The 2026 CrossFit Open has officially begun, and the first workout – Open 26.1 – is already testing athletes worldwide. Released on February 26, 2026, this brutal couplet of wall‑ball shots and box jump‑overs marks the starting line for the world’s largest fitness competition. Whether you’re a garage‑gym newcomer or a seasoned Games contender, understanding how the Open works, how to approach 26.1, and how to register is the key to making the most of this three‑week global fitness festival.
What Is the CrossFit Open?
The CrossFit Open is the first stage of the CrossFit Games season and the largest participatory sporting event on the planet. For three weeks, hundreds of thousands of athletes from every continent complete the same workouts, submit their scores online, and see where they rank on a worldwide leaderboard. The Open is designed to be inclusive: you can compete in a CrossFit affiliate, a local gym, your garage, or even a park. Workouts are released each Thursday (Pacific Time), and athletes have until the following Monday to perform the workout, validate their score (via video or a judge), and submit it through the CrossFit Games platform. The top 10% in each division advance to the Quarterfinals, but for the vast majority of participants, the Open is about personal benchmarking, community, and the sheer thrill of taking on the same challenge as the fittest people on Earth.
Open 26.1: The First Workout of 2026
Open 26.1 is a 12‑minute AMRAP (as many rounds/reps as possible) that pairs two classic CrossFit movements: wall‑ball shots and box jump‑overs. The prescribed (Rx) version calls for athletes to complete 66 wall‑ball shots (20‑lb ball to a 10‑ft target for men, 14‑lb ball to a 9‑ft target for women) followed by 18 box jump‑overs (24‑inch box for men, 20‑inch for women). Scaled and Foundations divisions reduce the load and/or height, making the workout accessible to virtually every fitness level. The couplet repeats until the clock hits 12 minutes, with the total number of completed reps determining the score. Because the rep scheme is relatively high and the time domain is moderate, 26.1 demands a blend of muscular endurance, pacing discipline, and mental toughness – a perfect opening test for the 2026 season.
Breaking Down the 26.1 Workout Movements
Wall‑ball shots are a full‑body movement that combines a front squat with an overhead toss. The key to efficiency is using the legs to generate momentum and catching the ball in a partial squat to immediately rebound into the next rep. Box jump‑overs require athletes to jump onto the box, step or jump down the other side, and then immediately turn around to repeat. The “step‑over” option – stepping up and over the box rather than jumping – is permitted in all divisions and is the strategic choice for most athletes because it saves precious energy and reduces the risk of missing a jump. The workout’s design encourages athletes to find a sustainable rhythm: too fast early on leads to burnout, too slow leaves reps on the table.
How to Approach 26.1: Expert Pacing Strategies
Rich Froning, four‑time CrossFit Games champion, emphasizes that 26.1 is “all about pacing.” He advises breaking the 66 wall balls into small, manageable sets – perhaps 11 sets of 6 or 6 sets of 11 – with short, consistent rest breaks. “Don’t try to go unbroken on the first round,” Froning warns. “You’ll pay for it later.” On the box jump‑overs, he recommends using step‑overs and committing to a steady, metronomic pace. Other top coaches echo this advice: WODprep’s strategy guide stresses “eliminating dead time” during transitions and keeping rest intervals “short and consistent.” The goal is to maintain a repeatable round‑to‑round pace, not to sprint out of the gate. For athletes targeting a high score, the final minutes are about holding on to that pace; for those simply aiming to finish, the priority is moving steadily and avoiding long breaks.
The 2026 CrossFit Open Schedule
The 2026 CrossFit Open follows a crisp three‑week timeline. Open 26.1 was announced on February 26, with scores due by Monday, March 2 at 5 p.m. PT (8 p.m. ET). Open 26.2 will be released on Thursday, March 5, and Open 26.3 on Thursday, March 12. Each workout has the same score‑submission deadline – the Monday after its release. The entire Open window runs from February 26 through March 16, after which the top 10% of each division will advance to the Quarterfinals (scheduled for March 26‑30). This predictable schedule allows athletes to plan their training, recovery, and judging sessions well in advance.
How to Register and Compete
Registration for the 2026 CrossFit Open is open now on the CrossFit Games website. The process is straightforward: create a CrossFit account (if you don’t already have one), select your division (Rx, Scaled, or Foundations), and pay the registration fee. Once registered, you’ll gain access to the official leaderboard, workout descriptions, and score‑submission portal. You can perform the workout anywhere – at a CrossFit affiliate, a local gym, or your home – as long as you follow the movement standards and have your performance validated by a judge (or video evidence). After completing the workout, enter your score before the deadline to see your name on the global leaderboard alongside hundreds of thousands of other athletes.
What to Expect After the Open
For most participants, the Open ends with the final score submission in mid‑March. But for the top 10% in each division, the journey continues with the Quarterfinals, a series of more demanding workouts that determine who moves on to the Semifinals and, ultimately, the CrossFit Games. Even if you don’t advance, the Open provides a valuable snapshot of your fitness. Many athletes use their Open results to identify weaknesses, set goals for the coming year, and connect with a worldwide community of like‑minded fitness enthusiasts. The Open is also a fundraiser for the CrossFit Foundation, which supports fitness programs in underserved communities, so every registration contributes to a larger cause.
Key Takeaways for First‑Time Participants
If this is your first CrossFit Open, remember a few essentials. First, choose the division that matches your current ability – there’s no shame in scaling. Second, film your workout or have a certified judge validate your score; invalid submissions won’t appear on the leaderboard. Third, pace yourself. The Open workouts are designed to be repeatable across three weeks, so blowing up in 26.1 can compromise your performance in 26.2 and 26.3. Finally, embrace the community aspect. Join your affiliate’s Friday Night Lights, follow the live announcements, and engage with the global conversation on social media. The Open is more than a test of fitness; it’s a celebration of what the human body can achieve with consistency, courage, and a little bit of shared suffering.
Open 26.1 is just the beginning. As the 2026 CrossFit Open unfolds over the next three weeks, athletes around the world will push their limits, support one another, and write another chapter in the story of functional fitness. Whether you’re chasing a Quarterfinals spot or simply checking a new experience off your bucket list, the Open offers a unique opportunity to measure yourself against a universal standard – and to discover what you’re truly capable of.
