Overview
The 2025 World’s Strongest Firefighter competition will take place on February 28th and March 1st at the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, Ohio. This event gathers the strongest firefighters from around the world to compete for the title of World’s Strongest Firefighter.
The competition is inclusive of all active-duty firefighters, welcoming both men and women, and offers different weight classes for participants. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Calfire Benevolent Foundation, Santa Monica Firefighter’s Relief Fund, and the Columbus Firefighter’s Foundation.
Weigh-ins and the rules meeting will be held on February 27th at the convention center. The event details will be released starting about 20 weeks before the competition, the week of October 7th.
The Competition
The World’s Strongest Firefighter competition invites all active-duty firefighters to participate in the divisional competition on Friday. Competitors can enter the following divisions:
Lightweight Men: Under 90 kg (198 lbs)
Middleweight Men: Under 105 kg (231 lbs)
Open Men: 105kg+ (231lb+)
Lightweight Women: Under 73 kg (161 lbs)
Open Women: 73kg+ (161lbs+)
Individual awards will be given after the divisional competition to recognize the strongest men and women in each division.
The top two finishers from the Lightweight Men, Middleweight Men, Lightweight Women, and Open Women divisions will advance to the finals. The top eight finishers from the Open Men division will also move on to the finals.
In the finals, weights will be adjusted per class using a Wilks-like calculation, and all firefighters will be scored together. For example, an event might be set to the weight 80 kg for lightweight women, 121 kg for lightweight men, and 140 kg for open men, with these weights being considered equivalent relative to their class. The number of repetitions completed will be scored against all other finalists.
This scoring system means that competitors from any class could earn the title of “World’s Strongest Firefighter.”
Public Service
Over the past five years, the World’s Strongest Firefighter competition has raised over $300,000 for the CAL FIRE Benevolent Foundation, the Santa Monica Firefighters Relief Fund, and the Columbus Firefighters Foundation.
CAL FIRE Benevolent Foundation: This foundation provides financial assistance to firefighters, their families, and supporters, as well as burn victims throughout California.
Santa Monica Firefighters Relief Fund: This nonprofit organization supports the families of firefighters who have bravely served the community and have been seriously injured, suffered catastrophic illness, or were killed in the line of duty. The fund assists families with expenses such as medical procedures, equipment, and funeral costs.
Columbus Firefighters Foundation: This foundation supports the Central Ohio community. Recently, it has contributed to projects such as A Soldier’s Journey Home, which helps build accessible homes for veterans like Retired Army SGT Ryan Major. It also provided a 7-year-old girl named Gia with an adaptive bike to enhance her quality of life.
The Arnold
The Arnold Sports Festival, now in its 35th year, is the largest strength and fitness expo in the world, bringing more than 100,000 attendees, 15,000 athletes, and showcasing over 60 sports. It’s a who’s who of top athletes, where you’ll see all the best bodybuilders, powerlifters, weightlifters, and strongman athletes.
The World’s Strongest Firefighter competition has become a highlight of the Arnold Sports Festival. The finals take place on the Expo Stage, drawing tens of thousands of spectators.
