Photo Credit: CrossFIt LLC

It’s almost here. That time of the year when Madison, WI, is overrun with the Fittest on Earth. 

It will be the sixth year that the city has played host, and every year it welcomes with open-arms athletes, young and old, from across the world. And it’s not just the athletes heading to Madison. We are looking at spectators, affiliate owners, brand representatives, volunteers, and more. 

Here is the definitive spectator’s guide to the 2023 CrossFit Games.

Madison

As soon as The Games moved to Madison in 2017, it seemed like a perfect fit. The second largest city in Wisconsin screamed fitness; surrounded by five lakes, hundreds of miles of biking and hiking trails, and an average high temperature of 80 degrees in August, it is the perfect host for a week of fitness. If you want a place to start, check out the best things to do in Madison.

What to Expect at the 2023 CrossFit Games

Getting There

If you are driving to the venue daily, on-site parking is free, but space is limited. If you are staying near the venue, it will probably be faster to ride-share or walk!

Once On Site

Here is the basic schedule for the week at The Games (all times Central).

There are two critical Apps to download to help streamline your spectator experience. 

• CrossFit Games Event Guide – for fans on-site 
  • This is the virtual home to the 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games in Madison–use this as your home base if you are on site.
  • Access venue maps, competition schedules, vendors, local Madison info, and more.
• CrossFit Games App
  • Follow the entire season and get news alerts and live streams from your device.
  • You can use the app to set reminders for Games events and follow your favorite athletes.

Eat, Drink and Recharge

As usual, there will be a big selection of food vendors and places to relax and recharge at the Alliant Energy Center. 

• Jocko Re/Fuel Station: Enjoy all things Jocko while watching the action on a massive screen. 
• Food Court: Expect coffee, juice, brats, and more.
• Perfect Hydration is the Official Water Partner of the 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games and is available at concessions across the venue.
• There will be YETI water refill stations placed all around the venue so you can use refillable bottles all week.
• There will be a signature 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games 20-oz YETI rambler for sale at the concession stands. Open to all ticket holders 21 and older, the first 180 fans with the signature cup will receive discounted alcohol refills! 
• Looking to beat the heat? Check out the Ice Barrel booth on Sponsor Row to experience cold therapy. 
• Over at the Mayhem Athlete Campground, make sure to visit the lounge where you can relax in the shade, watch fitness on the big screens, and enjoy brisket from PitBoss.
  • It’s all free for everyone that has a Mayhem VIP Wristband.
  • Stay up to date with the schedule by following @mayheminmadison23 on Instagram.

Workout

There are plenty of places to stay fit between heats at the Games–registration opens on July 26 for these opportunities, and they will fill up fast.

• Spectator Workout Area: Work out on-site at the CrossFit Games for free in the Spectator Workout Area!
  • CrossFit Seminar Staff, CrossFit Specialty Course Providers, SugarWOD, Zen Planner, CrossFit Affiliate Programming (CAP), ROGUE, HWPO, PRVN, and Mayhem Athlete have all teamed up to lead workouts.
  • Wednesday – Sunday
    • 9:30-11:30 AM; led by CrossFit Seminar staff
    • 12-2 PM; led by PRVN Fitness
    • 2-3 PM; led by HWPO Training
    • 3-5 PM; led by Mayhem Athlete

• CrossFit Weightlifting: Pavilion 2 will be hosting some barbell work!
  • Wed-Sat, 9-11 a.m. and 3-5 p.m. The Burgeners and the CrossFit Weightlifting team will be there to coach you through weightlifting workouts.
• CrossFit Education Kids Zone: Is the CrossFit Games a family affair for you this year? If so, you want to check out the Kids Zone in the Spectator Workout Area. Kids can participate in classes coached by CrossFit Seminar Staff. Class options will be available from Wednesday through Sunday, geared toward ages 3-5 and 6-14. 
• Mayhem Athlete Campground
  • The Mayhem team will be hosting activities all week, including workouts, cookouts on PitBoss grills, and more.

