Nobody gets to specialize
You can't train for the test if you don't know the test. No gaming the course, no peaking for a published list — just show up ready for whatever the day hands you.
Saturday, October 17 — West River, MD
THE CONSTRUCTION GAMES
Eight stations. A run between every one. One clock.
Nobody sees the course until race day — and there's $5,500
on the line for whoever handles it fastest.
- 8Trade stations
- 8Runs between them
- 0Announced in advance
- $5,500Prize purse
01 — The Format
Eight stations. You meet them on race day.
Here's the whole published rulebook: eight stations, and you run between every one of them. What the stations are, what they weigh, how far the runs are and what order it all comes in — you find that out at the athlete briefing, same as everybody else.
Nothing you have to learn
No barbell cycling. No muscle-ups. No gymnastics apprenticeship. If you can dig, carry, stack, swing, climb and push, you can start today.
Brutal in the boring way
Grip, back, lungs, and the willingness to keep moving when the smart thing would be to set it down. The work decides. It always has.
02 — The Shift
Sealed until race day.
There's no station list to study, no weights to memorize, no leaked course map. Everybody walks in equally ignorant and equally ready — which is the only fair way to find out who's actually the fittest person on the site.
What you know going in
- Eight stations, start to finish
- You run between every one of them
- Every station is real trade work — carry it, dig it, stack it, swing it, climb it, drag it, haul it, push it
- Loads scale with your division
- Every rep is judged
- One clock, no rest built in
What you don't
- Which eight stations
- What order they come in
- What any of it weighs
- How far you run between them
- What's waiting at station eight
Released at the athlete briefing. Not a minute before.
03 — Divisions
Enter however you want. Finish the same course.
Men and women race the same event on the same day. The overall podium pays three deep, and the top woman and the top masters athlete each take a share of the purse of their own.
Open
Anyone, 18+
The full course at standard loads, whatever the course turns out to be. Most first-timers take between 70 and 90 minutes, and nearly every one of them finishes.
Pro
Qualified athletes
Heavier loads, more reps, prize purse. Earn your card with a qualifying Open time or a podium at any sanctioned event.
Doubles
Two-person team
Both partners run every run. Station work splits however you want it — and since you're carving it up on the fly, the strategy is half the race.
Crew Relay
Four-person team
Built for companies. Two runs and two stations each, one tag zone, one team time on the board. Shop shirts encouraged.
Masters
40+ and 50+
Adjusted loads, same eight stations, same clock. Thirty years in the trade is a training history, not a handicap.
Adaptive
In development
We're building standards with adaptive athletes rather than guessing at them. Tell us what you need on the form below.
04 — Who Competes
Built for the people who build everything.
Every other race in this sport was designed in a gym, for people who train in gyms. This one was designed on a jobsite. The movements are the ones you already do for forty-plus hours a week — we just put a clock on them and a crowd around them.
Framers. Electricians. Plumbers. Ironworkers. Linemen. Masons. Roofers. Welders. Concrete crews. Heavy equipment operators. Laborers who out-work everybody on site and never once got a medal for it.
You don't need a coach, a gym membership, or a clean lifting technique. You need to show up and not set it down.
Enter Now — $50 Questions First- No barbell requiredNothing on the course needs a gym to train for.
- No experience requiredIf you've worked a full day, you've done the hard part.
- Crews welcomeEnter your whole shop as a relay team and settle it.
- Trade pride on the boardResults are split by trade as well as by division.
05 — The First Event
Saturday, October 17. On a farm in West River, Maryland.
595 Owensville Road — twenty minutes south of Annapolis, on open ground. Real dirt, real gravel, real hills, not a parking lot behind a gym. One date, one field, and $5,500 paid out at the finish.
Event One
West River, MD
A working farm twenty minutes south of Annapolis, and an easy drive from Baltimore, DC and the Eastern Shore.
595 Owensville Road
West River, MD 20778
- Date
- Sat, Oct 17, 2026
- Where
- West River, MD
- Field size
- No cap — all welcome
- Entry
- $50
- Purse
- $5,500
- Spectators
- Free
The Purse
$5,500, paid on the day, to the people who earn it.
- 1st $3,000
- 2nd $1,000
- 3rd $500
- Top Masters 40+ $500
- Top Woman $500
Want to help build the first one?
