Mat Fraser looks like he is on a mission this year as he left the field in a trail of dust during the opening event of the 2016 Reebok CrossFit Games. The Ranch Trail Run, a 7k run, around The Ranch in Aromas, California, was a harder version of the trail run at the 2009 CrossFit Games.
From the onset, Fraser jumped to the front of the pack and never looked back. Fraser won the event wire-to-wire increasing his lead throughout the course finishing in 34:10. Josh Bridges finished in 2nd place but never challenged Fraser for the lead. Brent Fikowski, a Games rookie, took 3rd place.
During the Ranch Deadlift Ladder, Fraser successfully lifted 505-pounds, good for 23rd place. After two events, Fraser was in 2nd place overall behind Alex Vigneault.
The third and final event of the day was the Ranch Mini Chipper featuring 30-pound wall balls, med ball GHD sit-ups and a med ball sprint up the hill. With the top 10 athletes after two events competing in the final heat, Fikowski finished the GHD sit-ups ahead of the pack and raced up the hill followed by Fraser. Fikowski won the event and Fraser’s time was good for 2nd overall.
After three events, Fraser sits in 1st place ahead of Patrick Vellner and Fikowski. Three of the top five in the standings hail from the East regional. Ben Smith, last year’s champion, is in 13th place and is 80 points behind Fraser.
Standings After Day 1
1. Mat Fraser – 228
2. Patrick Vellner – 210
3. Brent Fikowski – 202
4. Alex Vigneault – 200
5. Alex Anderson.
