Is The CrossFit Open Still Relevant?

It’s no secret that CrossFit has gone through some significant changes since its inception, and especially in the most recent years. And with all the “unknown and unknowable” that has happened, it begs the question—is the CrossFit Open still relevant?

The short answer is yes, and maybe more than ever. But the long answer is a little more complex.

CrossFit affiliate owners know that relevance isn’t actually about The CrossFit Games at all. Instead, it’s what happens on the gym floor in boxes all over the world. It’s the community, motivation and that Friday Night Lights magic that you can’t quite describe but… if you know, you know.

Why the CrossFit Open Was Never Just About The Games

The very first CrossFit Games took place in 2007. Four years later, the CrossFit Open was introduced with a unique concept: anyone could complete the same workouts as the best athletes in the world. Since then, the competitive landscape has evolved but the concept hasn’t changed.

For most, The Open is an effective way to measure progress annually. It gives your members a clear picture of their current strength, endurance, and skills.

A majority of athletes competing in The Open aren’t aiming to make it to The Games. Instead, it’s more about the firsts—first pull-up, first double-under, first time competing in something. This can create an incredible mix of nerves and fear, but also something much more magical.

The connection and encouragement in the CrossFit Open create moments that are deeply personal. Athletes surprise themselves, challenge themselves in new ways, and end up saying things like, “I can’t believe I just did that.”

There’s just something special about everyone sharing both the suffering and the victory together. This is core to CrossFit’s identity, where the athletes in your gym are joining the global community to complete the same challenge.

The CrossFit Open as a Community Catalyst

Most CrossFit gyms host a variety of fitness and social events throughout the year. But there are very few—if any—that naturally bring the community together like The CrossFit Open.

This isn’t a regular check-in at the gym. And the energy isn’t like that of any regular class on your schedule. During The Open, the heat schedules, tape lines, and athletes counting reps for each other signal a different vibe. But it’s the cheers through the final seconds, and celebrating new achievements together that create an emotional investment to strengthen your gym community together like never before.

Long after the workouts are finished, the memories stick around. We all remember “that Open workout” years later. We remember who judged us, who cheered, who stayed late, and who brought those bomb energy balls to fuel us. These stories become part of the culture, both inside our affiliates and around the world.

As an added benefit, the CrossFit Open is a powerful way to integrate new members into your gym. Fitness industry retention data shows that members who build social connections early are significantly more likely to stick around for the long run. With a beginner division in The Open, even brand-new athletes can join the fun and connect with others.

Motivation That Can’t Be Replicated in Regular Training

When it comes to motivation, there’s something unusual that happens during the CrossFit Open. Coaches all over the world can attest that members can somehow lift heavier, move faster and fight harder in Open workouts. It’s not the movements or magic—it’s the stakes.

The Open gives athletes a clear start line when the workout is announced on Thursday, and a score submission deadline on Monday evening. With that in mind, athletes are more likely to prepare intentionally and give the workout everything they’ve got. Behavioral research shows that time-bound goals like this generally increase performance.

The key is scalability, where your members choose the modifications that make each workout accessible for their own fitness level. The CrossFit Open offers RX, scaled and foundations divisions, which reinforces inclusivity, and the message that fitness is scalable, measurable, and personal.

In addition, this helps with intentional training cycles that prepare athletes for The Open each year. Effective workout programming combines the strength, conditioning and skills that culminate at just the right time for a solid Open performance. The result is renewed motivation, reminding members why they train the way they do throughout the whole year.

​Why The Open Still Matters (and How Affiliate Owners Can Make It a Win)

From an affiliate owners’s perspective, The CrossFit Open provides a pre-built, structured, annual challenge with baked-in motivation. It also comes with opportunities to increase gym retention and even drive revenue.

On the retention side, if you can encourage members to commit to The Open publicly—even just within your gym—they’re more likely to stay engaged during the three weeks and beyond. Consider it like a reset button after the holiday drop-off or a kickoff to the new year.

From an operations standpoint, it’s a fairly low lift with a high impact. You don’t have to purchase new gym equipment, and you get to control the experience for your culture specifically. One of the best ways to do that is to make it less about global rankings and more about internal leaderboards, personal milestones, and shared wins.

The Playbook: How to (Easily) Execute The Open at Your Affiliate This Year

One of the simplest ways to bring The CrossFit Open to life at your gym this year is to run a Friday Night Lights (FNL) event. Workouts are announced on Thursdays for each of the three weeks of The Open. Plan your FNL event for the following evening each week. Depending on the size of your membership base, a 2-3 hour event on those three Friday nights should allow enough time for all members to complete the workout in heats, plus some time afterward for socializing.

Here are just a few ways to keep it simple:

• Do it right—make sure each participant has a judge and follows the standards.
• Celebrate effort rather than worldwide placement.
• Make firsts a really big deal.
• Highlight the fact that consistency wins over the course of a year.
• Find ways for members to share their personal stories.
• Give members a reason to care beyond just the workout by creating themes, teams or charity tie-ins.

Most importantly, The Open is an annual opportunity to remind your community what CrossFit is all about. The business benefits are an added bonus, but the true value comes from the motivation, connection, camaraderie, and that magical “if you know, you know” feeling.

The Real Question Isn’t Whether the CrossFit Open is Relevant

The better question for affiliate owners is actually, how are you using The Open to benefit your business and strengthen your community?

At its core, CrossFit was built on shared experience. It’s the opposite of big box gyms, where members throw in their air pods and go run on a treadmill. CrossFit brings us all together in shared suffering and celebration.

And The Open is the one time of year when the global community comes together to compete with the same movement standards under the same clock with the same challenge. As a result, relevance doesn’t come from leaderboards or being able to make it to The CrossFit Games. It comes from you, as you lead from the front in your affiliate. When you and your team create meaning around The Open, your members are sure to follow suit.

The CrossFit Open is absolutely still relevant—not because the original concept is still the same, but because it’s what the heart of CrossFit is all about.

Sign Up Today: Why The Open Still Belongs in Every Affiliate

Ready to create momentum, boost motivation and strengthen your community? The CrossFit Open is one of your most powerful tools for all three. When executed right, you can also bring structure to training, bring energy to the gym floor, and create memorable moments for your members that last far beyond the “3, 2, 1… TIME” of the final workout.

For affiliate owners, The Open shouldn’t feel much more like an opportunity than an obligation. Remind yourself to look past the taped lines on the floor and the heat organization. Focus instead on your chance to rally members, reinforce culture, and show people that fitness is better when it’s shared.

Share this link with your members to sign up today and let’s make the 2026 CrossFit Open the best year yet!