So, your New Year’s Resolution was to hit the gym, build strength and make some serious gains – but now you want to see how you measure up against other athletes in your town, state, or country. It’s time to sign up to the CrossFit Open!
But perhaps you’re new to the scene and want to know more about how the Open has adapted over the last decade; well we got you covered with the history of the CrossFit Open so you know exactly what to expect going in.
Today’s CrossFit Open has grown into one of the world’s largest sporting events, drawing hundreds of thousands participants from 175 countries. It’s the first stage in reaching the CrossFit Games, so no matter who you are or what your fitness level may be, every single CrossFit athlete — even those shooting for the Games — has to make it through the Open first. The top athletes from the Open will then move on to the Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Last Chance Qualifiers, and then finally CrossFit Games.
However, the Open isn’t only for the best of the best to qualify for the Games. Its purpose is multifaceted; it’s a place for CrossFitters all over the world to test their stamina, strength and progress against themselves and one another. It’s also a way to bring the global community together to take part in the event as one — which right now has never been more valuable.
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What is the CrossFit Open?
The CrossFit Open is an online competition held by CrossFit HQ over several weeks. The 2021 CrossFit Open will be different in that it will last for only three weeks, when in previous years it was five or six. Each workout is released every Thursday online during the Open, and are identified by the year and the order which they appear (eg. 21.1). Participants will have until 5 p.m. PT the following Monday to complete the workout and post their best scores online.
Each week, the workouts will be streamed live from a new location, sometimes offering clues as to what athletes can expect when they reach the Games. Some of CrossFit’s biggest athletes take part in the livestreams, battling it out to earn their spots at the top of the global leaderboard.
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Taking part in the Open couldn’t be easier, and there are no special requirements — everyone who is interested is encouraged to take part. Registration usually begins a couple of months prior to the release of the first workout. The registration for the 2021 Reebok CrossFit Open can be found here, with the event itself kicking off on March 11, 2021.
The modern iteration of the Open is open to anyone over the age of 14. There are a total of 34 different Divisions for individual competitors — including new Adaptive Divisions — and one division for Teams. You will be allocated your division based on your preferred gender and age.
The History of the CrossFit Open
The CrossFit Open 2011: The Beginning
The very first CrossFit Open took place over six weeks between March and May 2011. It drew over 26,000 participants in its first year, making it one of the biggest sports events in history. Competitors were ranked by region, and the 60 fittest athletes and 30 fittest teams then earned invitations to one of 17 Regionals.
2011 was also the first year the CrossFit Games partnered with Reebok. The sponsorship allowed for a significant increase in prize money, with $1 million added to the prize purse, and $250,000 allocated to the male and female Games’ winners. With more money comes more hunger, and now everyone in the CrossFit community has the chance to compete to become the Fittest Man, Woman or Team on Earth.
In the early days of the Open there were 4 divisions athletes could compete in; Men, Woman, Masters Men, Masters Woman. In CrossFit, Masters are defined as anyone over 35-years-old.
Competitors could do the workouts in real time when they were streamed live, or post their scores online at a later date once the workout was complete and could be vouched for (through video evidence or your affiliated gym).
Two men who had never qualified for the Games before (Dan Bailey and Joshua Bridges) dominated the event, which helped establish competitive CrossFit as one of the world’s most accessible sports from the very beginning.
Who Won the 2011 Open?
Men: Dan Bailey (USA)
Woman: Kristan Clever (USA)
Sample Workout:
AMRAP in 10 Minutes of:
- 30 Double-Unders
- 15 Power Snatch (75lbs. / 55-lbs.)
The CrossFit Open 2012
After the success of the first Open in 2011, the 2012 event arrived with increased anticipation. More than 69,000 CrossFit enthusiasts signed up to take part, doubling participation from the year before. It took place for five weeks between February 22 to March 25, 2012.
The inaugral workout of the 2012 CrossFit Open is one of the most memorable in the event’s history — a gruelling 7-minute AMRAP of burpees.
Who Won the 2012 Open?
Men: Rich Froning Jr. (USA)
Women: Kristan Clever (USA)
Sample Workout:
AMRAP in 18 Minutes of:
- 15 Box jumps (24″ box / 20” box)
- 12 Push Press (115-lb. / 75-lb.)
- 9 Toes-To-Bar
The CrossFit Open 2013
The 2013 CrossFit Open kicked off with an unprecedented number of participants. 130,000 athletes took part. The 2013 event took place over five weeks kicking off on March 6.
One of the most notable moments of the 2013 Open was a back injury sustained by reigning Games champion Annie Thórisdóttir which took her out of the competition in its third week. Her absence made way for the UK’s Sam Briggs to come out on top for the women in both the Open and the Games.
