The Open may be over, but for qualifying athletes, the season keeps moving.
The 2026 CrossFit Games Quarterfinals are the next big stage in the season. They narrow the field, raise the standard, and give athletes a new test before Semifinals.
If you are trying to understand how Quarterfinals work, when they start, what the workouts are, or how to track the leaderboard, this is the guide to read now.
The 2026 CrossFit Games Quarterfinals are now complete. All four individual workouts were released during the competition window, and the leaderboard is now available with unofficial results. That matters because Quarterfinals do not just test performance. They also test clean score submission, judging, and validation under the official process.
What are the 2026 CrossFit Games Quarterfinals?
The Quarterfinals are the second stage of the 2026 CrossFit Games season.
In 2026, the top 25% of individual and age-group athletes worldwide from the Open advance to Quarterfinals. From there, the field is reduced again before Semifinals.
That matters because Quarterfinals are no longer about broad participation. They are about moving from an open worldwide test into a more competitive phase where movement standards, pacing, and execution become even more important.
When did the 2026 Quarterfinals take place?
The 2026 Individual and Age-Group Quarterfinals ran from Thursday, March 26, through Monday, March 30. CrossFit set the competition window in Pacific Time, and affiliate owners then had until Tuesday, April 1 at 5 p.m. PT to validate athlete scores. Any score not validated by that deadline was subject to removal from the leaderboard.
Who qualifies for Quarterfinals?
Athletes qualify for Quarterfinals by finishing in the top 25% of the CrossFit Open worldwide in their division. That applies to both individuals and age groups.
This is the basic path:
- Open
- Quarterfinals
- Semifinals
- CrossFit Games
For individuals, Quarterfinals are the bridge between an open-entry competition and the serious race for a Semifinals spot.
How do the 2026 Quarterfinals work?
The format is simple in theory and demanding in practice.
Athletes who qualified received an invite, registered for the competition, completed the workouts during the official window, and submitted their scores online. CrossFit required athletes to perform the workouts at a CrossFit affiliate in good standing and to use a registered judge who had passed the 2026 Judges Course or held a current Advanced Judges Course certificate.
That means Quarterfinals test more than fitness alone. They also test preparation:
- workout planning
- equipment setup
- judging accuracy
- movement efficiency
- recovery between efforts
Small mistakes matter more here than they did in the Open.
That is also why the leaderboard needed to be read carefully during and after the competition window. Quarterfinals scores still had to pass through affiliate validation, and the current leaderboard is published as unofficial results rather than fully final standings.
How many athletes advance from Quarterfinals to Semifinals?
For individuals, the top 2,000 men and top 2,000 women from Quarterfinals advance to Semifinals. For age groups, the cutlines vary by division. The 35–54 divisions advance the top 400 men and women, while the 14–17 and 55+ divisions advance the top 300 men and women.
This is one of the main reasons Quarterfinals matter so much. It is not just another online stage. It is the filter that decides who stays alive in the season.
2026 CrossFit Quarterfinals workouts
CrossFit released the 2026 Quarterfinals workouts when registration opened, and the individual field faced four tests across the weekend.
Workout 1
For time: 10 50-foot shuttle runs, 20 overhead squats, 30 lateral burpees over the bar, 1-minute rest, then 30 lateral burpees over the bar, 20 overhead squats, and 10 50-foot shuttle runs. Time cap: 12 minutes.
Workout 2
For time, completed anyhow: 80 dumbbell hang squat cleans and 40 bar muscle-ups. Time cap: 15 minutes.
Workout 3
For time: 3 rounds of 50 double-unders and 10 deadlifts at the lightest weight, then 2 rounds of 50 double-unders and 10 deadlifts at the middle weight, then 1 final round of 50 double-unders and 10 deadlifts at the heaviest weight. Time cap: 12 minutes.
Workout 4
For time: 1,000 meters of rowing, 30 clean and jerks, 1,000 meters of rowing, and 30 strict handstand push-ups.
Taken together, the tests combined cyclical output, barbell cycling, heavy pulling, high-skill gymnastics, and strict overhead control. That is an inference from the official workout structure, not a direct CrossFit quote.
What the 2026 Quarterfinals workouts are really testing
The obvious takeaway is that Quarterfinals 2026 are not testing one single profile.
They are testing whether athletes can stay efficient across very different demands:
- Repeat efforts and pace changes
- Barbell control under fatigue
- High-skill gymnastics
- Transition discipline
- Execution when the margin for error gets smaller
That matters because athletes with similar raw fitness can still separate hard in this stage if one of them manages setup, rhythm, and standards better across multiple events. Based on the official workout mix, Quarterfinals are not just harder than the Open. They are more selective in how they expose mistakes.
Where can you see the Quarterfinals leaderboard?
The official place to track the 2026 Quarterfinals standings is the CrossFit Games leaderboard. At this point, CrossFit shows the competition as complete and the Quarterfinals leaderboard as available with unofficial results, so it should be read as the current official reference point but not necessarily as a fully finalized standings sheet.
If you are following the leaderboard now, the key things to watch are:
- overall placement
- event-by-event finishes
- cutline position
- any post-competition adjustments tied to validation or review
Do not treat the first version of the leaderboard as final. CrossFit’s rulebook says scores must be submitted by Monday at 5 p.m. PT, and leaderboard movement can continue as validation catches up with submissions and reviews.
Why Quarterfinals matter more than many athletes think
The Open rewards consistency across a broad field.
Quarterfinals reward competitive sharpness.
That is an important difference.
At this stage, the margin for error is smaller. Standards matter more. One no-rep, one bad pace call, or one rushed transition can cost real positions. And once the leaderboard gets tight near the cutline, those positions are expensive.
That is also why Quarterfinals are so interesting to follow as a fan. This is where the season starts to feel more serious.
What comes after Quarterfinals?
After Quarterfinals, the season moves into Semifinals, which run from April through June 2026, depending on division and event format. Individual athletes who finish inside the Quarterfinals cutline move on to the next stage and continue the path toward the 2026 CrossFit Games.
So if you are watching the season closely, Quarterfinals are not the end of the story. They are the stage that decides who stays in it.
Quick answers about the 2026 CrossFit Quarterfinals
When are the 2026 CrossFit Quarterfinals?
They ran from March 26 to March 30, 2026.
Who qualifies for Quarterfinals?
The top 25% of athletes worldwide from the Open in the eligible divisions.
Where do athletes complete the workouts?
At a CrossFit affiliate in good standing.
Do athletes need a judge?
Yes. CrossFit states athletes must use a registered judge who passed the required judging course or holds a current Advanced Judges Course certificate.
How do athletes advance to Semifinals?
For individuals, the top 2,000 men and 2,000 women from Quarterfinals move on. Age-group cutlines depend on division.
Are Quarterfinals results final as soon as scores appear on the leaderboard?
Not necessarily. CrossFit’s validation process continued after the competition window, and the current leaderboard is presented as unofficial results.
Where can I check results?
On the official CrossFit Games leaderboard.
The 2026 CrossFit Games Quarterfinals are the point where the season stops feeling open and starts feeling selective.
The field gets smaller, the standards matter more, and the programming exposes weaknesses faster. This year’s four workouts pushed athletes through shuttle runs, overhead squats, burpees, dumbbell hang squat cleans, bar muscle-ups, double-unders, deadlifts, rowing, clean and jerks, and strict handstand push-ups, which is exactly why Quarterfinals remain such an important filter before Semifinals.