The “Dairy State” will continue to host the world’s elite CrossFitters for the foreseeable future.
Written by Robert Zeglinski
The 2024 CrossFit Games will continue to take place in Madison, WI, per a Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023, announcement from CrossFit HQ. The news comes on the heels of past speculation that CrossFit’s premier contest might have found a new home in Birmingham, AL. BarBend broke the news.
CrossFit CEO Don Faul offered illuminating thoughts on the decision to keep the significant competition in Wisconsin’s capital until at least the mid-2020s.
“Our vision for the future is to bring the life-changing potential of CrossFit to more people, in more ways,” Faul said. “The CrossFit Games are a focal point for our brand as we reach millions of people around the world, and an opportunity for our global community to gather and celebrate as we crown the Fittest on Earth. We’re thrilled to return to Madison, where we’ve been able to form an incredible partnership with the city and the local community.”
Madison, WI, has been the home of the CrossFit Games almost every year since 2017. The lone exception to that recent history was in 2020 when the Games took place in Aramos, CA, due to conflicts from the early portions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of the contest in Madison occurs in and around the Alliant Energy Center — a convention and recreational space for many events in the nearby area.
In May 2022, CrossFit HQ had previously noted that the 2023 edition of the games would be the sixth and final iteration in Wisconsin as the organization looked to future sites and potential expansion. Those plans have now clearly shifted for the time being.
Staying in Madison will likely see the CrossFit Games continue to act as a boon to the city’s economy and surrounding area. Per an early August 2022 report from The Cap Times, the competition “has consistently generated around $12 million in economic activity in each of its recent years.” At the time of this writing, it is unclear how much the 2022 iteration — which saw Tia-Clair Toomey and Justin Medeiros capture the Women’s and Men’s Individual titles, respectively — made in profits for the city.
“CrossFit and Madison have a very special relationship that we are honored to continue for yet another two years, and I know our businesses and residents will welcome CrossFit back in 2023 and 2024 with open arms,” said Destination Madison and Madison Area Sports Commission Vice President Jamie Patrick in the same press release. “As we saw during last year’s Games when thousands of people rallied behind an athlete to propel her to the top of the Wisconsin State Capitol stairs, CrossFit athletes, fans, and the Madison community are in this together every step of the way.”
Down the line, CrossFit’s tentpole event could indeed be located elsewhere. For now, with Madison already well-prepared to host some of the fittest athletes on Earth, it seems the overall logistics of the situation made it make sense to stay in Wisconsin.
For now, in the immediate purview, the 2023 CrossFit Open will begin on Feb. 16, 2023. From there, it’ll be full steam ahead for the 2023 competitive season.
Featured image: @crossfitgames on Instagram