The CrossFit Games - Ranch Trail Run

the first day of the 2016 Reebok CrossFit Games kicked off at 3:30 a.m. Wednesday when athletes met with Dave Castro at the Manhattan Beach Marriott alright I'm just going to have to next you guys are going to get on the bus load it up and we're going to get ready thank you guys the LAX get your boarding passes prep your bags for a flight so no liquids carry-on only you're not going to have the opportunity to check anything off smart money's on us going to aroma I'm not even from the west coast so I have no idea where we live - if the athletes made their way from the hotel to LAX there was widespread speculation on where they were going and what they would be doing we'll probably do like a repeat at one of the games or something who knows I kind of guess we going to our own buses we had the long pants and gloves because of that post in IV or posing over or something that was there 7 k trail run the deadly flood and the sandbag run and there with the stick into the ground speculation continued as veterans and rookies guests what kind of events they might face you know it really hope is actually he pulls a workout out the hunter I think it's gonna be a straight up rough rock man straight up rough Ron I'm not sure on me an extra from the first game but do all home today just there when was the last time you were here 2009 we may or may not be recruiting station after athletes filed off the bus at the ranch in aromas California the tasks they would face were finally revealed the first two events are a repeat of the 2009 CrossFit Games first two events but the run is slightly different I made it more difficult and the deadlift ladder is much heavier athletes lined up at the start just 30 minutes after being told exactly what they're going to be facing a 7 K trail run over some very treacherous terrain John for old fans and new fans alike this is special not only have the 2016 athletes come to where the CrossFit Games were born but they face some of the elements from the first three CrossFit Games ever we've had off-site events before the CrossFit Games it's the first time we've got really off site this is the seventh year in a row that Southern California has hosted the CrossFit Games the StubHub Center just south of Los Angeles is our home base but today the athletes travel 300 miles north to the birthplace of the CrossFit Games the ranch in aromas California this is the location for the opening individual events at the 2016 Reebok CrossFit Games the ranch trail run is the first event all 40 men and 40 women will compete together on the 7 kilometer route that consists of three main the road section is a one kilometer round-trip from the ranch shed to the end of the paved road competitors will travel this flat section three times including the finish of the event Hill section one starts with a 1200 foot steady uphill climb until the real challenges begin steep drop ins await followed by a long punishing return climb a second trip on the road marks the halfway point of the event Hills section two climbs the North Trail up the first rise then a rapid descent plunges into the Arroyo a quick transition to a shear slope follows where the incline approaches 50 degrees at the top athletes turn around and come back on a slightly altered return route one last round trip down the road is the final section of the event as the finish line awaits back at the shed right after the athletes finish that run on the paved section things started to slow down significantly and this wasn't even the worst incline on the entire course out front for the men Josh bridges Matt Fraser Alex Anderson Jacob Hefner and Alex vino surely everything to this point was difficult but it could still be considered a warm-up in comparison to what the athletes faced next in this section they cross the same creek bed twice but on the first crossing they'll actually travel along the creek bottom and what looks like a slot canyon with barely any more room than two people and the entrance and exit are extremely steep and athletes had to carefully navigate this section of the course and this was the first look that they had at the terrain offering them a very significant challenge many of them down to a walk as Josh bridges took a slight lead over Matt Fraser Alex Anderson was there as well but it was bridges and Fraser out front early no surprise to me that Josh bridges is there but watching Matt Fraser push his pace at this point in the race I was concerned he'd gone out too fast there were judges placed throughout the course not only to help the athletes know where to go but also to help them know what to expect how to deal with it take it easy slowing down right here we got the rock right here all right Matt Fraser attacking the course with reckless abandon as he led the way through one of the many bottlenecks on the course the area of this trail known as the rock Dave Castro intentionally diverted the athletes through this granite boulder fall that will lead them back across the creek it's a very technical section with potentially tragic consequences in athletes don't respect it as Matt Fraser and the leading men started to separate themselves the rest of the pack hit the rock and a lot of had to hit their backsides in order to navigate first thing successfully Sam Briggs started to widen her leave and was catching up top men as we've seen a past event Sean Sam Briggs competing with the men as much as she can with the women Katherine Davis daughter was towards the front of the pack for the women as was Tim Hill read and Tia Claire to me back up front Matt Frazier closing out his first loop and those of us that were there we were shocked to see the lead that he had over Josh bridges I'm as guilty as anyone I thought that Matt Fraser was a barbell guy because he could rope with one in his hands but now we're seeing a rebuilt Matt Fraser he's done well in events like this in the past but he excelled at this trail run Matt Fraser starting his second trip down the paved portion bridges at second Brent Bukowski in third Anna Tunnicliffe has moved herself into second no surprise given how well Tunnicliffe has done in the past in these longer endurance events she's followed by Kristin Holton and Katherine David's daughter Matt Fraser had already started the second loop and this is what stood ahead of him on the backside this section is identical to the way it was in 2009 it's steep and slippery and treacherous you can't read a manual on how to navigate land like this so it's easy to pick out the athletes who know what they're doing there was nobody within