From its humble origins as a wad of cash ($500 each, to be exact) that passed from Dave Castro’s hand to James “OPT” Fitzgerald and Jolie Gentry in 2007, the CrossFit Games prize purse has grown significantly to around $3.3 million in both the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
The top prize for the Fittest Man and Fittest Woman on Earth was $315,000 in these seasons.
- Over the past 14 years, the prize purse has been supported by title sponsors like Reebok and NOBULL. More recently, it’s been supported by presenting and apparel sponsors, like GORUCK and Northern Spirit, and by CrossFit LLC itself.
This all changes for the 2025 CrossFit Games prize purse.
One big thing: CrossFit is betting big on community backing as they will now fund the prize purse for the season based upon 50% of every $20 Open registration fee.
- As illustrated below, this new system of funding the season opens up some earning opportunities for affiliates and some individuals while likely limiting earning opportunities for the majority.
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Remind Me
At a virtual Affiliate Town Hall meeting in November, General Manager of Sport Dave Castro announced that “the Open for all stages, for all athletes, for the community, fundamentally [will be] the foundation for the [CrossFit Games] prize money.”
- Last week, the Games team released the official 2025 CrossFit Games rulebook. (Read the full thing here).
In “Appendix F: Prize Money Distributions” of the rulebook, HQ stated that half of each 2025 Open registration ($10 per $20 registration fee) will fund the 2025 CrossFit Games Season prize purse.
Of that 50%, the prize purse for the 2025 CrossFit Games season will be allocated as follows:
- 2025 CrossFit Open: Affiliate Prizes – 20% (split between participation and performance prizes).
- 2025 CrossFit Open: Top Individual Performers – 5%.
- Individual Semifinals: 3%
- Individual Games: 49%
- Affiliate Cup Games (Teams): 10%
- Masters: 10%
- Adaptive: 3%
The Details
The CrossFit rulebook provided an example based on a hypothetical 300,000 registrants.
- That level of participation in the Open would generate $6,000,000, of which $3,000,000 would be earmarked for the Games season total prize purse payout.
Based on the example of 300,000 registrants, CrossFit LLC would get $3,000,000, and then $3,000,000 will be split as follows:
| Open – Affiliates | $600,000 |
| Open – Individual | $150,000 |
| Online Semifinal | $90,000 |
| Games – Individual | $1,470,000 |
| Games – Teams | $300,000 |
| Masters Games | $300,000 |
| Adaptive Games | $90,000 |
The example, while helpful, may cause some confusion down the road if the total number of registrations is off the mark of 300,000.
- It’s worth noting that 300,000 registrants would be nearly a 13% drop from the 344,000 who registered in 2024.
Beneath the dollar amounts that CrossFit laid out are percentages of the total prize purse split between the season and the divisions once you get to the CrossFit Games.
The percentages listed below are the percentage of the total prize purse. An appendix of our own with the full percentage breakdown is below, but here’s a summary breakdown:
Open – Affiliate Prizes
Affiliate Open Prizes: 20%
- Participation Prizes: 10%
- Performance Prizes: 10%
Open – Individual Top Performer Prizes
Individual Open Prizes: 5%
- Weekly Podium Finishers: 2.5%
- Overall Open Podium: 2.5%
Individual Semifinals
Online Semifinal: 3%
- Men: 1.5%
- Women: 1.5%
CrossFit Games
CrossFit Games – Individual: 49%
- Men: 24.5%
- Women: 24.5%
CrossFit Games Affiliate Cup (Teams): 10%
Divisional Games: 13%
- Masters: 10%
- Adaptive: 3%
What If Open Registration Is Not 300,000 in 2025?
Using these percentages, you can then apply them to any total registration numbers to generate each payout amount for each category:
At 350,000, which would reflect slight growth from last season, the total revenue would be $7,000,000. The amount devoted to the prize purse would be $3,500,000 and breaks down like this:
| Open – Affiliates | $700,000 |
| Open – Individual | $175,000 |
| Online Semifinal | $105,000 |
| Games – Individual | $1,715,000 |
| Games – Teams | $350,000 |
| Masters Games | $350,000 |
| Adaptive Games | $105,000 |
In this case, the top prize for Fittest on Earth would be $428,750, and 20th place at the Games would be $4,288. Meanwhile, the Affiliate Cup would come with $105,000
- In addition, 140 Affiliates would get participation prizes and performance prizes of $2,500 Rogue Fitness gift cards.
