Over the course of all CrossFit’s competitive seasons, we’ve seen our fair share of odd events and competition twists. However, the latest announcement from the Rogue Invitational’s Instagram page may take the cake in regards to the most out of left field event announcement we have seen to date.
Yesterday, Rogue Fitness shared an event announcement on their Rogue Invitational Instagram page that has created quite the discussion within the CrossFit and strength sports community. Why? As opposed to a marathon row or a handstand walk obstacle course — the Rogue Invitational will be hosting a biathlon event with a special CrossFit twist. In the Instagram video below, CrossFit athlete Josh Bridges announces the biathlon as the first event to take place Sunday morning at the Invitational.
A traditional biathlon is a winter sport that combines shooting and cross country skiing, and it’s a pretty popular event at the Winter Olympics. The Rogue Invitational’s biathlon will be similar in structure to your standard biathlon, however, there will be a few subtle CrossFit style changes.
Similar to normal biathlons, the shooting portion will be completed with an air rifle from both a prone and standing position, but as opposed to cross country skiing, athletes will be using a Concept 2 SkiErg to perform the cardio work. In the Rogue Invitational Instagram video they include a few details — check them out below.
- Work: Concept 2 SkiErg
- Shooting: Both prone and standing positions at a distance of 10m (air rifle)
- Penalty: A penalty will be assess for each missed shot
As of right now, there is still no word on how long the SkiErg portions will be and how many shots will be taken throughout the event.
This event is going to be incredibly interesting to watch. The act of shooting at targets is not an activity that has ever made its way into a competitive CrossFit setting, so we’re curious to see how many athletes take the time to prep or have prior experience shooting targets. Our main question is, how will this event reflect scores for the weekend.
The Rogue Invitational is set to take place between May 18th-19th at Rogue HQ in Columbus, Ohio, and boasts an incredible roster of top current CrossFit athletes and CrossFit legends. Check out the full CrossFit Games schedule for more Sanctionals and Games details!
What are your thoughts on the Rogue Invitational biathlon event? Are you a fan?
Feature image from @crossfitinvitational Instagram page.