We're after local sponsors, judges and volunteers — and crews from around Annapolis, Baltimore and DC willing to be the first names on the board. Use the form, or go straight to boss@theconstructiongames.com.
06 — Crews & Partners
Bring the whole company.
Company Teams
Four-person Crew Relay entries, group rates for ten or more, and a team name on the leaderboard. The best recruiting and retention day your shop will run all year.
Trade Sponsors
Tool brands, supply houses, workwear, trucks, insurance, staffing. Your product is literally the equipment on the course, in front of the exact people who buy it.
Unions & Apprenticeships
Local halls and training centers can field teams, host qualifiers, and run recruiting at the finish line — where the crowd already is.
07 — Questions
Straight answers.
What are the eight stations?
You'll find out on race day, with everybody else. That's the format, not a stalling tactic — the course is released at the athlete briefing the morning of. All eight are real trade work, and no station requires a skill you'd need to be taught.
Do I have to work in construction to compete?
No. Anyone 18 or older can enter the Open division. The race is built out of trade work and aimed at trade people, but the start line is open to whoever wants it.
How is this different from Hyrox or CrossFit?
Hyrox publishes its course, so you can train the exact test. We don't. Ours is closer to the CrossFit Games in that respect — you find out what you're doing when you get there. What's different from both is the work itself: no barbell, no gymnastics, nothing you need to be taught. It's carrying, digging, stacking, swinging, climbing, dragging, hauling and pushing, at weights a working body already recognizes.
What does it cost, and what can I win?
Entry is $50. Spectators get in free. The purse is $5,500: $3,000 for first overall, $1,000 for second, $500 for third, $500 for the top masters athlete over 40, and $500 for the top woman.
How do I pay, and can I get a refund?
Entry is $50, paid by card, Apple Pay, Cash App Pay or Klarna through Stripe — the button anywhere on this page takes you straight there. You'll get a receipt by email immediately. If you can't make it, email boss@theconstructiongames.com and we'll sort it out; refunds are straightforward up until the week of the event.
Can women compete?
Yes — same event, same day, same start line, and $500 for the top woman on top of whatever she takes off the overall podium.
How long does it take?
Plan on somewhere between an hour and an hour and a half of work, depending on your division and the course we build. The cutoff is generous, and the goal for a first-timer is simple: finish.
How should I train for it?
Broadly, because you have to be. Carry heavy things a long way. Get your legs and lungs ready to keep running after your arms are cooked. Grip is the single biggest separator out there, so train it on purpose. A free training guide goes out to everyone on the list.
Where exactly is it?
595 Owensville Road, West River, MD 20778 — a farm about twenty minutes south of Annapolis, roughly 45 minutes from Baltimore and an hour from DC. It's a working farm, not a stadium, so follow the signs and the parking marshals when you arrive. Exact check-in time and parking instructions go out to everyone who's entered the week of the event.
What do I need to bring?
Work gloves if you want them, boots or trainers you can run in, and a change of clothes. It's a farm in October, so bring layers and something you don't mind getting muddy. Every piece of equipment on the course is provided.
Is it safe?
Every station is judged, loads are standardized, and the course is staffed by medical. It's hard work under supervision, which is more than most job sites can say. You'll agree to the participant waiver when you enter, and sign a copy at check-in.
Can my company enter a team?
Yes — that's the Crew Relay, and it's the fastest-growing division we've got. Four people, one team time, group pricing. Mention your company on the form and we'll send the packet.
Is this only happening in one city?
To start, yes. Event One is in West River, Maryland — about twenty minutes south of Annapolis, and an easy drive from Baltimore, DC and the whole Eastern Shore. It's the only one on the calendar right now. We'd rather run one event worth traveling for than four that aren't. If you want it in your city next, say so on the form; that's how we'll decide where it goes.
Can I watch instead of compete?
Spectator entry is free. Bring the family. The finish line is the whole point.
08 — Enter
Get your name on the start list.
October 17 at 595 Owensville Road, West River, Maryland. Entry is $50 — pay and you're in.
Pay $50 & Claim Your SpotCard, Apple Pay, Cash App Pay or Klarna. Takes about a minute.
You'll agree to the waiver at checkout.
Not ready to pay yet? Use the form and we'll keep you posted — event updates, the free training guide, and everything you need before race day.