2026 Arnold – EVENTS

Overview

We’re back for the 2nd year as the Arnold Strongman Pro/Am and the
Arnold Lightweight and Middleweight Strongman World Championship

The Arnold Strongman Pro/Am is one of the most competitive heavyweight competitions on the planet. The winner of both the men’s and women’s class earns an invite to the Arnold Strongman and Strongwoman Classic.

Arnold Lightweight and Middleweight Strongman World Championship is now a true world championship, bringing the top Pros and Amateurs to win the title of World Champion.

Livestream
We’re offering a free livestream at the Strongman Corporation YouTube. Subscribe to our channel now for updates!

Qualification
All athletes qualify by winning or placing high enough in a recognized national championship or Arnold qualifier conducted by their national federation, or by possessing a Pro Card recognized by Strongman Corporation.

A list of Qualified Athletes is available. Let us know if you should be on the list but aren’t.

Full details on qualification can be found under the “Qualification” tab below.

Schedule

Friday, March 6th 2026
9:00 AM -10:00 AM – Weigh-Ins (57kg and 64kg women and 80kg and 90kg men only)
9:30 AM – 10:00 AM – Weigh-Ins (73kg and 82kg women and 105kg and 120kg men only)
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM – Weigh-Ins / Check-ins – Open to all classes
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM – Weigh-In / Check-in session 2
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM – Weigh-In / Check-in session 3
7:00 PM – Rules Meeting

Saturday, March 7th 2026 – Prelims
9:00 AM – Earliest Athlete Arrival
10:00 AM – Lightweight World Championship – 57kg and 64kg Women, 80kg and 90kg Men
1:00 PM – Middleweight World Championship – 73kg and 82kg Women, 105kg and 120kg Men
4:00 PM – Arnold Strongman Pro/AM – Heavyweight Women and Men

Sunday, March 8th, 2026 – Finals
9:00 AM – Athlete Arrival
10:00 AM – Finals Event 1 – Rogue Stage
1:00 PM – Finals Event 2 – Expo Stage

Awards

Winners of the Heavyweight Pro/Am competition be awarded a berth in the 2027 Arnold Strongman Classic and 2027 Arnold Strongwoman Classic. Additionally, $32,000 in prize money will be awarded, split up as shown below:

All Classes
1st Place – $1,700
2nd Place – $1,000
3rd Place – $500

Qualification

The following athletes qualify for Strongman Corp’s Arnold Pro/Am, Lightweight, or Middleweight competitions:

Current Strongman Corporation Pro athletes
1st place in a Regional competition
1st-3rd place plus 10% of remaining athletes (rounding up) at Amateur Nationals
Top 3 amateurs in the Pro/Am division at a Pro/Am competition regardless of overall placement and number of athletes in a class
Finalists (i.e. athletes that make the final day of competition) from the prior year’s Arnold Pro/Am
1st-3rd place in an Open class at any Official Strongman Games

For Canadian Athletes

Canadian Athletes qualify for Strongman Corp’s Arnold Pro/Am, Lightweight, or Middleweight competitions as follows:

Current Strongman Corporation Canada Pro athletes
1st Place in Strongman Corporation Canada Provincial competition
1st-3rd Place at Strongman Corporation Canada National Championship

For Other International Athletes

International Athletes automatically qualify for Strongman Corp’s Arnold Pro/Am, Lightweight, or Middleweight competitions as follows:

1st Place in a licensed Strongman Corporation Arnold-qualifier event outside the United States
1st-3rd Place in an Open class at any Official Strongman Games

International athletes who don’t meet these criteria may apply to compete here (application closes February 15, 2026): Arnold Pro/Am International Athlete Application

Additional Notes:

All Athletes may opt to compete up or down one weight class from where they qualified.
Current Pros can compete at the Arnold in their Pro class or a class up or down from their Pro card without doing a qualifying competition. For example, a female 73kg Pro athlete may compete at the Arnold in the 64kg, 73kg, or 82kg class without doing a qualifying competition.
105kg Pros may also compete in the 120kg or HW class.

