The 2026 CrossFit Games Are Headed to San Jose, California
On the October 22 edition of the Sport of Fitness Podcast, CrossFit HQ announced that the 2026 CrossFit Games will be held July 24-26 at the SAP Center in San Jose, CA.
More specifically, podcast host Chase Ingraham gave the floor to eight-time Games champion Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr to make the location announcement.
- Regarding whether she will compete for her ninth title this summer, Toomey-Orr, who has been considering retirement lately, didn’t say.
About the SAP Center
The SAP Center is an indoor arena that is home to the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League. It can hold nearly 18,000 spectators.
Toomey-Orr said she has been there before to watch the Sharks play and couldn’t be more excited about the venue.
- “From an athlete’s point of view, it’s going to be so electric. We always thought the crowd in Madison was just crazy. But here it’s going to be amplified,” she said.
Also on the podcast, Director of Sport Dave Castro said there was no doubt in their minds that they wanted the 2026 Games to be held in California.
Castro said they looked at going back to Carson and considered San Francisco, but eventually settled on the SAP Center because “it made sense for a lot of reasons.” Two big reasons included avoiding the heat in Carson and improving travel accessibility.
- “The venue is great, the city is great, the local area is amazing,” Castro said.
As excited as Castro is about the SAP Center, he also mentioned a “cool twist” that he will announce on the CrossFit Games podcast soon.
The Big Picture
CrossFit and the CrossFit Games have deep roots in California.
The first CrossFit affiliate was, of course, Greg Glassman’s gym in Santa Cruz, CA, and the first CrossFit Games in 2007 took place at Dave Castro’s family ranch in Aromas.
- The 2008 and 2009 Games were also held in Aromas at what became known as “The CrossFit Ranch,” and then they moved south to Carson, CA, from 2010 to 2016.
After 10 years in California, the CrossFit Games moved to Madison, WI, in 2017, which served as the host city until 2023. However, the 2020 CrossFit Games Finals were held at the CrossFit Ranch due to the pandemic.
- In 2024, the Games were held in Fort Worth, TX, and this summer, they were held in Albany, NY.
Now, after nine years away from the Golden State, it only seems fitting that the CrossFit Games return to where it all started 20 years ago.
Featured image: Shutterstock