shouting distance of Matt Fraser as he zigzagged his way down that descent and into the Arroyo behind him Josh bridges was all by himself in second place and then Brett Bukowski was in third at that point Matt Fraser the first man to reach that final incline and Rory he was on all fours at times trying to scramble up that hill 55 degrees let's put that into perspective I spent some good years in Jackson Hole one of the steepest mountains in North America and their average steepness of their slopes is 50 degrees Frazier the first man to get to the top cover and he would head right back down the path that he just navigated and the good news for Matt Fraser is that all he had to deal with here was the terrain he did not have to deal with the other competitors working their way up Sam Briggs continued to lead as she started the approach towards that final climb that Matt Fraser just finished and like Matt Fraser Sam Briggs had a gigantic lead over the rest of the field as the closest women to her were just starting to navigate that rapid descent 2015 Games champion Katherine Davis daughter was among that group Josh bridges got to the top in second place for the men and he started his way back down Sam Briggs continued to pass more and more male competitors as she was the first woman up that hill bred Mackowski was in third place behind Josh bridges and on the way down not only did the terrain present a challenge but also the other competitors on the course and the course is clearly marked but let's call this controlled chaos and at this point you can see what a favor Matt Fraser did to himself by being so far ahead here's what I love the most about bringing the athletes to aromas this sport has gotten athletes so used to having their lunch packed and their favorite shoes and their coaches coaching now we see how you do when you're pulled out of your comfort zone and put some dirt in your face the rapid descent on the second loop quickly turned into a rapid incline for Matt Fraser as he continued to lead by a wide margin and trudge his way back towards the ranch but this is an exact replay of what we saw happen in 2009 that's right again the broad brushstrokes are there but how you get up and how you get down besides that is up to you and again look at the dirt being kicked up here Lots these athletes came away with what looked like a chocolate milk mustache but it was dirt caked on their face Rena blob as the knave was fighting her way up the hill emily bridgers and Noah ohlsen one of the men who led on the initial run on that paved section fell back into the pack Ben Smith was one of the men who did this event back in 2009 he stayed towards the front of that pack that was behind the leaders he started to make his return trip back to the ranch and then Annie Thorisdottir and sara sigmundsdottir right next to each other as they continued the battle that they started at Regionals Matt Fraser on his final run down the pave portion of the course and there was nobody even close to him Josh britches continued to work away in second place starting his final run off the pavement as more athletes started to get closer to the finish but it was Matt Fraser who would be the first man across the finish line 34 minutes 10.27 seconds for Fraser it's his third career event win at the CrossFit Games and he locks up 100 points Josh bridges would finish in second place bridges a time of 35 minutes 30 point to 4 seconds and he would get 94 points Sam Briggs continues to pass male competitors on her final run on the pave section she gets past Brent Bukowski and Briggs is the third person across the finish line she wins the event for the women she gets a time of 36 minutes eight point six five seconds that's good for her eighth career win at the CrossFit Games Brent pukowski was clearly feeling the effects of this event but his effort was good enough for third overall Chris and Jota would come in second place for the women 36 minutes 54 point 6 1 seconds defending champ Ben's myth would finish in 11th place 37 minutes fifteen point four nine seconds for the women it was Christie Oromo finishing in third the rookie with a time of 37 minutes fifty point six one Saget's of the katrin davidsdottir great result for her she would finish in fourth place 38 minutes twenty seven point two one seconds back on the course on the final leg sara sigmundsdottir and Annie Thorisdottir battling with each other again sick daughter slightly ahead of Annie Thorisdottir Sarah would finish in eleventh Annie would come across the finish line in 12 we were both at the Meridian regional and these two were these story in that regional where they were trading blows the entire time cool to see them continuing that battle here mere seconds separated them at Regionals only six seconds separated them in this event the final results for the men Matt Fraser the only man to go sub 35 minutes he gets the event win two rookies in the top five Brent fikowski and Adrian moon Wyler Josh bridges holds on the second place that Matt Fraser earns 100 points with the hard-fought win last up hill is steep very steep kind of all fours and get up to the flag boy yeah touch the rock and there's a bit of a trail going down the other side and then they said nope turn right back around go back down the way he came up he's like oh I don't wanna house that was really steep final results for the women it's event.the Briggs picking up the victory as she edges out fellow Meridian competitor Kristin Holt ax rookie Krissy Oromo is in third David's daughters and fourth followed by Candace Wagoner and that wrapped up the first of three events on Wednesday in aromas

Channel: CrossFit Games

Views: 990,153

Rating: 4.8323283 out of 5

Keywords: Functional Fitness, Fitness, Functional, CrossFit, The CrossFit Games, The Sport of Fitness, Forging Elite Fitness, Affiliates, CrossFit Affiliates, 2016, Individual, The Ranch

Id: 2zoqw560i3M

Length: 13min 16sec (796 seconds)

Published: Thu Jul 21 2016

Reddit Comments

[u/AHoserEh]

I thought that they really did a good job with the replays for the first three events. Watching the chipper event where they show the full last heat with the commentating made me really hope that they have been commenting all the events and that they will eventually release full length videos showing the entire event/all heats like YouTube streams.

PS. Brooke Wells is a beast.

[u/Argomatic]

Why the fuck is Noah Olsen wearing pants for this?

[u/jake5046]

that run looked brutal. I wish they had streamed it live in the US instead of waiting till friday to show it.

[u/369n]

who is girl @1:06?