2026 Gymreapers Wodapalooza Wrap Up
The 14th annual Gymreapers Wodapalooza wrapped after four days of typical Miami weather – sun, wind, heavy rain, thunder, and lightning.
While weather delays, adjustments, and cancellations were among the weekend’s main themes, they didn’t overshadow the impressive fitness showcased on the competition floor.
The Results
In the Individual Elite Division, both James Sprague and Lucy Cambell secured back-to-back championships, with the women competing in five events and the men in four, as the men’s events were rained out before the final event could take place on Friday night.
Sprague dominated the field, winning three of the workouts, including the third workout, “Complex, Actually,” a 20-minute-long mix of strict pull-ups (altered from a gymnastics complex due to rain), sandbag cleans and squats, burpees over a log, a beach run, all while wearing a weighted vest and in heavy rain. After the workout, we checked in with the men’s field on their experience. Many agreed that it was one for the books.
- “In the middle of it, while I was doing the pull-ups, and the rain was pouring on me, I look around at the other men, and I thought to myself, ‘I will remember this. This is amazing. When will I ever do something like this again?” Dukic told Morning Chalk Up. Both Sprague and Ty Jenkins agreed.
Because the men’s final workout was canceled due to rain, it was decided that the leaderboard would be set and finalized after four workouts. However, a late appeal was granted, causing the leaderboard to shift later in the weekend, swapping Austin Hatfield, who was in third, with Jonne Koski, who was in fourth.
Dylan Malitsky, Managing Director of Sport for WZA Sports, ultimately awarded both men a tie for third, splitting the prize money between them.
On the women’s side, Estonia’s Andra Moistus put on a show, winning two of the workouts, and was one of only five women to complete CrossFit Open 26.3 in the Individual Elite Division. Until the final workout, the leaderboard among the top four women remained close, as Moistus, Lucy Campbell, Arielle Loewen, and Abbie Domit stayed clustered at the top.
Campbell’s victory on the final test, however, solidified her second straight WZA win. She later said she almost dropped out of the competition, and fans were thankful she didn’t.
The weather cleared, and the competition moved to the Elite Teams on Saturday morning, starting with a 3k beach/water run. Next, they took to the Lifting Stage, where fans got an up-close view of the second workout, “99 Problems,” as we watched the elites power through rounds of Echo Bike, double-unders, heavy hang snatches, and overhead squats.
Our favorite workout of the weekend, hands down, was “Vice Grip,” a nine-round relay of legless rope climbs, box jump overs, and heavy dumbbell snatches.
- In case you missed it, give it a watch. Here is the men’s final heat, and the women’s final heat.
On Sunday, the teams were meant to take on CrossFit Open 26.3 in three heats. After the first group of teammates finished, another thunderstorm rolled in, causing delays that stretched from 20 minutes to an hour, then two hours, until it finally seemed like the weekend was over.
With a score submission deadline looming for the CrossFit Open and the final Gymreapers Wodapalooza workout left incomplete, a handful of local gyms stepped up to accommodate both the elite and community divisions, allowing athletes to finish their workouts and enter valid scores.
The Elite Teams headed to CrossFit Miami Beach, where the event crew ran them through heats with judges. Afterwards, Malitsky shared a few words on the challenges they faced over the weekend and the tough decisions they were forced to make.
Scores were tabulated and finalized, and although there was no official podium ceremony, teams Just Girls (Gabi Migala, Paige Rodgers, and Alexis Raptis) and Team GOWOD (Justin Medeiros, Jayson Hopper, and Dallin Pepper) earned their spots in the record books as Gymreapers Wodapalooza’s 2026 Elite Team winners.
What’s Next
One important thing to note is that, just as Gymreapers Wodapalooza weekend was starting, it was announced that WZA Sports will not only host Wodapalooza SoCal again in September (the third annual) but also expand to Mexico City, Mexico, from December 4-6. This event will essentially serve as an extension of their annual LATAM competition held in Miami Beach.
