Competition

Zelos Games Coming this November to Las Vegas

October 9, 2022 by
Photo Credit: Zelos Game Instagram (@zelosgames) Arielle Lowen, winner of 2021 Zelos Games, and Jared Graybeal
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Zelos Games (pronounced Zay-Los) founded in 2021 by athlete agent, podcaster and entrepreneur, Jared Graybeal, will take place online from November 11-21, and in-person November 12-13. In an innovative, two-part fashion, the competition is structured in a way that brings the community together for an off-season challenge, great earning opportunities for athletes, and unique entertainment for fans globally. 

The company was born out of the idea that athletes need more earning opportunities if CrossFit is going to continue to grow, and in an approachable way at that; one that is largely online, and doesn’t burden athletes with travel expenses, visa requirements and the like. 

One big thing: In a similar style to an Open announcement event, where you see elite athletes complete the workout and then do it yourself in your own home gym, the Zelos Games invitational will take place in Las Vegas, NV over a weekend with some of the fittest men and women in the CrossFit space duking it out over the course of four workouts. 

Then, athletes around the world can complete those same four workouts, across 10 available divisions, until November 21 for a chance to win over $30k in prizes from top industry brands. 

A couple key things make this event particularly unique. The first being that Andrew Hiller, who has grown in popularity through his YouTube criticisms of athlete movement and judging standards, will serve as head judge for the competition. All of the judging standards for both parts of the competition will be clearly laid out ahead of time, and there will be radical transparency around the penalty structure in advance of the workouts being completed. 

Secondly, the prize purse available rivals that of major competitions in the industry with over with over $30k available for the Elite Division of the competition. And, counter to some recent controversy around delayed payouts from in and off-season competitions, Zelos Games promises to award winners within one week of the competition concluding. 

Photo Credit: Zelos Game Instagram (@zelosgames)

The details: For the in-person invitational, 12 men and 12 women will throw down.

  • So far confirmed athletes include Kelsey Kiel, Kyra Milligan, Brittany Weiss, Alex Gazan, Jorge Fernandez, Sola Sigurdardottir and James Sprague. We’ll post a full invitational roster closer to the event.
  • To spectate at the invitational, one-day and two-day tickets are available and include a free coffee, complimentary samples, entry into a larger raffle, and access to the afterparty, hosted at Marquee
  • On-site at the host venue, Camp Rhino, there will also be food purveyors, brand activations and spectator workouts
  • Download the event official Vegas Travel Guide (including where to stay) here

To get in on the action from home, join the competition! Sign-up now, registration closes at the deadline of the first workout submission (Noon PT on November 15).

For more information on Zelos Games, check out the official competition page and their Instagram page, @zelosgames. And, if you’re a fan of the sport, we encourage you to support the competition in one capacity or another, to contribute to a larger movement.

  • “This is all designed with a greater meaning that if we grow the sport, we can grow the affiliate network, and if we do that, we can change the world,” Graybeal said. “And a fitter world is a better world.”

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