CrossFit Open Masters Data: How 50,000+ Athletes Over 35 Performed in 2026

The Masters divisions are the fastest-growing segment of the CrossFit Open. In 2026, 54,689 athletes aged 35 and older competed in dedicated Masters divisions -- up from roughly 42,000 in 2023. Here is exactly how they performed.

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Masters Division Sizes

The number of athletes competing in each Masters division in 2026:

The 35-39 division alone accounts for nearly half of all Masters athletes. Each subsequent bracket shrinks -- with one notable exception. The 55-59 and 60+ divisions, while small in absolute numbers, have grown 18% year-over-year since 2023, faster than any other segment.

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Rx vs Scaled by Masters Division

How many Masters athletes choose Rx versus Scaled:

The Rx rate drops by roughly 6 percentage points per age bracket for men and 5 points per bracket for women. By the 50-54 division, the majority of both men and women are competing Scaled. By 65+, only about 1 in 5 athletes chooses Rx.

The key driver is not declining fitness -- it is the unchanging Rx standards. A 55-year-old faces the same Rx weights and movement standards as a 25-year-old. The Scaled division serves as a practical equalizer.

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Performance Benchmarks by Masters Division

What does a top-quartile, median, and bottom-quartile score look like in each Masters division? Here are the 26.1 (AMRAP) scores across age groups:

Men's Rx -- 26.1 Scores (Reps)

Women's Rx -- 26.1 Scores (Reps)

The performance decline per decade is approximately 15-18%. A median 45-49 man scores 149 reps on 26.1 compared to 178 reps for a median 35-39 man -- a 16% decline over 10 years. This rate of decline is consistent across genders and matches published research on age-related aerobic capacity loss.

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How Masters Athletes Compare Across Workouts

Performance decline is not uniform across workout types. Some workouts hit Masters athletes harder than others:

Gymnastics and heavy barbell movements punish aging the most. Muscle-ups and handstand push-ups have the steepest age-related decline because they demand a combination of absolute strength, body control, and joint health that degrades faster than pure cardiovascular capacity.

Cardio-heavy workouts are the great equalizer for Masters athletes. A 50-year-old loses only 10-12% per decade on rowing and running tests, compared to 20-25% on gymnastics benchmarks.

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The 35-39 Division: Where Competition Is Fiercest

The 35-39 division deserves special attention because it is the most competitive Masters bracket. Here is why:

The 35-39 division has the tightest score spread of any Masters bracket. The gap between a top-10% athlete and a median athlete is only 22%, compared to 31% in the 45-49 bracket. This means small performance differences move athletes thousands of places on the leaderboard.

This is partly a composition effect. The 35-39 bracket includes many athletes still in or near their physical prime who just aged out of the 18-34 division. The talent density is high, and the competition for top positions is intense.

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Year-Over-Year Masters Growth

Masters participation has grown steadily:

Masters divisions are growing faster than the Open overall. The Open grew 5.3% from 2025 to 2026, but Masters grew 12.2% in the same period. If this trend continues, Masters athletes will account for over 18% of the Open field by 2028.

The driving force is retention. CrossFit athletes who started in their 20s and 30s during the sport's growth phase are aging into Masters divisions and continuing to compete. They are not leaving -- they are just moving brackets.

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What This Means for Masters Athletes

1. You are part of the fastest-growing segment of competitive CrossFit. The community of Masters athletes is expanding every year, which means deeper leaderboards and more competitive benchmarks.

2. Expect 15-18% performance decline per decade. This is a physiological reality, not a training failure. Knowing the rate of decline lets you set realistic year-over-year goals.

3. Gymnastics is where you lose the most ground. Invest in gymnastics skill maintenance. A 50-year-old who can still do muscle-ups has a massive competitive advantage in their age group.

4. Scaled is not a consolation prize. In the 50+ divisions, the majority of athletes compete Scaled. It is the norm, not the exception.

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Related

• CrossFit Open Age Group Performance -- How age affects scores across all divisions
• Scaled vs Rx Percentage Data -- The full Rx/Scaled breakdown
• Average CrossFit Open Scores 2026 -- Score benchmarks for every workout

Tools:

• Percentile Calculator -- See where your Masters scores rank
• Benchmark Calculator -- Compare your benchmarks to your age group