New Champs, Reigning Champs: 2026 Rogue Invitational Sets Up a Showdown in Aberdeen
Reigning champions Jeffrey Adler and Laura Horvath head into the 2026 Rogue Invitational in Aberdeen, Scotland, this weekend with a target on their backs, as longtime rivals and a wave of newcomers aim to knock them off the podium.
The Details
This will be the third consecutive year the event is held in Scotland. The event runs from Friday, October 23, to Sunday, October 25, at P&J Live.
The Rogue Invitational marks the end of many athletes’ 2026 season and offers a final chance to compete before they prepare for the year ahead (the WFP Finals will also take place in Copenhagen in December). The 2027 CrossFit Open begins Thursday, February 18.
The event is known for its heavy barbell lifts, odd objects, and challenging programming, since athletes can use any Rogue equipment. As of publication, most of the workouts have been released.
A few movements to highlight include:
- Viking press
- Yoke carry
- Axle clean and jerk
- Log muscle-ups
There is also a scheduled spot for the workout ‘The Duel VI’ which typically consists of a combination of odd object movements. Last year, ‘The Duel V’ consisted of log traverse, hand-over-hand sled pulls, and a bag-to-pedestal. In 2024, ‘The Duel IV’ had athletes going up and over hay bales and navigating power stair steps.
The final workout, named the “Highland Sprint,” has also yet to be released.
Who to Watch
Horvath, who did not compete at the 2026 CrossFit Games, will look to hold off last year’s runner-up, Alex Gazan, and 2026 CrossFit Games champion Aimee Cringle.
Gazan, known for her strength and pulling capacity, finished fourth at the Games this year. Just a year after recovering from a serious car accident in which she sustained a fractured fibula.
Cringle came onto the elite CrossFit scene just a few years ago. She first appeared at the Games in 2024, finishing 13th, and in 2025, she finished 8th. The British athlete will be making her first Rogue appearance and will be a popular athlete to watch as she continues her impressive run this year.
Despite Gazan and Cringle’s success, Horvath could hold onto her title. She placed second at the World Fitness Project Tour Stop 2 Grand Park Pro event in August. One spot ahead of Cringle.
The battle among these three women, and others, will make for an exciting weekend.
Other athletes to watch:
- Emma Lawson (finished second at the Games)
- Lucy Campbell (finished in third place at the Games)
- Olivia Kerstetter
- Danielle Brandon
On the men’s side, all eyes will be on Adler to see if he can pull off another win after a less successful season than in years past. He finished in seventh place at the Games and did not compete in Tour Stop 1 or 2 of the World Fitness Project.
This will be his first competition since the Games, but Adler is known for raw strength and incredible aerobic capacity, two elements crucial to success at Rogue. He won back-to-back at Rogue in 2024 and 2025.
James Sprague, the 2026 CrossFit Games men’s champion, will be competing and is likely one of Adler’s biggest threats. Last year’s Rogue podium finishers, Justin Medeiros and Roman Khrennikov, aren’t competing this weekend, leaving the door open for Sprague and other athletes who have come dangerously close to the top. Sprague finished in fourth place at Rogue last year.
Separately, Jay Crouch and Dallin Pepper have a good chance of winning or standing on the podium at Rogue. Crouch and Pepper finished in second and third place at the Games this year, respectively. Pepper will be looking for vengeance after withdrawing from the 2025 Rogue Invitational due to rhabdomyolysis.
Other athletes to watch:
- Jayson Hopper
- Ricky Garard
- Colten Mertens
- Chandler Smith
- Guilherme Malheiros
How to Watch
The second-best option after attending in person is watching the event on the livestream.
Rogue typically updates the leaderboard in real time and keeps the website schedule up to date. Outside of CrossFit, Rogue also hosts Strongwoman and Strongman events throughout the weekend.
The reigning champs, Adler and Horvath, will have a lot to fight for as Horvath seeks back-to-back championships, while Adler is hoping for a three-peat. The event kicks off Friday and is always an exciting competition to follow as athletes go through a grueling three-day program.
With ‘The Duel VI’ and the ‘Highland Sprint’ still under wraps, the final results could come down to the events no one knows about yet.
