Compete for glory against the best in the River City at the River City Strongman Games - November 8th 2025, 9AM at RVA Iron Gym

The next day, November 9th 2025, learn from the BEST at the River City Strongman Seminar led by Nick Best and John Haack at 10am!

**The Competition and Seminar are two SEPARATE events with different sign-up links. An athlete competing in the River City Strongman Games who also wishes to attend the seminar must sign up for both (and vice versa). **

Seminar Link: https://ironpodium.com/browse/event/river-city-strongman-games-strongman-seminar 

Strongman Clinic Signup Form:     https://forms.gle/uX3sJ2adArDaAZBm9

Volunteer Signup Form: https://forms.gle/Z1qfbGmK94c63Jpj7 

IG @ therivercitystrongmangames

Pre-register for a $50 athlete photo package by emailing jgaller627@gmail.com (subject line: River City Strongman Games).

Order a Video Package by contacting Grant at @grantplittmedia on Instagram or by emailing him at grantplittmedia@gmail.com

IV services will be available during check-ins on November 7th and during the competition on November 8th thanks to StrongIV. Pre-book here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdBmNlrLXeHh1SrpZsCoZCtf8qdq4JVg7hMR91w4zef2pSw1A/viewform?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaeQ91Ve-Yl1ZTwtt63GD3NwiG3IwMHysSbzC5ZSkcQ_Z5sSKGMgcVcQHgtGtw_aem_Rfg-Vtg6e4b0m0qMWxEPAA 

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Athlete Check-in/Weigh-in: 

Friday, November 7th – Morning 8:00am-11am | Afternoon/Evening 2- 6pm 

Saturday, November 8th – Morning 8:00am-8:30am  

***All athletes must show Strongman Corporation proof of membership at time of check-in.

Strongman Corporation Membership is required for all competitors - https://bit.ly/3Ga2xDk

There are NO CONVERSIONS for the weight classes. They are either in pounds or in kilograms. If a competition has classes listed in pounds, the weigh-in will be in pounds. If a competition has classes listed in kilograms, the weigh-in will be in kilograms. There is no math, no rounding, and no conversions. This competition is weighing in all athletes using kg to adhere to the upcoming long term weight changes that Strongman Corporation is making. 

If an athlete misses weight, we will allow you to jump up a class, however keep in mind that larger shows (Pro/Am, Nationals, the Arnold etc.) will almost always not allow this to happen, they'd send you away and you're unlikely to receive a refund.

Who qualifies as a novice athlete?

The Novice class is open to all first-time competitors in Strongman Corporation, regardless of prior experience in other sports or strength disciplines. If you’ve competed Novice before, podium or not, then it is still time to go Open. 

Do I have to compete in the novice division if it is my first contest?

No. No one is obligated to compete in Novice. If you're looking for a 2026 Nationals bid, go open as that cannot be earned in a Novice Class (teens being the only exception).

*** Feel free to email or text me if you're unsure what class to sign up for!

Interested in competing as an Adapted Athlete?

We’d love to have you! Email the promoter so that events can be specified to your adaptive needs (weights and event mechanics). The promoter can then publish a specific adaptive class for you to sign-up under. 

Interested in competing as a Teen (12-19 yrs of age)?

We’d love to have you! Email the promoter so that events can be specified to your age group or help you decide what weight class you’d safely fit in with. 

Interested in volunteering?

Volunteers will receive an event t-shirt, lunch, 2 free raffle tickets, and maybe some swag ;). 

Volunteer Signup Form: https://forms.gle/Z1qfbGmK94c63Jpj7 

Interested in sponsorship?

This could be in the form of sponsoring an event, items in the athlete goodie bags, or trophies/items for podium finishers. All sponsors would be featured on the event T-Shirt and receive recognition during the event. Let's chat!

Open Invites

At a Local competition, the number of qualifying athletes depends on the number of athletes competing ON THE DAY OF COMPETITION and follows these standards:

1 athlete in a class: the promoter may merge the class with another class; if the athlete competes alone they will earn an invite by completing (i.e. not “zeroing”) at least 4 of the 5 events to the standards originally set forth by the promoter. 

2-4 athletes in a class: 1st place qualifies for 2026 Nationals

5-9 athletes in a class: 1st and 2nd place qualify for 2026 Nationals

10+ athletes in a class: 1st-3rd place qualify for 2026 Nationals

*This refers to open categories, novice categories do not qualify for nationals. 

Teen & Masters Invite 

Teens qualify for America's Strongest Teen 2026 by competing in a licensed show period. 

Masters qualify for America's Strongest Master by placing top 3 in a Masters class (which the system sees and captures correcting when competing in a masters class) or by placing top 5 in an Open class (see more below).

At the moment if a Teen or Masters athlete compete in Open or Novice categories instead of teen or masters (more power to ya), our current system does not have a way to capture that they are age group athletes and eligible for bids to America's Strongest Teen or Masters Nationals. If you are of masters or teen age but compete open please give Nancy a heads up so she can annotate that you may qualify for more outside of the open class you compete in that day.  

