Competition

GORUCK Games Bringing Competition and Community to Jacksonville

March 29, 2022 by
Photo Credit: GORUCK
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A new fitness competition will take over Jacksonville, FL, on April 23-24. GORUCK will use unique workouts and equipment to test athletes during the inaugural GORUCK Games. One hundred competitors (50 male and 50 female) will take part on the first day as they battle for spots in the 16-person finals on the second day. 

Remind me: There is a wide assortment of athletes that will take part in the GORUCK Games. Some examples hail from the CrossFit world, such as Emily Rolfe and Cody Anderson. Others such as Allison Grubbs and Hunter McIntyre focus on OCR (obstacle course race) events. 

  • $50,000 is on the line for the participants in the GORUCK Games. First place in each division will walk away with $15,000 while the runner-ups will each secure $5,000 each. Third place will take $2,000, fourth will take $1,000 and fifth through eighth will each get $500.
  • The GORUCK Games will take a different approach than the CrossFit Games or other fitness competitions. There will not be barbells. Instead, the competitors will take on events built on a foundation of tactical-style fitness. 

An air of mystery: There are some details available about what the athletes will face during the weekend in Jacksonville. There will be a rucking event, obstacles created by Savage Race, and some special equipment from Rogue Fitness. 

  • The athletes will find out the first workout on Friday, April 22, during check-in. They will complete this workout the following morning, and then they will learn the rest of the Saturday events that will whittle the list down of competitors.
  • Those that qualify for the final round on Sunday, April 24, will still face some unknowns. They will learn the final workouts just before taking part and battling for the prizes. 
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Jason McCarthy, GORUCK Founder: “The actual festival as a whole was meant to be this kind of party. The community is coming to celebrate outdoor fitness and fitness in the real world. And by the way, when I talk to people that understand CrossFit, that’s the best part of CrossFit – that you come together in the real world. It’s not your scores online. That’s always been the best part about CrossFit to me.”

A festive weekend: The GORUCK Games will be a major draw for fitness enthusiasts, but it will also be part of a larger event, the Sandlot JAX Fitness Festival. This three-day festival will feature several events for attendees, including a session with skateboarding legend Mike Vallely, a workout with Jason Khalipa, several guest presentations, and much more. 

  • Anyone registered for the Sandlot JAX Fitness Festival will be able to attend the GORUCK Games. This includes the athlete briefings, the combine qualification, and the finals.
  • GORUCK will have multiple events for those who want to test themselves. There will be the GORUCK Nasty 002, the GORUCK Light Challenges for teams, Badass Babes Light Challenge, and GORUCK Tribe Reunion Basic Challenge.  

There are limited passes available for the Sandlot JAX Fitness Festival. There is the Three-Day All the Sunshine Pass ($249), and single-day passes for Friday ($89), Saturday ($119), or Sunday ($89). Those wanting to only see the GORUCK Games finale on April 24 can buy a limited pass for $20. 

Why this matters: McCarthy explained it the best in a video for Instagram. The goal of the Sandlot JAX Fitness Festival is to bring people together so they can embrace sunshine, community, fitness, and fun instead of living on social media or interacting via Zoom. Community is at the center of the festival, and the GORUCK Games are an extra-special way to crank up the festive atmosphere while introducing a new type of competition. 

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