Prelim Events – Saturday

13″ Axle Deadlift for max weight
Dumbbell and Log Press Ladder
Frame Carry for time
Arm-Over-Arm Sled Pull

Final Events – Sunday

Axle Ambulance Tire Clean & Press for reps on the Rogue Stage
Duck Walk to Power Stairs Medley on the Main Stage
Odd Object Loading Series on the Main Stage

Event Details

Full event details and weights will be posted here as soon as they’re ready.

Competition

Arnold Strongman Pro/Am and Lightweight and Middleweight World Championship will take place over two days, Saturday, March 7th and Sunday, March 8th.

Weigh-ins will be Friday, March 6th. All athletes must check in on Friday by 6:30pm local time.

Saturday’s competition will be split up into three sessions, with the two lightest classes in the first session, the next two classes in the second session, and the Heavyweight athletes in the last session.

Classes will be reordered by overall points after each event.

Top 6 in the Lightweight and Middleweight Championship, and top 8 from the Pro/Am, will qualify for the Sunday events. If two athletes are tied for the last spot, both will qualify for the finals.

The final two events will take place on the Rogue Stage and the Expo Stage.

Scores for the finals will be recalculated with just the finalist’s results, as we first implemented in the Official Strongman Games.

Learn More

The Legacy

The Arnold Amateur Strongman World Championship Heavyweight Class, now the Arnold Strongman Pro/Am has produced many of the top Strongman athletes in the world. Athletes like Mikhail Shilyakov, Braun Strowman, Hafþór Bjornsson, Mateusz Kieliszkowski, Olexii Novikov, Bobby Thompson, and Thomas Evans got their break with the Arnold Amateur. On the women’s side, Angelica Jardine, Olga Liaschuk, Donna Moore, Andrea Thompson, Inez Carrasquillo, Hannah Linzay, Melissa Peacock, and Samantha Belliveau have all graced the podium of the Arnold Amateur Strongwoman World Championship on their way to competing in the Arnold Pro.

The Arnold Amateur Strongman World Championship in the weight classes, now the Lightweight and Middleweight World Championship, first debuted weight-classed strongman at the Arnold in 2013 with the lightweight women’s class and men’s class, originally under the name “Strongman Fitness.”
By 2015, the 105kg men’s class and 82kg women’s class were introduced. Most recently, in 2023, we expanded further by adding the 57kg and 73kg women’s classes, along with the 90kg and 120kg men’s classes.

2025 Champions
Women’s 57kg: Danni Large
Women’s 64kg: Carlee Olivera
Women’s 73kg: Hanna Coldiron
Women’s 82kg: Jessica Mitchell
Women’s Open: Katie Blunden
Men’s 80kg: William “Cody” Abell
Men’s 90kg: Tyler Davis
Men’s 105kg: Aidan Howell
Men’s 120kg: Brendan Todd
Men’s Open: Andrew Burton

Learn More

The Arnold Sports Festival

The Arnold Sports Festival is the largest and most prestigious annual multi-sport event in the world. Nearly 200,000 fans will watch an estimated 22,000 athletes from 80 nations compete in 70 sports. You’re likely to see many of the top strongman athletes, weightlifters, powerlifters, bodybuilders, and strength influencers just by walking the aisles of the Arnold Expo.

The Expo is held at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, 400 N. High St., Columbus, Ohio 43215. There are numerous hotels available within walking distance or on the Arnold shuttlebus route.

Within the Convention Center is the South Café and Marketplace with numerous dining options. Across N High Street from the convention center is North Market, a vibrant farmer’s market and food hall with dining options from around the globe. And just north on N High Street is the Short North Arts District, a hip, culture-centered area where shops selling records, streetwear, and vintage clothes are interspersed with student-packed coffeehouses, craft-beer bars, and casual eateries.

2026 Arnold Expo Hours:
Friday, March 6: 10:00AM – 7:00PM
Saturday, March 7: 10:00AM – 7:00PM
Sunday, March 8: 10:00AM – 4:00PM

Our events are included with the Expo tickets. Buy your Expo ticket today! The Strongman tickets are for the Arnold Strongman Classic – a separate event from ours. You just need Expo tickets to attend the Arnold Strongman ProAm.

Learn More