2020 CrossFit Games: Everything We Know About the Events

The 2020 Reebok CrossFit Games’ final stage begins on Friday when the 10 remaining athletes (five male, five female) take part in the first event of the weekend. They will do so in California at and around the iconic Aromas Ranch. Fans are not allowed at the competition due to COVID-19 restrictions, but they can still watch at home on Pluto TV, as well as the CrossFit Games’ YouTube and Facebook channels. CBS will also air a two-hour block of coverage on Saturday morning.

Director of the Games Dave Castro has provided some information about the locations and the events heading into the Friday start but only to a certain point. Athletes have some idea about what they will face in terms of weights and rep schemes. However, Castro has still kept a lot of information secret while using teases to create excitement among fans and analysts. Here’s what we know with two days remaining until the CrossFit Games begin.

Second Location

While the athletes are heading to the Aromas Ranch for the three-day competition, they will not remain at the iconic location. Castro recently revealed that they will actually spend the majority of time at the Morgan Hill Soccer Complex. Rogue Fitness constructed a series of structures used for athlete registration, COVID-19 testing and several other purposes. The Morgan Hill Complex also includes a pool, which is key considering that Castro teased a swimming event.

“This sports complex is one of the two competition sites for Stage 2 of the Games,” he explained on Instagram. “Though the [CrossFit] Ranch has been billed as the sole venue, the truth is few events are happening there. A majority of tests will take place here in Morgan Hill, where the athletes and support staff are lodging this week.”

Event 2 – Corn Sack Sprint

Running up the hill at the Ranch is nothing new for CrossFit athletes. They did so in 2009 with the Sandbag Sprint and returned to the steep ascent in 2016 with the Chipper. 2020 will feature a different style of hill sprint, however, considering that Castro increased the distance. The athletes will now run 320 meters while carrying a corn sack weighing 50 pounds and 30 pounds, respectively.

Event 3 – CrossFit Total

The CrossFit Total is a classic event that tests the athletes’ strength in three different ways. The event consists of a one-rep max-effort back squat, press and deadlift. Castro previously put the athletes through this test during the inaugural 2007 Games and then once again in 2018. Three-time champion Tia-Clair Toomey secured the win with a total of 875 (330-pound back squat, 130-pound press, 415-pound deadlift) during the most recent iteration. She edged out podium contender Brooke Wells by a mere five pounds. Now they will face the test once again alongside Katrin Davidsdottir, Kari Pearce and Haley Adams.

Event 6 – Toes To Bar and Lunge

One of the more intriguing events heading toward the 2020 CrossFit Games is Event 6, the Toes-To-Bar/Lunge. This event will task athletes with doing 30-20-10 of toes to bar and then a walking lunge while holding kettlebells in the racked position. They will start with 30 toes to bar and then lunge 30 yards. They will return to the bar for 20 more toes to bar before lunging another 20 yards. The final round will be 10 toes to bar and lunging for 10 yards. The male athletes will use two 70-pound kettlebells while the female athletes will use 53-pound kettlebells.

Event 7 – Snatch Speed Triple

Castro has provided entertainment for weightlifting fans in recent years with various speed ladders. 2014 featured a multi-round speed clean ladder while 2015 added a speed snatch ladder. Now the difficult Olympic lift will make its return for the 2020 Games with the Snatch Speed Triple. The five male and five female athletes will race each other to successfully snatch three weights. The four fastest from each division will move on to the next set of heavier weights while racing for a spot in the final round. Only the three fastest athletes will move on and race each other to complete the final three snatches.

Event 8 – Sprint Sled Sprint

Castro has implemented sled pushes multiple times over the years. He did so in 2014 and brought them back in 2019 with the Sprint Couplet. The most recent iteration forced the athletes to push a sled across a field, do a set of muscle-ups and then push the sled back. 2020 will feature a similar style of event as the athletes have to push the sled (105 pounds, 80 pounds) 100 yards, sprint 100 yards and then push the sled another 100 yards.

Hardest Final Event Ever

“Atalanta. The final event for the 2020 [CrossFit Games]. Will be the most difficult final of any Games, if not the most difficult event, to date. [CrossFit Games] [CrossFit]. Any guesses?” Castro posted on his Instagram account. The CrossFit Games have featured several very difficult final events, including Aeneas in 2018 (pegboard ascents, thrusters and yoke carries with increasing weight). However, Castro promises that none will compare to the final event of 2020.

Teases

Castro has provided a number of teases on his Instagram profile, creating a number of debates among analysts and fans alike. For example, he said that Event 5 will be a trail run but did not specify the length. Athletes previously took part in a 7k trail runs in both the 2009 and 2016 Games. Similarly, he showed one of the test athletes doing a handstand walk during Event 4. He did not provide any more information and just asked for guesses. Could this be the event where the rumored pool swim surfaces?

Finally, the first event of the CrossFit Games is simply called 2007. Castro previously said that the athletes would do the entire 2007 Games during the first day of the competition. The three events during that season were a 5k (approximate) trail run, the CrossFit Total and a chipper workout featuring a row, pull-ups and push jerks. Two of these events will take place later in the day, so some form of the chipper will likely kick off the competition.