A (Brief) History of the CrossFit Games

Love to hate it or hate to love it — and there’s really no in-between — CrossFit has undeniably become a fitness phenomenon over the last 25 years. With more than 10,000 affiliates in 2024, CrossFit might be one of the most recognizable forms of weightlifting and gymnastics movements in the average gymgoer consciousness.

Whether you’re dedicated to your local box or just want to know what the heck everyone is doing when they hop over the barbell and on top of a plyo box, we’re diving into a bit of history of the CrossFit Games. Tighten your weight belt and let’s get into it.

Origin of CrossFit

In 2000, the functional fitness brand CrossFit — a combination of “cross-discipline” and “fitness” — was founded by personal trainer Greg Glassman, along with Lauren Jenai. (The two were a married couple at the time.) 

Sometimes referred to as a “sport” and other times referred to as a “methodology,” CrossFit often refers to functional workouts that mix weightlifting and gymnastics movements with high-intensity cardiovascular activities — from burpees and 5k trail runs to intense sessions on air bikes and ski ergs.

In 2001, the first CrossFit gym was opened by the founding couple in Santa Cruz, CA, largely releasing workouts that were picked up by police and military members. From there, “affiliates” slowly began to pop up — gyms across the country that wanted to use this type of training for their own clients. A certification curriculum followed, and it was off to the races from there.

Still, there were a handful of years to go before the methodology morphed into a spectator sport.

First CrossFit Games

2007. Aromas, California. Even if you’re not an aficionado of the sport’s history, you’ve probably heard commentators at the Games bring up then-Games Director Dave Castro’s Ranch in Aromas. 

In basketball or football, you won’t know what happens until it plays out on the field — but the CrossFit Games intentionally brought this kind of unknown to a different level. Games athletes only find out what workouts they’ll be doing days, hours, or even minutes before they compete.

The goal of the CrossFit Games is to find the Fittest on Earth®, but the first Games didn’t have a qualification process. About 70 athletes went toe-to-toe for three events over, awarding $500 to both Jolie Gentry and James Fitzgerald, who won the women’s and men’s divisions, respectively. CrossFit Santa Cruz took home the inaugural team victory.

The workouts that the athletes battled through are very familiar to Games fans today. Even if they don’t recognize them from 2007, the components of a classic CrossFit workout are still there. Here’s how it went:

Event 1

• 1,000 meter-row

5 rounds:

• 25 pull-ups
• 7 push-jerks

135-pounds for men | 95 pounds for women*

*Though trans athletes became allowed to participate with other members of their gender in 2019 — albeit with restrictions — no provisions for nonbinary athletes are currently on the books in CrossFit.

Event 2

• 5k terrain run

Event 3

CrossFit Total, established by three attempts within a four-minute window for each lift

• 1RM Back Squat
• 1RM Shoulder Press
• 1RM Deadlift

All CrossFit Games Winners 

The Games have come a long way since 2007. We currently have the winningest Individual CrossFit athlete of all time — Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr — who’s been crowned the Fittest Woman on Earth® six times. 

And in 2023, Caroline Lambray became the first Black woman (and indeed, first Black coach or woman coach) to coach an Individual athlete to the top of the podium (her trainee and partner Jeff Adler). 

Below are the athletes that have come out on top in each division:

Women’s Individual

• Jolie Gentry (2007)
• Caity Matter (2008)
• Tanya Wagner (2009)
• Kristan Clever (2010)
• Annie Thorisdottir (2011)
• Annie Thorisdottir (2012)
• Sam Briggs (2013)
• Camille Leblanc-Bazinet (2014)
• Katrín Davíðsdóttir (2015)
• Katrín Davíðsdóttir (2016)
• Tia-Clair Toomey (2017)
• Tia-Clair Toomey (2018)
• Tia-Clair Toomey (2019)
• Tia-Clair Toomey (2020)
• Tia-Clair Toomey (2021)
• Tia-Clair Toomey (2022)
• Laura Horvath (2023)

Men’s Individual

• James Fitzgerald (2007)
• Jason Khalipa (2008)
• Mikko Salo (2009)
• Graham Holmberg (2010)
• Rich Froning Jr. (2011)
• Rich Froning Jr. (2012)
• Rich Froning Jr. (2013)
• Rich Froning Jr. (2014)
• Ben Smith (2015)
• Mat Fraser (2016)
• Mat Fraser (2017)
• Mat Fraser (2018)
• Mat Fraser (2019)
• Mat Fraser (2020)
• Justin Medeiros (2021)
• Justin Medeiros (2022)
• Jeffrey Adler (2023)

Team

• CrossFit Santa Cruz (2007)
• CrossFit Oakland (2008)
• Northwest CrossFit (2009)
• CrossFit Fort Vancouver (2010)
• CrossFit New England (2011)
• Hack’s Pack UTE (2012)
• Kach’s Pack UTE (2013)
• CrossFit Invictus (2014)
• CrossFit Mayhem Freedom (2015)
• CrossFit Mayhem Freedom (2016)
• Wasatch CrossFit (2017)
• CrossFit Mayhem Freedom (2018)
• CrossFit Mayhem Freedom (2019)
• CrossFit Mayhem Freedom (2021)
• CrossFit Mayhem Freedom (2022)
• CrossFit Invictus (2023)

Adaptive Divisions

Adaptive athletes only joined the Games in 2021, with several other Adaptive divisions only going as far as the Semifinals. In 2024, however, WheelWOD will begin hosting the Adaptive CrossFit Games in partnership with CrossFit, hosting many more divisions and athletes throughout the season and championship.

