CrossFit Qualifiers in France
The Calendar to Plan 2027
In France, the biggest CrossFit competitions are not open to everyone: most select their athletes through an online qualifier a few months before the final. Miss the qualifier window and you miss the competition — and those windows tend to fall at the same time of year.
Here is the calendar of qualifiers and finals of the major French events, taken from the organisers' registration pages. The 2026 season dates are a guide to plan 2027: most competitions keep the same period from one year to the next.
Key points
- The big wave of qualifiers runs in January and February, for finals between April and July.
- A second wave in spring feeds the late-summer and autumn finals.
- A qualifier lasts from one to a few weeks, with one or more workouts filmed in your own gym.
- Some competitions only qualify their Elite divisions: other levels register directly.
How an online qualifier works
- You register for the qualifier, often for a fee (a few euros to a few dozen).
- The organiser releases one or more workouts to complete in your gym within a set period.
- You film your performance or have it validated by a judge, then submit your score online.
- The best athletes of each division are invited to the on-site final, where places are limited. Registration for the final follows, often within a short deadline.
Watch for variants: at Aetos Battle and Valmeinier Throwdown only the Elite divisions go through a qualifier; at Unicorn Throwdown it is the individual division. Other levels register directly while places last.
The calendar of the major competitions
2026 season dates, in qualifier order. For the next edition, expect the same period within a few weeks.
| Competition | 2026 qualifier | 2026 final |
|---|---|---|
| Battle of Normandy (Normandy) | Jan 4 – 25 | Jul 10 – 12 |
| Unicorn Throwdown (Hauts-de-France) | Jan 4 – Feb 1 (individuals) | Jun 6 – 7 |
| Alsace Throwdown (Grand Est) | Jan 10 – 30 | Jun 26 – 28 |
| Aetos Battle (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) | Jan 17 – Feb 2 (Elite) | Apr 24 – 26 |
| Valmeinier Throwdown (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) | Jan 20 – Feb 2 (Elite) | Jul 9 – 12 |
| Beast League (Île-de-France) | Jan 26 – Feb 8 | Jun 6 – 7 |
| French Throwdown (Île-de-France) | Jan 29 – Feb 15 | May 15 – 17 |
| The Affiliates Battle (Occitanie) | Feb 1 – Mar 1 | Jul 3 – 5 |
| West Coast Throwdown (Nouvelle-Aquitaine) | Feb 7 – 22 | Sep 4 – 6 |
| Marseille Throwdown (Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur) | Feb 14 – Mar 31 | Jul 31 – Aug 2 |
| Battle of Itius (Hauts-de-France) | Feb 16 – 22 | May 2 – 3 |
| Mayenne Throwdown (Pays de la Loire) | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | Oct 23 – 25 |
| Pow Wow Battle (Normandy) | April (2025: Apr 9 – 30) | Aug 1 – 2 |
| Paname Throwdown (Île-de-France) | April – May (2025: Apr 17 – May 19) | June (2025: Jun 21) |
| Kanda Showdown (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) | Jun 15 – 30 (individuals), Sep 1 – 10 (Elite teams) | late November |
Dates change from one edition to the next and some divisions have their own windows: always check the competition page before planning.
The three phases of the season
- January – February, the big wave: Battle of Normandy, Unicorn, Alsace, Aetos, Valmeinier, Beast League, French Throwdown, Affiliates Battle, West Coast and Battle of Itius almost all qualify within these eight weeks. You cannot do them all: pick your targets in December.
- March – May, the second wave: Marseille, Mayenne, Pow Wow and Paname qualify in spring, for finals between June and October — a second chance if winter did not go to plan.
- Summer, the late ones: Kanda Showdown qualifies individuals in June and Elite teams in September, for a final in late November in Clermont-Ferrand.
Already announced for 2027
- Aetos Battle 2027: qualifier from October 17 to November 7, 2026, final April 23 – 25, 2027 — three months earlier than in 2026, the first deadline of the season.
- Valmeinier Throwdown 2027: final July 8 – 11, 2027. The Elite qualifier dates are not published yet (2026: late January – early February).
Preparing your qualifier season
- ✓Pick two or three targets at most: in January – February the windows overlap.
- ✓Check each division's standards (loads, movements) before paying for the qualifier.
- ✓Note when registration opens: some qualifiers open as early as November or December.
- ✓Plan a judge or a video that meets the rules (angle, visible plates, running clock).
- ✓Leave room for the CrossFit Open, which also takes place in late winter.
- ✓Once qualified, register for the final quickly: the deadline to confirm is often short.
The major competitions calendar, updated daily
→ See qualifiers and finals