You’ve been clamoring to know, where will the Granite Games Championship be held this year??
After months of careful consideration and research, we’re pleased to announce the 7th Granite Games Championship will return to the beautiful campus of St Cloud State University in St Cloud, Minnesota.
Before we dive into the chaos of the 2019 season, we want to address the elephant in the room: “Wasn’t 2018 the last year the Granite Games would be held in St Cloud?” Yep, Granite Games founder John Swanson told you that. So let’s ask him about it, shall we?
GG: John, last year you stood up in front of 1,000+ athletes and told them the Granite Games was looking for a new home. What happened?
John: Absolutely. I said that. And it was (and is) true. But as you all know, we were barreling into the 2019 season on an abbreviated timeline. Instead of a year of prep time, we suddenly had just 8 months. And with an endeavor on the scale of the Granite Games, that 4 months lost hurts. A lot.
GG: But why stay, exactly?
John: My team’s number one concern is providing a world-class experience to all our athletes, across divisions. We couldn’t justify the risk of compromising the experience, that was out of the question. We know the venue, we know the flow, we have the Granite Games experience on the SCSU campus down to a science. In the end, it came down to ensuring we could deliver what the community deserves.
GG: What does the future hold for the Granite Games? Is it St Cloud forever, then?
John: No, definitely not. I meant what I said last September. We love our roots, we love Central Minnesota, but we’ve simply outgrown St Cloud. The Granite Games community is too big now for the city. We’ve spent several months looking at some really incredible options in the larger Midwest region, and I’m super excited by the possibilities they bring to the table. We’re making strides toward a long-term home solution, so watch for that in 2020.
Got more questions for John? Word has it he’s easy to reach in our Granite Games Community Facebook page. Join the conversation there!
What Else to Know
In case you’ve been living under a rock 😉 … New this year, the Granite Games is an officially sanctioned event of the CrossFit Games, a fitness competition dedicated to finding the fittest man, woman and team on earth each year. The very last state-side Sanctional of the season, in fact! Due to this change, the Granite Games will also be held, for the first time ever, in late spring instead of autumn. Don’t worry, Minnesota is equally gorgeous at the onset of summer as it is at the close (and no snow, cross our hearts!). Look for a steady stream of fit people flooding St Cloud hotels, restaurants and streets May 30 – June 2.
Find out more about the 2019 Granite Games season on www.thegranitegames.com.
Give us a follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (and join the Granite Games Community on Facebook) so you’re in the know all season long!
