The third annual Rogue Invitational has an official date and location. The three-day CrossFit competition will span Oct. 29 through 31, 2021, at the Dell Diamond stadium in Round Rock, TX. Home to the Triple-A Minor League Baseball team Round Rock Express, an affiliate of the Texas Rangers, the Dell Diamond has a seating capacity of 12,000. Unlike the 2020 Rogue Invitational, which was a virtual affair due to safety restrictions to combat COVID-19, the 2021 Rogue Invitational will feature a “festival-like atmosphere” for spectators, according to Rogue Fitness. It will include “unique food & beverage, local beer, vendor village, and many unique sponsor activations.”
Additionally, for the first time, a strongman contest will be included at the event, featuring 10 of the top athletes in the sport competing in classic strongman events such as the Wheel of Pain, the Rogue Elephant Bar deadlift, and more. On top of all that, the Rogue Record Breakers event, which is also often featured at the Arnold Sports Festival, will return to offer athletes a chance to set new world records in the Monster Bell Press, the Steinborn squat, and more.
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Previous winners of the Rogue Invitational include top-tier athletes in CrossFit, including now-retired five-time Fittest Man on Earth® Mat Fraser, four-time reigning Fittest Woman on Earth Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr. Toomey-Orr is the only female winner ever at the Rogue Invitational, having claimed gold in 2019 and 2020. She was joined at the top of the podium by Patrick Vellner in 2020, who won gold in the men’s division.
The timing of the 2021 Rogue Invitational positions it as a major event for CrossFit and strongman athletes alike. Both of the biggest events of the year for each sport — The NOBULL CrossFit Games and the World’s Strongest Man (WSM), respectively — take place over the summer. Here are those dates:
- 2021 NOBULL CrossFit Games — July 27 through Aug. 1, 2021 — Madison, WI
- 2020 WSM Contest — June 15 through 20, 2021 — Sacramento, CA
Which strongmen will earn entry to the 2021 Rogue Invitational is still to be determined. A 10-athlete roster is less than half the size of the roster at the 2020 WSM but does parallel the number of athletes that qualify for the WSM Finals each year.
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Concerning spectators returning to witness in-person competition, Rogue Fitness did state in their press release that “all necessary Covid-19 considerations and contingency plans will be made and the format of the Invitational will follow established CDC guidelines.” Hopefully, the crowd will see top athletes from multiple strength disciplines put on a show as they attempt record-breaking feats of strength.
Feature image: @rogueinvitational on Instagram
