The beginning of the CrossFit Games season start with a five-week, online, world-wide qualifier for the CrossFit Games, to find the fittest on Earth. In 2014, 209,585 people signed up for the CrossFit Games Open.
The Guinness World Record for the most participants in a racing event was set by the Run for Pasig River in Manila, Philippines on Oct. 10, 2010. The event, which included three simultaneous races, had 116,086 participants. The Kahit Isang Araw Unity Run on Jan. 22, 2012 in Manila, which had 209,000 registered runners, unofficially broke that record.
About 36,000 runners registered for the 2014 Boston Marathon. More than 50,000 runners participated in the five-day Walt Disney Marathon Weekend in 2014. And from February to July 2008, 63,000 bowlers took part in the United States Bowling Congress' Open Championships in Albuquerque, N.M., in what is called the world's largest participatory sporting event.
Each year, participation in the CrossFit Open grows exponentially. In 2011, about 26,000 people signed up for the first-ever Open. The next year, 69,370 people signed up. In 2013, there were 138,619 participants, and this year with newly added teen division, registration is expected to be over 350,000 people.
Most people who sign up for these large-scale events don't sign up to win. They don't even sign up to place in the top 100. With no hope of placing near the top, what is the motivation to join in?
You don't have to sign up for the Open to do each of the five workouts, just like you don't have to pay money, show up on a certain day, and wait for your assigned starting time to run 5K.
But as anyone who has participated in a race or a competition knows, it's not the miles or the amount of weight lifted that makes these races and competitions memorable. It's coming together with other people and raising the stakes just a little bit; it's pushing beyond the everyday and finding out what lies within you.
It's worthwhile to think about the sheer number of people doing the Open, and what that means. The athletes at the top of the Leaderboard get a lot of attention, but it's really the pages and pages of athletes behind the leaders that make the Open so extraordinary.
For five weeks, thousands of people around the world are united by a challenge. Some will experience success and some disappointment, but all over the world people show up, their heart in their throats, to test themselves, to cheer on their friends and to push their limits.
That's why so many people sign and put themselves through the emotional, physical, and psychological intensity of the Open. You too may surprise yourself with what you can accomplish.
CrossFit Games Live Streaming of Open
This year we are going to stream the live open announcements at the gym every Thursday starting February 26th through March 26th. So stick around after the 5:30pm WOD and watch the announcement of the WOD for that week and watch some of the CrossFit greats demo it as they compete head to head.
http://games.crossfit.com/article/2015-live-open-announcement-venues-and-athletes
We will be hosting and performing the Open WOD for that week on the Friday. We will setup as we have done in prior years by splitting the class into heats. That way everyone will be counted according to the standards of the Open.
Competitors Clinic II
We will be holding our second competitors clinic. This clinic is February 21st at 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm. This clinic is free for those of you that signed up for the Open. We will talk about pacing, strategy, and overall performance for getting the best score you can in the Open. Then each Thursday after the Open announcement I will help you determine and develop your individual plan for performing that WOD.
CrossFit "Macomb Madness!" Competition - March 14th
Only 3 spots remaining! The CrossFit "Macomb Madness!" Competition is a bracket style competition where a male/female team will compete head to head against another seeded team through a double elimination contest to determine the best.
There will be a scaled bracket for those not competing as prescribed and a toilet bowl bracket for the those that are eliminated from main bracket.
All teams will compete in a least 3 WODs. The first WOD will be completed by every team and determine the teams seed for the rest of the event. From there, each team will compete in heats head to head against another team. The better team advances to the next round until only one team remains.
Sign up your team to hold your spot. We can only allow a certain number to fill the brackets properly.
All the WODs and details are posted on our websitewww.crossfitmacomb.com/p/macombmadness.html
Register Your Team!
February Macombie
This month, the February Macombie for the "Game Day" award goes to Josh M. Last year was Josh's first time competing in the Open. After that experience he wrote this:
"First of all I would like to thank you for pushing me to do the Open. It has been a fantastic experience. The atmosphere during the open workouts is only describable as electric. I have been pushed by the trainers and fellow CFM athletes, and have always outperformed my goal, or what I thought I was even capable of, going into the Open events. From watching the announcement online Thursday up until performing Friday there was the anticipation of "game day". Just as much as I have enjoyed competing, I have enjoyed cheering others on, and seeing others also outperform their expectations as well. For anyone that did not do the open this [last] year I want to tell you it is the best $20 you will ever spend. Not only did it push me during the open itself, but it is now my motivation for the next 12 months until 15.1 is announced. It has helped me to identify some weaknesses that I need to focus on for next year as well. So a big thank you to everyone at CFM, that helped me during the open this year. It has been a great experience, and I highly recommend you all sign up [this] year."Josh is signed up for the Open again this year and he has a year's worth of training and work behind him to help through. He also has a new little girl to help cheer him on. I excited to see the improvements pay off for Josh and see what new work he needs to tune up for next year. Keep up the good work Josh.
Upcoming Events
February 21st: Competitor Clinic II at CFM (5PM - 6PM)
February 26th: CrossFit Games Open begins
February 26th: CrossFit Games Open Live Streaming Announcement at 8:00pm
March 14th: CrossFit "Macomb Madness" Competition
April TBD: Box to Box Throwdown
No comments:
Post a Comment