Nonprofits

There are some great opportunities to get your sweat on and support a great cause simultaneously, check out these causes in Pavilion 2 with workouts during the week.

• Battle Cancer
• Forging Youth Resilience (FYR)
• The OUT Foundation
• The Phoenix

In addition to nonprofit workouts, consider giving back to the local Madison community by donating your leftover non-perishable food to a local food bank on your way out of town!

• McFarland Food Pantry: Head to the Sheraton Madison Hotel Parking Lot (will have a large sign) on Sunday, August 6^th,  from 11am-4pm.
• St. Vincent de Paul Food Bank: 2033 Fish Hatchery Road, on Monday, August 7^th, from 7:30 am-3:30 pm.

U.S. Army Fitness Challenge: The U.S. Army will be at the Games on Sponsor Row this year, join them with a daily challenge for spectators.

The Professional Coach + Breakfast: There are reserved classes for CrossFit Level 1 through Level 4 credential holders.

• Drop in daily from 8:30 – 9:30 AM in the Spectator Workout Area and workout with fellow trainers. There will even be post-workout coffee and breakfast available.
• Sponsored by CrossFit HQ, with guest appearances from CrossFit leadership. **CrossFit trainers (L1-L4) only**  
• Affiliate Owners:
  • The CrossFit Booth in the Vendor Pavilion will have info on the Affiliate Lounge.
  • There are also exclusive affiliate owner Coliseum and North Park workouts and a fully functioning mock affiliate (serving current and hopeful affiliate owners and credentialed Level 1-Level 4 trainers). 
  • The Affiliate and the Affiliate Lounge are open to affiliate owners (no substitution allowed), plus one guest and CrossFit Credentialed trainers.

Learn

• Presentation Stage: Wednesday-Sunday, the CrossFit Seminar Staff will be in the Vendor Pavilion offering panels on engaging kids in CrossFit, the importance of CrossFit in the fire and military community, and how to work on becoming a competitive athlete.
  • Chris Hinshaw, the Burgener Weightlifting team, and experts from CrossFit Gymnastics, as well as CrossFit Health, will be making presentations.
  • Momentous and YETI will bring experts on varying topics, from how to enhance performance to how CrossFit influences sports performance for PBR and MLF athletes.

Here is the schedule for the lectures and panels:

Shop

• If you need a break from all the fitness, check out all the shopping options on Sponsor Row.
  • NOBULL
  • Rogue Fitness
  • Momentous 
  • GOWOD
  • Trifecta
  • Ice Barrel
  • U.S. Army
  • Bear KompleX
  • Assault
  • GORUCK
  • G-SHOCK
  • YETI
  • ISLE
  • Jocko GO/Jocko MOLK
  • Perfect Hydration
• Vendor Pavilion: There will be more vendors over in the Pavilion including the new CrossFit Store, full of CrossFit-branded gear.
  • Check out the Element 26 booth on 8/5 for a Dani Speegle Meet & Greet, from 1-2 PM.

Fan Appreciation Days

There will be four themed appreciation days at the 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games, with each day recognizing a particular group of service members in our community. 

Members belonging to each group will receive a free Festival ticket on their respective day with their eligible ID.

• Momentous: Thursday, Aug. 3 – Teacher and Administrator Appreciation Day 
• Trifecta: Friday, Aug. 4 – Firefighter, Healthcare, and Law Enforcement Appreciation Day 
• U.S. Army: Saturday, Aug. 5 – Military Service Appreciation Day 
• NOBULL: Sunday, Aug. 6 – Student Appreciation Day 

One Final Note

• To receive your tickets, remember to download the Ticketmaster app so you can access your mobile tickets!
• If you can’t make the trek to Madison this year, do not fret; there will be an abundance of coverage!
• Tune in to our Instagram to check out great post-event clips and wrap-ups.

Make sure to check out the special Games editions of our daily newsletter and daily breakdowns!

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