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Who Won the 2013 Open?
Men: Rich Froning Jr. (USA)
Women: Sam Briggs (UK)
Sample Workout:
AMRAP in 10 Minutes of:
- 5 Shoulder To overhead (115-lb. / 75-lb.)
- 10 Deadlift (115-lb. / 75-lb.)
- 15 Box Jumps (24″ box / 20″ box)
The CrossFit Open 2014
The 2014 Open took place on February 27 with 209,585 athletes signed up to participate. Both Briggs and Froning dominated the Open once again, advancing to the Games. However, this would be Rich Froning’s final competitive Open and Games before retiring from the individual competition.
Who Won the 2014 Open?
Men: Rich Froning Jr. (USA)
Women: Sam Briggs (UK)
Sample Workout:
AMRAP in 14 Minutes of:
- 60-Calorie Row
- 50 Toes-To-Bars
- 40 Wall-Ball Shots (20 lb. to 10-foot target / 14 lb. to 9-foot target)
- 30 Cleans (135 / 95 lb.)
- 20 Muscle-Ups
The CrossFit Open 2015
When looking at the history of the CrossFit Open, 2015 was a huge year — one that set the groundwork for the modern Open we see today. Prior to the Open registration, former Games Director Dave Castro announced sweeping changes to the CrossFit Season; from the Open, through to the Games themselves.
For the 2015 Open, new categories beyond Men, Women and Masters were introduced for the first time. Castro added a Teenage Division for kids between 14 – 17, and a Scaled Division — the option to adapt each workout slightly based on your individual level. The RX’d Division would be the one elite CrossFit athletes would have to compete in if they wanted to make the Regionals or Games.
Who Won the 2015 Open?
Men: Mat Fraser (USA)
Women: Annie Thórisdóttir (Iceland)
Sample Workout:
Rx’d
27-21-15-9 Reps For Time of:
- Row (calories)
- Thrusters (95-lb. / 65 lb.)
Masters 55+
27-21-15-9 Reps For Time of:
- Row (calories)
- Thrusters (65 lb. / 45 lb.)
Teens
27-21-15-9 Reps For Time of:
- Row (calories)
- Thrusters (65 lb. / 45.lb)
The CrossFit Open 2016: 10 Years of the Crossfit Games
2016 marked a decade of the CrossFit Games, so it was a big year for the sport to show how far it had come since those early days on the Ranch in Aromas, California. 324,000 athletes from 175 countries participated in the worldwide Open, kicking off on February 26, 2016.
This year, each workout was specifically tailored to each individual age/gender division, with the option of adding an RX’d or Scaled version.
Who Won the 2016 Open?
Men: Noah Ohlsen (USA)
Women: Jamie Greene (NZ)
Sample Workout:
Rx’d
AMRAP in 7 Minutes of:
- 10 Power Snatch (75-lb. / 55-lb.)
- 3 Bar Muscle-Ups
Masters
AMPRAP in 7 Minutes of:
- 10 Power Snatches (65-lb. / 45-lb.)
- 5 Chest-To-Bar Pull-Ups
Teens
AMRAP in 7 Minutes of:
- 10 Power Snatch (65-lb. / 45-lb.)
- 3 Bar Muscle-Ups
The CrossFit Open 2017
For five weeks over February and March 2017, 380,000 CrossFitters battled it out to either qualify for the 8 Regionals, or simply beat the athlete they had been the year before.
The most notable change in the 2017 CrossFit Open was for the first time, workouts were streamed live from various locations around the world over the five weeks. Prior to 2017, workouts had been streamed from different Affiliates in the USA. Now, workouts with some of the fittest athletes in the world were streamed from Paris, France; Montreal, Canada; Columbus, Ohio; San Antonio, TX; Mexico City, Mexico and Madison, Wisconsin.
This was an indication of how huge and global the CrossFit community had become as a result of the Open.
Who Won the 2017 Open?
Men: Mat Fraser (USA)
Women: Sara Sigmundsdottir (Iceland)
Sample Workout
- 10 Dumbbell Snatches (50lb / 35 lb)
- 15 Burpee Box jump-Overs (24-in. box / 20-in. box)
- 20 Dumbbell Snatches (50lb / 35 lb)
- 15 Burpee Box Jump-Overs (24-in. box / 20-in. box)
- 30 Dumbbell Snatches (50lb / 35 lb)
- 15 Burpee Box Jump-Overs (24-in. box / 20-in. box)
- 40 Dumbbell Snatches (50lb / 35 lb)
- 15 Burpee Box Jump-Overs (24-in. box / 20-in. box)
- 50 Dumbbell Snatches (50lb / 35 lb)
- 15 Burpee Box Jump-Overs (24-in. box / 20-in. box)
Time Cap: 20 Minutes.