Upper Extremity — Women

• Sabrina Daniela Lopez (2021)
• Camille Vigneault (2022)
• Christina Mazzullo (2023)

Upper Extremity — Men

• Casey Acree (2021)
• Casey Acree (2022)
• Casey Acree (2023)

Lower Extremity — Women

• Valerie Cohen (2021)
• Valerie Cohen (2022)
• Valerie Cohen (2023)

Lower Extremity — Men

• Ole Kristian Antonsen (2021)
• Charles Pienaar (2022)
• Rogan Dean (2023)

Neuromuscular — Women

• Shannon Ogar (2021)
• Morgan Johnson (2022)
• Noelle Henderson (2023)

Neuromuscular — Men

• Brett Horchar (2021)
• Brett Horchar (2022)
• Chris Rhyme (2023)

Age Group Divisions

While the Masters’ Divisions kicked off competition in 2010, the Teen Divisions got their start in 2015. Starting in 2024, the age group divisions will not participate in the CrossFit Games with the Individuals and Teams. Instead, the Teens will participate in the Pit Teen Throwdown and the Masters will duke it out for the top spot at the Legends Championship.

14-15 — Girls

• Sydney Sullivan (2015)
• Kaela Stephano (2016)
• Chloe Smith (2017)
• Olivia Sulek (2018)
• Emma Cary (2019)
• Olivia Kerstetter (2021)
• Lucy McGonigle (2022)
• Maria Granizo (2023)

14-15 — Boys

• Angelo Dicicco (2015)
• Vincent Ramirez (2016)
• Dallin Pepper (2017)
• Tudor Magda (2018)
• David Bradley (2019)
• Ty Jenkins (2021)
• RJ Mestre (2022)
• Jeremie Jourdan (2023)

16-17 — Girls

• Isabella Vallejo (2015)
• Allison Weiss (2016)
• Kaela Stephano (2017)
• Haley Adams (2018)
• Chloe Smith (2019)
• Emma Lawson (2021)
• Olivia Kerstetter (2022)
• Lucy McGonigle (2023)

16-17 — Boys

• Nicholas Paladino (2015)
• Nicholas Paladino (2016)
• Angelo Dicicco (2017)
• Dallin Pepper (2018)
• Dallin Pepper (2019)
• Nate Ackermann (2021)
• Ty Jenkins (2022)
• Ty Jenkins (2023)

35-39 — Women

• Stephanie Roy (2017)
• Anna Tobias (2018)
• Anna Tobias (2019)
• Whitney Gelin (2021)
• Emilia Leppänen (2022)
• Laurie Clement (2023)

35-39 — Men

• Kyle Kasperbauer (2017)
• Kyle Kasperbauer (2018)
• Nick Urankar (2019)
• Kyle Kasperbauer (2021)
• Bryan Wong (2022)
• Sam Dancer (2023)

40-44 — Women

• Amanda Allen (2013)
• Amanda Allen (2014)
• Janet Black (2015)
• Helen Harding (2016)
• Helen Harding (2017)
• Stephanie Roy (2018)
• Joey Kimdon (2019)
• Kelly Friel (2021)
• Kelly Friel (2022)
• Samantha Briggs (2023)

40-44 — Men

• Michal Moseley (2013)
• Shawn Ramirez (2014)
• Shawn Ramirez (2015)
• Shawn Ramirez (2016)
• Shawn Ramirez (2017)
• Neal Maddox (2018)
• Jason Grubb (2019)
• Maxime Guyon (2021)
• Rudolph Berger (2022)
• Rudolph Berger (2023)

45-49 — Women

• Susan Habbe (2011)
• Lisa Mikkelsen (2012)
• Lisa Mikkelsen (2013)
• Kim Holway (2014)
• Kylie Massi (2015)
• Cheryl Brost (2016)
• Cheryl Brost (2017)
• Amanda Allen (2018)
• Janet Black (2019)
• Annie Sakamoto (2021)
• Ali Crawford (2022)
• Kelly Friel (2023)

45-49 — Men

• Scott DeTore (2011)
• Gene LaMonica (2012)
• Ron Ortiz (2013)
• Jerry Hill (2014)
• Matthew Swift (2015)
• Ron Mathews (2016)
• Robert Davis (2017)
• Robert Davis (2018)
• Joel Hughes (2019)
• Jason Grubb (2021)
• Jason Grubb (2022)
• Jason Grubb (2023)

