Dave Castro Drops Teaser Ahead of Crossfit Open 2026 26.1 Announcement
Dave Castro released a brief visual hint two days before the start of the crossfit open 2026, a move that precedes the formal reveal of Workout 26. 1 and the livestream ceremony on February 26. The timing matters because the tease arrives just ahead of a global, free broadcast that will set the season in motion and trigger a tight competition window for athletes worldwide.
Dave Castro teaser shows three-second reel with statue eye
The teaser is a three-second reel that centers on the eye of a statue that might be a buffalo. Castro’s short clip landed two days before the scheduled start of the 2026 CrossFit Open and has already become the immediate prelude to the official announcement of Workout 26. 1.
Crossfit Open 2026 announcement set for Moffett Air National Guard Base
The full announcement for the 2026 CrossFit Open Workout 26. 1 is scheduled for February 26 at the Moffett Air National Guard Base. Organizers will reveal the exact set of exercises that comprise Workout 26. 1 during the ceremony, after which four elite athletes will attempt the workout live on stage.
Live broadcast on CrossFit Games website, CrossFit Games app and CrossFit Games YouTube channel
The announcement ceremony will be broadcast live on the CrossFit Games website, the CrossFit Games app and the CrossFit Games YouTube channel. The livestream will be free to watch and is set to begin at 12 p. m. PT, opening the reveal to hundreds of thousands of competitors and fans who take part in the first stage of the season.
Four athletes to perform Workout 26. 1: Jayson Hopper and Dallin Pepper among participants
After the exercises are unveiled, four world-class athletes will step out to be the first to tackle Workout 26. 1: Jayson Hopper, Dallin Pepper, Colten Mertens and Austin Hatfield. Jayson Hopper enters the announcement as the reigning Fittest Man On Earth. Dallin Pepper previously placed second in 2024 and finished fourth in the most recent season. Colten Mertens won last year’s CrossFit Open, taking first in two of the three workouts, and Austin Hatfield, who made his first CrossFit Games appearance in 2024, placed fifth at the final stage in 2025.
Submission deadline and rulebook process for Workout 26. 1 scores
The deadline for submitting scores for Workout 26. 1 is Monday, March 2, until 5 p. m. PT. The rulebook specifies that there are two ways for athletes to submit their scores. That deadline will determine the window in which community athletes can convert the live reveal into official results for the Open standings.
Why the announcement format matters for competitors and fans
The event’s format—an exercise reveal followed immediately by live attempts from top athletes—serves two purposes: it sets a benchmark for competitors attempting the Open at home and it drives global engagement for the season’s first stage. The announcement is positioned as both a reveal and a performance showcase; the athletes’ live runs are described as the highlight of the broadcast because they push limits and offer insight into how the sport’s best will approach the workout.
Additional elements tied to coverage include a promotional invitation within the guide encouraging readers to join a free fitness newsletter, and linked editorial features on athlete futures and the Games’ location, underscoring broader season coverage. The 2026 CrossFit Open is presented as the gateway for hundreds of thousands of competitors and fans to earn an equal opportunity to qualify for later portions of the season, and the announcement ceremony will mark the formal opening of that pathway.
What makes this notable is the concentration of steps in a short timeframe: a Castro teaser arrives two days before the Feb. 26 reveal, the livestream starts at 12 p. m. PT, and athletes and community competitors alike must convert that reveal into submitted scores by March 2 at 5 p. m. PT—setting a clear, compressed sequence from teaser to performance to official scoring.