The CrossFit Open 2018
An incredible 416,000 athletes competed in the 2018 CrossFit Open. As per tradition, the contest was held for five weeks between February and March 2018.
The success of the global livestreams in 2017 continued into 2018, with workouts held in São Paulo, Brazil and Reykjavik, Iceland — which saw the 3 Icelandic giants Annie Thorisdottir, Katrin Davidsdottir, and Sara Sigmundsdottir go head-to-head in the final workout of the Open.
Who Won the 2018 Open?
Men: Mat Fraser (USA)
Women: Cassidy Lance-McWherter (USA)
Sample Workout:
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 reps for time of:
- Dumbbell Squats (50-lb / 35-lb)
- Bar-Facing Burpees
Workout 18.2a
- 1-Rep-Max Clean
Time Cap: 12 Minutes to complete 18.2 & 18.2a
The CrossFit Open 2019: Complete Overhaul
2019 shook up the competition circuit in a major way with the announcement that the CrossFit Open could now serve as a direct qualifier for the CrossFit Games. They also scrapped the Regionals entirely, making way for Sanctionals — independently hosted events that programme their own workouts and scoring for their competition.
The new model allowed the male and female National Champions from the Open an automatic ticket to the Games, along with at least one CrossFit Affiliate. Alongside that, the Top 20 Men and Top 20 Women taking part in the Open would also qualify for the Games as a result of the Open.
This was huge for generating interest, as now Games hopefuls had a direct line to the biggest event on the CrossFit calendar from the comfort of their homes or affiliate gyms. For the first (and only) time however, you didn’t necessarily have to compete in the Open to get to the Games. Some Sanctionals allowed athletes to compete who had not participated in the Open.
During this year’s Open, CrossFit HQ didn’t host any live workout announcements themselves, but instead let them be broadcast by different Sanctionals located around the world. This diversified the announcements, broadcasting Open workouts in different languages for the first time.
Who Won the 2019 Open?
Men: Mat Fraser (USA)
Women: Sara Sigmundsdottir (Iceland)
Sample Workout:
3 Rounds of:
- 10 Snatches (95-lb. / 65-lb.)
- 12 Bar-Facing Burpees
Then, rest 3 minutes before continuing with:
3 rounds of:
- 10 Bar Muscle-Ups
- 12 Bar-Facing Burpees
Time cap: 12 Minutes
The 2020 CrossFit Open: The Biggest Challenge Yet
It goes without saying the 2020 CrossFit Season did not go as planned. That said, the Open, held at the earlier dates of Oct. 10 through Nov. 11, 2019, went off without a hitch. In hindsight, the earlier Open season turned out to be a blessing, as by the time March 2020 rolled around, most of the world was starting to go into a global lockdown to combat the threat of the Coronavirus.
The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic ended the season abruptly, with many events postponed and eventually cancelled. The 2020 CrossFit Games, however, did manage to go ahead between September and October 2020 — albeit with less in-person fanfare than usual.
Who Won the 2020 Open?
Men: Patrick Vellner (Canada)
Women: Sara Sigmundsdottir (Iceland)
Sample Workout:
- 40 Muscle-Ups
- 80-Cal. Row
- 120 Wall-Ball Shots (20-lb. ball to 10 ft. / 14-lb. ball to 9 ft.)
Time Cap: 20 Minutes.
The 2021 CrossFit Open & Beyond
After the chaos of 2020, the 2021 CrossFit Season is panning out to look very different from previous years. Many changes are being introduced to make 2021 as safe and accessible as possible for all athletes no matter where they’re located — a true celebration of global fitness.
This year’s Open will be the most accessible in history, with the introduction of Foundations and Equipment-Free categories. Infact, there will be 34 divisions in total, including a brand new Adaptive Division to be inclusive for athletes with disabilities. The Rulebook states:
“CrossFit is committed to ensuring all CrossFit athletes have equal access and opportunity to participate in CrossFit events in a manner that is fair to all competitors while preserving the integrity of the sport,”
Kicking off on March 11, 2021, this year’s Open will only run for three weeks. Qualifying for the Games has also been overhauled, and once again athletes have to make it through the Open first to have a shot at the big leagues.
Going forward, the Open will lead into the brand new Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Last-Chance Qualifier before the Games.
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We have seen the Open change, evolve and adapt over the last decade since its inception. Moving beyond this unique year, we may see things reworked again, so it’s worth keeping a close eye on updates throughout the year.
As time goes on, the event has become increasingly inclusive and bigger than anything anyone could have imagined. The Open continues to be an integral part of the CrossFit commuity; a place to celebrate the wins and take your fitness to the next level.
Read More: The Rise of the CrossFit Games – a Chronological Account of its History