50-54 — Women

• Laurie Carver (2010)
• Mary Beth Litsheim (2011)
• Susan Habbe (2012)
• Colleen Fahey (2013)
• Mary Beth Litsheim (2014)
• Cindy Kelley (2015)
• Shellie Edington (2016)
• Marion Valkenburg (2017)
• Eva Thorton (2018)
• Jana Slyder (2019)
• Tia Vesser (2021)
• Kim Purdy (2022)
• Cheryl Brost (2023)

50-54 — Men

• Brian Curley (2010)
• Gord MacKinnon (2011)
• Gord MacKinnon (2012)
• Craig Howard (2013)
• Will Powell (2014)
• Joe Ames (2015)
• Ron Ortiz (2016)
• Kevin Koester (2017)
• Cliff Musgrave (2018)
• Kevin Koester (2019)
• Bernard Luzi (2021)
• Sean Patrick (2022)
• Jason Leeves (2023)

55-59 — Women

• Laurie Carver (2010)
• Shelley Noyce (2011)
• Marnel King (2012)
• Gabriele Schlicht (2013)
• Susan Clarke (2014)
• Susan Clarke (2015)
• Mary Beth Prodromides (née Litsheim) (2016)
• Susan Clarke (2017)
• Mary Beth Prodromides (2018)
• Laurie Meschishnick (2019)
• Laurie Meschishnick (2021)
• Shanna Bruce (2022)
• Leka Fineman (2023)

55-59 — Men

• Brian Curley (2010)
• Steve Anderson (2011)
• Tim Anderson (2012)
• Hilmar Hardarson (2013)
• Steve Hamming (2014)
• Will Powell (2015)
• Will Powell (2016)
• Shannon Aiken (2017)
• Brig Edwards (2018)
• Joe Ames (2019)
• Vincent Diephius (2021)
• Mike Egan (2022)
• Kevin Koester (2023)

60-64 — Women

• Laurie Carver (2010)
• Betsy Finley (2011)
• Mary Schwing (2012)
• Sharon Lapkoff (2013)
• Karen Wattier (2014)
• Rosalie Glenn (2015)
• Shaun Havard (2016)
• Patty Failla (2017)
• Shaun Havard (2018)
• Susan Clarke (2019)
• Susan Clarke (2021)
• Mary Beth Prodromides (2022)
• Susan Clarke (2023)

60-64 — Men

• Brian Curley (2010)
• Greg Walker (2011)
• Scott Olson (2012)
• Scott Olson (2013)
• Scott Olson (2014)
• Steve Pollini (2015)
• David Hippensteel (2016)
• David Hippensteel (2017)
• David Hippensteel (2018)
• Gord MacKinnon (2019)
• Will Powell (2021)
• Shannon Aiken (2022)
• Stuart Swanson (2023)

65+ — Women

• Laurie Carver (2010)
• Betsy Finley (2011)
• Mary Schwing (2012)
• Sharon Lapkoff (2013)
• Karen Wattier (2014)
• Rosalie Glenn (2015)
• Shaun Havard (2016)
• Patty Failla (2017)
• Shaun Havard (2018)
• Susan Clarke (2019)
• Patty Bauer (2021)
• Julie Holt (2022)
• Julie Holt (2023)

65+ — Men

• Brian Curley (2010)
• Greg Walker (2011)
• Scott Olson (2012)
• Scott Olson (2013)
• Scott Olson (2014)
• Steve Pollini (2015)
• David Hippensteel (2016)
• David Hippensteel (2017)
• David Hippensteel (2018)
• Gord MacKinnon (2019)
• Ken Ogden (2021)
• Cal Cherrington (2022)
• Daniel Miller (2023)

All CrossFit Games Sponsors and Locations

Since 2007, the Games have developed from a low-budget backyard-style competition to an event with hundreds of athletes in dozens of divisions, with big-name sponsors like Reebok and NOBULL.

At the time of this writing, in 2024, Goruck has been announced as the title sponsor of CrossFit, as involvement with armed forces and advertising has also been on the rise in the sport. Here’s a list of all the CrossFit Games sponsors over the years.

• Reebok (2011-2020)
• NOBULL (2021-2023)
• Goruck (2024)

The Games have expanded their locations, too — in quite a big way. Here are the places the Games have traveled to since its inception in 2007.

• CrossFit Ranch, Aromas, CA (2007-2009)
• StubHub Center (then Home Depot Center), Carson, CA (2010-2016)
• Alliant Energy Center, Madison, WI (2017-2019)
• CrossFit Ranch, Aromas, CA (2020)
• Alliant Energy Center, Madison, WI (2021-2023)
• Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, TX (2024)

The Future of CrossFit

In 2024, CrossFit is likely to experience quite a shake-up. All divisions aside from Individuals and Teams will have their own competitions, allowing those athletes to potentially receive more attention, spotlight, and resources. 

Many formerly Individual athletes are choosing to go Team instead, and there are several top contenders on the women’s and men’s sides (as opposed to just one contender named Tia). Follow along with the Morning Chalk Up to see how the rest of this season plays out.

Featured Image Courtesy of Jessie Johnson | @barbellstories