😤 2026 CrossFit Games QuarterFinals Start Now!

March 26th, 2026

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up.

In today’s edition:

  • 🚀 Inside XENOM with founder Keith Barlow. Why he’s betting big on CrossFit’s future.

  • 🏁 Quarterfinals are off and running. The next stage of the CrossFit season is here, with athletes battling for a spot in Semifinals.

  • 🌴 From athlete rosters to 300+ shoe giveaways, Reebok made a major statement at WZA in Miami.

QUOTE OF THE DAY
❝

I believe that there is a latent demand for a high-level event that anyone can come and take part in, and get a CrossFit Games-level experience.”

Keith Barlow, XENOM founder.
INDUSTRY

The “Contrarian Bet of the Century”: Inside the Launch of XENOM with Founder Keith Barlow

Credit: XENOM

When Keith Barlow began telling his friends about the concept of XENOM, he was met with skepticism.

  • “There was quite a lot of, ‘Oh, why do you want to build that for CrossFit?’” he told the Morning Chalk Up in an interview.

The same people kept talking about how things were better in 2017 and 2018, and how we should work to reclaim those days. 

Barlow didn’t understand why they all chose to look backward instead of forward.

  • Because when he looked ahead, he saw a huge demand for something that didn’t exist. 

And that marked the beginning of his mission to build XENOM, which Barlow released to the community in February.

  • “It might be the contrarian bet of the century,” Barlow said, “but I think there’s this incredibly fertile field that we can go plant seeds in.”

SPEED READS

🔥🏋️‍♂️ “Go Hard or Go Home” Is a Myth: CrossFit isn’t about max effort every day — smart programming and knowing when to pull back are what actually drive long-term results.

📬🏋️ CrossFit Athlete Council Opens Direct Feedback Channel: The CAC has launched a dedicated email address (here) for athletes and community members to share questions, feedback, or concerns about the season directly with the council.

🔥🏋️‍♂️ Pit Throwdown Qualifier Is Live: The 2026 Pit Teen & Collegiate Throwdown kicks off with online qualifiers April 9–20 — four workouts over 10 days for athletes ages 14–23, with a shot at cash prizes and a June finals spot in Texas.

🚫🏋️ Why People Quit the Gym: A new survey shows intimidation, overcrowding, and lack of belonging — not just price — drive members to cancel.

ICYMI: ATHX makes U.S. debut in Miami with star-studded line-up. (Rx article)

MEMBER EXCLUSIVE

Game On: CrossFit Quarterfinals Kick Off Today

Credit: Marvin Cors

The 2026 CrossFit season officially moves forward today as athletes complete the four Quarterfinal workouts, aiming to qualify for the upcoming Semifinals. The number of athletes competing for a spot is outlined in the CrossFit Games rulebook.

  • “Individual athletes [seeking to qualify for Semifinals] MUST compete in Quarterfinals and place within the top 2,000 in their division.”

  • “Age-Group athletes MUST compete in Quarterfinals and place among the top in their division (top 400 for 35-54 age divisions, top 300 for 14-17 and 55+ age divisions).” 

Remind Me 

Quarterfinals were introduced in 2021 as the next step of the season, after the CrossFit Open. 

For community athletes, qualifying for the Quarterfinals was a goal. For the elites, this stage served as an online qualifier for the Semifinals.

  • Quarterfinals took place from 2021 to 2024 but were not part of the 2025 season. Instead, athletes moved straight from the worldwide CrossFit Open to the In-Affiliate and In-Person Semifinals.

From 2021 to 2023, only the top 10% of athletes in their region in the Open (individual, team, and age-group) advanced to Quarterfinals. But for 2026, as in 2024, the top 25% of athletes in the Open will advance.

COMPETITIONS

Reebok Athletes Shine at WZA as Focus Turns to Games Season

Credit: Scott Freymond

At the 14th annual Wodapalooza, Reebok celebrated big with a wide roster of athletes, parties, and huge shoe giveaways—more than 300 Reebok Nano X5 Edges were given out during the festival weekend, involving us, Lauren Kalil, multiple activations, and a fleet of trucks that appeared (rain or shine) over four days. 

  • Over the past 15 years, Reebok’s name has become closely linked with fitness, beginning in 2011 when the brand launched the original Nano, the first true fitness shoe. 

Now in its 15th version, Reebok’s influence in the CrossFit community is global, with athletes worldwide supporting the brand. Just at Wodapalooza alone, the athlete roster included competitors from eight different countries.

Reebok Roster at WZA

Reebok’s roster consisted of partner athletes such as Elisa Fuliano, Matilde Garnes, Mariana Meza, and Roldan Goldbaum. 

  • Reebok also supported athletes during the competition weekend, including Arielle Loewen, Nico Bedon, Sasha Nieves, Esteban Ospina, Rodrigo Velazquez, Fernando Rebane, Leticia Cerqueira, Roxy Rebane, as well as team athletes Jessica Androsik, Lindsey Lane, Kensie Campbell, Dusty Looker, and Tyler Cooke. 

Long-time partner Fee Saghafi was in attendance, and while she was not competing, she played a large role in the Reebok activations and the weekend experience as a whole.

HIGHLIGHTS

Celebrating a PR, hosting a fundraiser, this, that, or otherwise? Send us a tip.

  • 🎂Happy birthday (3/29) to Kristin Holte.

  • Here’s some Quarterfinals inspiration - watch this throwback of Noah Ohlsen repping out 40 unbroken bar muscle-ups.

  • 👟Congratulations to Sara Cifuentes and Camila Cartagena, who qualified for HYROX World Championships as Pro Doubles with a time of 1:07.

  • Check out this 111-kilo/245-pound clean and jerk complex from Ewan of CrossFit Colosseum in Canada.

  • 🙌Watch this throwback from Tuva from CrossFit Verftet in Norway. Such a good reminder to have patience and stay the course!