Overview

The 2026 World’s Strongest Firefighter competition will take place on Friday, March 6th and Saturday, March 7th 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.

Friday is the Divisional Championship. Compete to be the World’s Strongest Firefighter in your weight class!

Top athletes from each open (non-masters) division will then be invited to the World’s Strongest Firefighter Finals, taking place on Saturday on the Expo Stage.

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.

New for 2026
We’re adding Masters men’s and women’s classes to the divisional championship. Compete to be the World’s Strongest Masters Firefighter!

Classes

Athletes weigh in on Thursday, March 5th. Athlete must weigh at or below the stated class in kilograms. There is no weight allowance. Nudity is not allowed in the weigh-in.

You must have been born on or before March 6th, 1986 to compete in the 40+ classes.

Lightweight Men: 90 kg (198 lbs) and under
Middleweight Men: 105 kg (231 lbs) and under
Open Men: Over 105kg (231lb)
Masters Men: Men 40 years old and above
Lightweight Women: 73 kg (161 lbs) and under
Open Women: Over 73kg (161lbs)
Masters Women: Women 40 years old and above

The top three finishers from the Lightweight Men, Middleweight Men, Lightweight Women, and Open Women divisions will advance to the finals. The top six finishers from the Open Men division will also move on to the finals. Masters Men and Women will not move on to the finals. If you want a chance at the finals, compete in a non-masters class.

Dates and Deadlines

Registration Opens 8/18/2025
Early Bird registration ends 9/15/2025
Divisional events will begin to be released the week of 9/15/2025
Finals events will be released the week of 10/13/2025
Entry Deadline: 1/30/2025
Entries received after 1/30/2025 will have a $80 late fee.
Extra shirts and coaches passes need to be in by 1/30/2025 to guarantee names will be on the shirts and badges.
Late entry ends on 2/13/2025
Weigh-ins and Rules Meeting: 3/6/2025
Divisional Competition is 3/6/2025
Finals are 3/7/2025

Itinerary

A more detailed itinerary will be released closer to the competition day.

Weigh-ins will be throughout the day on Thursday, March 5th, starting at 9AM.

Rules meeting will be Thursday, March 5th at 6PM.

The Divisional competition will begin at 10AM on Friday, March 6th.

The Finals will be on Saturday, March 7th.

Register
Roster
WhatsApp Group
Buy Extra Shirt
Buy Coach’s Pass

The Competition

The World’s Strongest Firefighter competition invites all active-duty firefighters to participate in the divisional competition on Friday.

Individual awards for the top three will be given after the divisional competition to recognize the strongest men and women in each division.

In the finals, weights will be adjusted per division 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 division. The number of repetitions completed will be scored against all other finalists.

This scoring system means that competitors from any division could earn the title of “World’s Strongest Firefighter.”

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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.

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The Arnold

The Arnold Sports Festival, now in its 36th 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.

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