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- 🌎 Where Should the CrossFit Games Go for Year 20?
🌎 Where Should the CrossFit Games Go for Year 20?
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Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up.
In today’s edition:
🏟️ Nineteen years, five cities, endless memories — which one stands above the rest?
💸 Your box is bleeding money, here’s the fix.
🏋️♂️ Masters CrossFit Games spotlight: Who will rise, who will repeat?
🚨 New Not For Time episode with Sean Woodland and John Wooley drops today!
QUOTE OF THE DAY
My goal is to try to win.”
CROSSFIT GAMES
Rating Every CrossFit Games Location — and the Top Choice for 2026’s 20th Anniversary
Credit: Enrique Villaseñor
During his Week in Review for the week of August 11, Dave Castro, the Director of Sport for CrossFit, answered a comment asking, “Where are we [the CrossFit Games] going next year?”
Castro responded, saying, “We are working on that. It’s narrowed down to a handful of locations, [but] we are not ready to put that out yet.”
He continued, though, teasing a blast from the past: “There are a lot of people talking about Carson, [CA], and everybody is really excited about Carson. I think Carson would be a great place to go.”
Remind Me
Although the sport's marquee event has been held for 19 years, the location has shifted multiple times across the country.
The recent move from Fort Worth, TX, to Albany, NY, prompted us to reflect on what makes certain locations stand out – for better or worse.
Continue reading for our breakdown of each Games location and which one it seems fans want to return to most.
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SPEED READS
🚨🎙️ New Not For Time Episode Today: Catch the new episode at 9 a.m. ET on the Morning Chalk Up YouTube channel — featuring “Uncle Dale” Mills from the TLC show “Outdaughtered,” with hosts Sean Woodland and John Wooley.
⚠️🎯 Is the Standard the Standard?: The HYROX final station — 100 wall-balls — has drawn criticism for athletes with poor depth and minimal no-rep enforcement. The New York Times (paywall) explores why form could make or break the sport’s credibility, with insights from YouTuber Andrew Hiller and five-time Games champ, Mat Fraser.
💥🏋️♂️ High-Rep, High Reward: Is high-rep Olympic lifting dangerous? Coaches Eric O'Connor (CF-L4) and Stephane Rochet (CF-L3) break it down — showing how smart volume under fatigue can build strength, sharpen technique, and ramp up mental toughness.
🔥🏆 Who’s Got Your Vote?: The race for TYR Cup captains is on, and you call the shots. Cast your vote for one male and one female leader before polls close Thursday, August 21, at midnight PT. Results drop the next day — and yes, you can vote once a day.
🦵🔥 Fix Your Form, Feel the Gains: Stop slamming your knees, rounding your torso, or flaring your hips in lunges. This BarBend breakdown exposes the top four mistakes and shows how slowing down, dialing in your setup, and staying squared move you from sloppy reps to real results.
ICYMI: 🏋️♂️ Seven numbers, one epic story — the stats that defined the 2025 Games.
MEMBER EXCLUSIVE
Your Affiliate Is Bleeding Money (And You Don't Even Know It)
Credit: @besthouroftheirday / Instagram
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But ask them about their retention rate? Crickets.
They'll mention "great vibes" and "amazing culture" without providing any concrete numbers.
Here's the harsh reality: Retention is the most important metric for your business, and neglecting it is costing you thousands of dollars each month.
While you're obsessing over getting more leads, your current members are quietly slipping away, taking your revenue with them.
TRIVIA
Before squaring off at the Masters CrossFit Games this year, Scott Panchik, Khan Porter, and Sam Dancer competed together as individuals once. What year was it? |
Last week we asked: 🏆 At the 2025 Games, Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr hit 45 career event wins. Which athlete is not in the all-time top five for Games event wins?
Katrin Davidsdottir
Rich Froning Jr.
Pat Vellner ✅
Mat Fraser
Annie Thoridsottir
The correct answer was Pat Vellner, who is number eight on the all-time career event wins list with eight (he’s tied with Josh Bridges and Brent Fikowski, who both have eight as well). Overall, 57.5% of you got this one right!
CROSSFIT GAMES — MASTERS
7 Athletes to Watch at the 2025 Masters CrossFit Games
Credit: Herculus Media
The 2025 Masters CrossFit Games by Legends kicks off this Thursday in Columbus, OH.
Featuring many former individual CrossFit Games stars, here are seven athletes we expect could be crowned champions of their age groups by Sunday evening.
Carolyne Prevost: Women’s 35-39 Division
Carolyne Prevost is the only athlete this season who competed in the individual CrossFit Games and will also participate in the Masters CrossFit Games.
Prevost, a former professional hockey player and four-time Games athlete, received a backfill invitation to this year’s Games after Alex Gazan withdrew due to a foot injury. Prevost finished 25th overall.
Prevost told the Morning Chalk Up that she didn’t have big goals or expectations as an individual at the Games this year – that just being there made it a “successful season,” she said – but the same isn't true for the Masters Games.
“My goal is to try to win,” she said.
HIGHLIGHTS
Celebrating a PR, hosting a fundraiser, this, that, or otherwise? Send us a tip.
😳Does anyone have the guts to attempt this workout from Jacob Heppner? He woke up and chose violence on this one.
Watch the Training Think Tank crew test out a World Fitness Project workout together — less than two weeks until showtime!
🔥Justin Medeiros is also preparing for WFP, testing his max clean for workout 4A.
Bergros Bjornsdottir is taking her fitness outside of the gym — what a beast!
😮💨Andre Houdet is joining in on Jason Kalipa’s burpee EMOM challenge. Have you tried it yet?