The 2026 Wodapalooza is going to look a little different. Beyond the obvious change move to March, next year’s fitness festival on Miami Beach is changing up the elite individual competition.
Previously, Wodapalooza invited a ton of athletes… from all individual CrossFit Games athletes from the most recent Games to the top 10 from the CrossFit Games before that, to the top 3 from the past eight years and previous top WZA athletes. Add on the athletes from the online qualifier and there were a ton of invites.
Because of this Wodapalooza did not have a limit on the number of entries for the elite individual competition.
That is changing in 2026. Next year the elite individual division will be capped at 20 men and 20 women. The field will consist of 10 athletes who qualify via the online qualifier and 10 from automatic invites. The breakdown of the 20-athlete field is as follows:
- Top 10 athletes from the online qualifier
- Top 5 athletes from the 2025 CrossFit Games
- Top 5 athletes from the 2025 Wodapalooza
Wodapalooza will backfill any spots from the CrossFit Games (i.e. 6th to 15th place). If more spots need to be backfilled, Wodapalooza will extend invites from the 2025 TYR Wodapalooza (i.e. 6th to 10th).
There is obviously a big emphasis on doing well at the CrossFit Games and last year’s Wodapalooza to get an automatic invite.
We don’t yet know who will advance out of the qualifier (Week 2 begins on October 15), we do know who will be invited via the 2025 Games and WZA.
MEN
Via 2025 CrossFit Games:
Jayson Hopper
Ricky Garard
James Sprague
Dallin Pepper
Austin Hatfield
Jay Crouch
Justin Medeiros
Jeff Adler
Via 2025 Wodapalooza:James Sprague
Pat VellnerAustin HatfieldRicky Garard
Jonne Koski
As you can see above, James Sprague, Austin Hatfield and Ricky Garard technically qualified via both the CrossFit Games and Wodapalooza. As such, their spots are backfilled via the Games. So Jay Crouch, Justin Medeiros and Jeff Adler will receive invites.
WOMEN
Via 2025 CrossFit Games:
Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr
Lucy Campbell
Olivia Kerstetter
Danielle Brandon
Arielle Loewen
Maddie Sturt
Via 2025 Wodapalooza:Lucy Campbell
Laura Horvath
Alexis Raptis
Emma Tall
Elisa Fuliano
Only Lucy Campbell qualified via both competitions so Maddie Sturt gets the backfill invite.
ONLINE QUALIFIER
As mentioned above, Week 2 of the online qualifier begins tomorrow. However, Week 1 is done and there are quite a few familiar names sitting high up on the leaderboard.
Luka Đukić and Andra Moistus are in first place on the men’s and women’s online qualifier leaderboard, respectively. 2025 CrossFit Games veterans Bill Leahy (2nd) and Nick Mathew (7th) are also in the top 10.
The women’s leaderboard does not have any current year Games veterans but Matilde Garnes is currently in 2nd place, Hannah Black is in 6th and Brittany Weiss is in 8th.
The women’s leaderboard also has Rebecka Vitesson (12th), Ellie Turner (14th) and Maria Quintero (21st) sitting just outside the top 10 after Week 1. Those athletes finishing 11th to 49th will receive an invite to compete in the RX division at the 2026 Wodapalooza.
TEAMS OF 3
As for Teams of 3, their online qualifier begins November 13. The top 10 qualifying teams will earn an invite to the elite division at the 2026 Wodapalooza.
Automatic invites will also be given to the top 5 CrossFit Games teams, Top 3 teams from the 2025 Wodapalooza and any individual elite invited athlete or any 2025 CrossFit Games individual athlete can put together a team as long as at least two of the members meet the invitation criteria.
More details on this will be explained as the team qualifier begins next month.
