During his Week in Review for August 11, the Director of Sport for CrossFit, Dave Castro, 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 teased a blast from the past: “Many people are talking about Carson, [CA], and everybody is 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. 

The Games started in 2007, in Aromas, CA, at Dave Castro’s family ranch. Castro and CrossFit founder Greg Glassman gathered a small group of about 70 athletes to test workouts chosen at random.

From that year onward, the Games and the sport of CrossFit began their rise. 

The Ranch – Aromas, CA

Now known as “The CrossFit Ranch,” it was the original home of the Games and will always be a legendary place for the sport. The Ranch’s landscape offers iconic hill sprints and epic outdoor battles. 

• The Ranch hosted the Games from 2007 to 2009. Athletes returned to the Ranch in 2016 to kick off the tenth anniversary and complete three events before returning to Aromas, CA.

The last time athletes competed at the ranch was in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Only five men and five women took part in the final stage of the Games. 

The Games haven’t returned to the Ranch since 2020, but there is speculation that athletes could return for the 20th anniversary in 2026. 

Though it’s still just speculation, it could be pretty amazing to bring it back to where it all started again. 

Carson, CA

The Home Depot Center became the home of the Games in 2010 after it outgrew the Ranch’s capacity. 

This sports venue provided the setting for some of the biggest battles in the sport’s history and the place where Rich Froning was crowned Fittest Man on Earth four times consecutively. 

• This location became the birthplace of the “under the lights” events at the Games, where fans filled the tennis stadium to watch athletes compete on Friday and Saturday nights, depending on the year. 

Carson hosted the Games until 2016. During those six years, the season schedule changed to include stages such as Regionals and Sectionals. 

• It also became associated with names like Froning, Jason Kalipa, and “The Dottirs” (Annie Thorisdottir, Katrin Davíðsdóttir, and Sara Sigmundsdottir). 

It was where some of the CrossFit greats got their start and will always be remembered as one of the most nostalgic locations of the Games. 

Madison, WI 

The Games moved in 2017 to the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, WI. 

It was the first time the Games were held outside California, and the location became a crowd favorite thanks to the charming Midwest vibe of the college town, its beautiful weather, and how locals embraced the sport and its fans. 

• Madison, like Carson, became a springboard for some of the sport’s top athletes, including Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr, Laura Horvath, Jeffrey Adler, Brent Fikowski, and others. 

The weather and terrain in Madison also made for a great outdoor setting. Fans filled North Park to watch athletes perform feats like flipping “The Pig” and navigating obstacle courses. 

The capital city of Wisconsin hosted the Games until 2019. It returned after the pandemic and remained there until 2023. 

It’s easily one of the community’s favorite Games locations, with moments like Rebecca Fuselier climbing the stairs during “The Capitol” that make it stand out.

Fort Worth, TX

The Games moved to Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, TX, in 2024, after much speculation about where the top event would be relocated following six years in Madison. 

The new venue was intended to energize the sport, but it became a disaster after an athlete died during the first event of the weekend. 

• Lazar Ðukić’s death (rightfully so) cast a dark cloud over the rest of that year’s Games, and the community hasn’t been the same since. 

Unfortunately for Fort Worth, the community’s main association with that place is the tragic accident involving Ðukić. While ticket sales figures are difficult to find, CrossFit CEO Don Faul estimated that 15,000 fans would attend that year. 

Will the Games ever return to Fort Worth? That seems to be a big question, and it’s unclear if it’s possible. 

But generally speaking, Texas in August isn’t as appealing as Madison or maybe even Carson someday. 

Albany, NY

In 2025, the Games made their way to the MVP Arena in Albany, NY. 

• This location was probably chosen at the last minute due to the unfortunate events from the previous year. 

One upside was that the capital of New York State enjoyed sunny, warm weather for most of the weekend. The first event, held outdoors, proved the perfect morning for a run/row/run event.

• Unlike previous years, the Games lasted just three days. The fan experience was also noticeably different, with fewer vendors and a smaller footprint around the city compared to earlier years. 

For most fans, it felt like a temporary space with hopes of relocating in 2026. 

The Morning Chalk Up informally surveyed readers and found that most preferred Madison or Carson over the other locations. Here was the percentage breakdown of total respondents:

• Albany, NY (8.1%)
• Fort Worth, TX (6.12%)
• Madison, WI (43.67%)
• Carson, CA (29.38%)
• Somewhere else? (12.6%)

The Bottom Line 

Each location had its pros and cons, some more than others. 

• However, fans and athletes are more likely to feel a connection to one location over another due to personal experiences. 

It appears that fans might find a return to Madison or Carson particularly appealing because, after all, who doesn’t enjoy some CrossFit nostalgia?

Featured image credit: Enrique Villaseńor