target: sub-30 minutes at Rx. Your score is the time it takes to complete all 5 rounds.
Eva is long — five full rounds of running plus two grip-intensive movements adds up to real volume, not a short burst. Kettlebell swings and pull-ups both tax your grip and shoulders, and doing both in every round means that fatigue compounds round over round in a way it doesn’t in shorter benchmarks.
By round 4 or 5, most athletes aren’t limited by their legs or their lungs — they’re limited by grip. Pacing the early rounds with that in mind is what separates a strong Eva time from a workout that falls apart in the back half.
Eva scales per movement. Choose the row below that matches a run distance, kettlebell weight, and pull-up variation you can repeat consistently across all 5 rounds.
| Level | Kettlebell Swing | Pull-Up | Run |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rx | 2 pood (M) / 1.5 pood (W) | Full ROM, chin over bar | 800m |
| Scaled | 1.5 pood (M) / 1 pood (W) | Banded or jumping pull-ups | 800m or 400m |
| Beginner | Light dumbbell goblet swing | Ring rows | 400m |
Scale the run distance down before scaling the kettlebell or pull-ups too far — cutting the total volume in half by shortening the run keeps the workout’s endurance nature intact while making it achievable.
Run conservatively. An all-out 800m five times over leaves nothing for the grip-intensive movements that follow every single round — treat the run as a pace you could sustain, not a race.
Break the kettlebell swings and pull-ups into manageable sets starting in round 1, even though 30 reps doesn’t sound like much.
Grip fatigue is cumulative across all 5 rounds — what feels unnecessary to break up early becomes the reason you’re stuck at the bar in round 4.
Eva is a running-and-grip workout by design, but all three movements survive straightforward substitutions.
| Equipment | Substitution | Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| No kettlebell | Dumbbell goblet swing | 1:1 reps |
| No pull-up bar | Ring rows | 1:1 reps |
| Limited pull-up capacity | Banded or jumping pull-ups | 1:1 reps |
| No running space | Row or bike erg for equivalent distance/time | — |
FITL scales this automatically based on the equipment and experience level in your profile.
Sub-30 minutes at Rx is a strong time for an experienced athlete. Most CrossFit athletes finish Rx Eva in the 30–40 minute range. Scaled athletes should expect longer depending on running, swing, and pull-up capacity.
Break both the kettlebell swings and pull-ups into small sets starting in round 1, well before your grip actually starts to fail. Waiting until round 3 or 4 to start breaking up sets is usually too late.
Yes. Use a row or bike erg for an equivalent time or distance if you don’t have running space — the goal is to maintain the same total volume and endurance demand.
It’s one of the longer, more demanding benchmarks in terms of total volume and required aerobic base. Beginners should scale the run distance down significantly (400m or less per round) and use assisted pull-up and lighter swing variations rather than attempting the full Rx volume.
Get Eva — and every benchmark WOD — automatically scaled to your equipment and experience level.