Winning the In-Affiliate (online) Semifinal would award the athlete $13,125, while winning the Open would come with a $21,875 prize.
At 250,000, the revenue would be $5,000,000 and the total prize purse would be $2,500,000. Here’s how that breaks down:
| Open – Affiliates | $500,000 |
| Open – Individual | $125,000 |
| Online Semifinal | $75,000 |
| Games – Individual | $1,225,000 |
| Games – Teams | $250,000 |
| Masters Games | $250,000 |
| Adaptive Games | $75,000 |
In this case, the top prize for Fittest on Earth would be $306,250, and 20th place at the Games would be $3,063. The Affiliate Cup would come with $75,000.
- In addition, 100 Affiliates would get participation prizes and performance prizes of $2,500 Rogue Fitness gift cards.
Winning the In-Affiliate (online) Semifinal would award the athlete $9,375, while the Open winner would receive $15,625.
For context, here are those same amounts from the 2024 prize pool:
- Fittest on Earth: $315,000
- 20th Place at Games: $8,000
- Affiliate Cup: $100,000
- Affiliates: $0
- Semifinals 1st Place (In-Person): $10,000
- Open 1st Place: $15,000
Here’s a really useful Prize Purse calculator created by Fran Lung Analytics.
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How Much Would Athletes Make in 2025, Based on 2024 Placements?
Comparing the CrossFit Games prize money from 2024 to 2025 (based on 300,000 Open registrants) reveals some significant differences right away.
Both Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr and James Sprague would win more, which is a bit obvious when the prize for Fittest on Earth goes from $315,000 to $367,500. However, the details are a bit more complicated.
- For example, placing in the top three in an event at the Games is not listed for prize money as it was in previous seasons.
| Champions | 2024 CrossFit Games Prize Money | 2025 CrossFit Games, Example with 300k Open Registrants | Difference |
| Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr | $335,000 (1st | $315,000 + $20,000 event podium prizes) | $367,500 (1st place) | + $32,500 |
| James Sprague | $320,000 (1st | $315,000 + $5,000 event podium prizes) | $367,500 (1st place) | + $47,500 |
For everyone else we reviewed, the prize money went down.
| Athlete | 2024 CrossFit Games Prize Money | 2025 CrossFit Games, Example with 300k Open Registrants | Difference |
| Dallin Pepper | $130,000 (2nd | $125,000 + $5,000 event podium prizes) | $73,500 | – $56,500 |
| Gabi Migała | $129,000 (2nd | $125,000 + $4,000 event podium prizes) | $73,500 | – $55,500 |
| Brent Fikowski | $90,000 (3rd | $85,000 + $5,000 event podium prizes) | $58,800 | – $31,200 |
| Emily Rolfe | $89,000 (3rd | $85,000 + $4,000 event podium prizes) | $58,800 | – $30,200 |
| Haley Adams | $50,000 (5th | $45,000 + $5,000 event podium prizes) | $25,725 | – $24,275 |
| Justin Medeiros | $35,000 (8th | $32,000 + $3,000 event podium prizes) | $16,170 | – $18,830 |
| Jayson Hopper | $68,000 (4th | $60,000 + $8,000 event podium prizes) | $51,450 | – $16,550 |
| Alex Gazan | $28,000 (10th | $26,000 + $2,000 (event podium prizes) | $14,700 | – $13,300 |
Full Prize Purse Percentage Breakdown
Below is the full prize purse percentage breakdown referenced above.
Open – Affiliate Prizes
Affiliate Open Prizes: 20%
- Participation Prizes: 10%
- Performance Prizes: 10%
Open – Individual Top Performer Prizes
Individual Open Prizes: 5%
Weekly Podium Finishers: 2.5%
- 25.1 1st place Man: 0.21%
- 25.2 1st place Man: 0.21%
- 25.3 1st place Man: 0.21%
- 25.1 2nd place Man: 0.13%
- 25.2 2nd place Man: 0.13%
- 25.3 2nd place Man: 0.13%
- 25.1 3rd place Man: 0.08%
- 25.2 3rd place Man: 0.08%
- 25.3 3rd place Man: 0.08%
- 25.1 1st place Woman: 0.21%
- 25.2 1st place Woman: 0.21%
- 25.3 1st place Woman: 0.21%
- 25.1 2nd place Woman: 0.13%
- 25.2 2nd place Woman: 0.13%
- 25.3 2nd place Woman: 0.13%
- 25.1 3rd place Woman: 0.08%
- 25.2 3rd place Woman: 0.08%
- 25.3 3rd place Woman: 0.08%
Overall Open Podium: 2.5%
- 1st Man: 0.63%
- 2nd Man: 0.38%
- 3rd Man: 0.25%
- 1st Woman: 0.63%
- 2nd Woman: 0.38%
- 3rd Woman: 0.25%
Individual Semifinals
Online Semifinal: 3%
Men: 1.5%
- 1st: 0.38%
- 2nd: 0.18%
- 3rd: 0.17%
- 4th: 0.15%
- 5th: 0.14%
- 6th: 0.12%
- 7th: 0.11%
- 8th: 0.09%
- 9th: 0.08%
- 10th: 0.06%
- 11th: 0.05%
Women: 1.5%
- 1st: 0.38%
- 2nd: 0.18%
- 3rd: 0.17%
- 4th: 0.15%
- 5th: 0.14%
- 6th: 0.12%
- 7th: 0.11%
- 8th: 0.09%
- 9th: 0.08%
- 10th: 0.06%
- 11th: 0.05%
2025 CrossFit Games Prize Purse
CrossFit Games – Individual: 49%
Men: 24.5%
- 1st: 12.25%
- 2nd: 2.45%
- 3rd: 1.96%
- 4th: 1.72%
- 5th: 0.86%
- 6th: 0.66%
- 7th: 0.61%
- 8th: 0.54%
- 9th: 0.51%
- 10th: 0.49%
- 11th: 0.42%
- 12th: 0.37%
- 13th: 0.29%
- 14th: 0.27%
- 15th: 0.25%
- 16th: 0.22%
- 17th: 0.20%
- 18th: 0.17%
- 19th: 0.15%
- 20th: 0.12%
Women: 24.5%
- 1st: 12.25%
- 2nd: 2.45%
- 3rd: 1.96%
- 4th: 1.72%
- 5th: 0.86%
- 6th: 0.66%
- 7th: 0.61%
- 8th: 0.54%
- 9th: 0.51%
- 10th: 0.49%
- 11th: 0.42%
- 12th: 0.37%
- 13th: 0.29%
- 14th: 0.27%
- 15th: 0.25%
- 16th: 0.22%
- 17th: 0.20%
- 18th: 0.17%
- 19th: 0.15%
- 20th: 0.12%
CrossFit Games Affiliate Cup (Teams): 10%
- 1st: 3.00%
- 2nd: 2.00%
- 3rd: 1.50%
- 4th: 0.70%
- 5th: 0.50%
- 6th: 0.35%
- 7th: 0.27%
- 8th: 0.25%
- 9th: 0.22%
- 10th: 0.20%
- 11th: 0.18%
- 12th: 0.15%
- 13th: 0.12%
- 14th: 0.11%
- 15th: 0.10%
- 16th: 0.09%
- 17th: 0.08%
- 18th: 0.07%
- 19th: 0.06%
- 20th: 0.05%
Divisional Games
- Masters: 10%
- Adaptive: 3%
More CrossFit News
- The Definitive Guide to Qualifying for the 2025 CrossFit Games
- World Fitness Project Announces Locations, Dates for 2025 World Fitness Tour
- 7 Burning Questions for the 2025 CrossFit Games Season
Featured image: Susana Rodriguez