Example: 55 yr. o. woman competes Open W u64kg where the class has 10+ women, and she places 3rd in that class, she has now earned a u64kg invite to Open Nationals AND an invite to Masters Nationals. 

Let's say she took 5th in the same class, she wouldn't receive an Open Nationals invite but she would still receive the Masters invite!

Competition Shirts 

The competition shirt will be worn on all events unless the athlete is shirtless or wearing a grip shirt (SC, Evo, Cerb, etc). Athletes may only be shirtless for natural stone event. If you would like to preserve your comp shirt and you do not want to be shirtless for the stone events please wear a blank t-shirt instead (stone events only, events #3 & #5).

Registrations made after Oct. 1 are not guaranteed a competition shirt in your exact size, but we will have one for you. 

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Event Rules

For all events:

No tacky or sticky substance of any kind is allowed, except a tacky towel which is only allowed for the natural stone events (event 3 and event 5, but in event 5 you will only touch it before carrying your natural stone and not be permitted to touch it again before carrying your sandbag or pulling the vehicle).

If the implement leaves the platform/ crash pads then the athlete will retrieve it themselves while time is still running to continue. 

Any weight thrown towards/at a judge will be a no rep.

Belt Cleans are allowed. 

Grip Shirts may only be worn for event 1 (OH), 3(Natural Stone), and 5 (Medley).

Any implement clearly dropped from the top will result in a no rep decision. 

Athletes must be at full lockout with a down call from their judge before time is called to receive the last rep. 

Athletes who skip the judges down call will not receive the rep. The judges' decision is ultimately what will be trusted but any athlete who would like to dispute a call, timing mistake, scoring mistake, etc. must find Nancy with a video of said event. 

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Event 1: Wagon Wheel Axle C&P for reps

Athletes will start on the platform with their hands off the axle but their hands may be hovering over the axle bar. On the judges start command they will then clean every rep and press an axle with wagon wheels for as many reps as possible in 60 seconds. 

60 sec time limit. No Split times taken. Scored in total of reps completed before time is called. For a rep to be counted it must receive the down call before 60 sec is called. Reps still in progress will not count. 

Good Lift: feet together, feet not moving, arms locked out overhead, & athlete demonstrating full control. 

Not allowed: pressing off of head, dropping weight front overhead (follow down w/ your hands at least past chest height), lifting straps.

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Event 2: Deadlift Medley 

Athletes will start behind the platform and may start on either bar. On the judges start command athletes will approach the bar of their choosing and must complete a successful rep on their chosen bar to then move onto the opposite bar, alternating on both bars after each successful rep until 60 sec. If an athlete starts on their deadlift bar and cannot complete a successful rep they can switch to the trap bar and attempt their first rep there, after that 1st successful rep athletes must switch back and forth between bars. 

Deadlift Bar <-> Trap Bar. The lighter weight; listed for your class is the deadlift bar and the heavier weight listed is the trap bar. 

60 sec time limit. No Split times taken. Athletes who choose to use straps will strap in on their own time. Scored in total of reps completed before time is called (regardless of what bar the athlete begins on). For a rep to be counted it must receive the down call before 60 sec is called. Reps still in progress will not count. The Trap Bar being used is the Elitefts Hex Combo Bar, you will be using the the high handles. The Deadlift Bar being used is a Texas Deadlift Bar.

Good Lift: feet together, feet not moving, hands fully wrapped around the bar (thumb included), & athlete demonstrating full control. 

Not allowed: DL suits, briefs, sumo stance, dropping bars from waist (follow down w/ your hands to at least past your knees).

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Event 3: Natty Stone

Athletes will start on the platform with their hands off the natural stone but their hands may be hovering over the stone. On the judges start command athletes must achieve 1 of the 3 options described here and listed below to amass as many points as possible with as many attempts as possible during the 60 sec time limit. The max points possible to achieve per attempt within the time limit is 4 points. Athletes may shoulder each rep, overhead press each rep, or shoulder the stone and then move directly into the overhead press without resetting the stone, but the stone will be reset (to the ground/crash pads) after every overhead press. No going from a successful overhead press into a shoulder without resetting. 

3 attempt types as mentioned above:

1 successful overhead press = 3 points

1 successful shoulder = 1 point

1 successful shoulder into a successful overhead press = 4 points

Ex. Alex gets a good lift on his stone to shoulder attempt and instead of resetting on the floor he may then move the stone from his shoulder to the front rack position to then overhead press it, if he gets a good lift there, he has now rightfully earned 1 & 3 points for the shoulder and press, but now must reset the stone for his next lift regardless of what it will be. The reverse order is not allowed so Alex will not do it.

If Alex only wants to do stone to shoulder he will reset each rep. If Alex only wants to overhead press, he will reset each rep. 

60 sec time limit. No Split times taken. Scored in total points acquired during their time limit. For a rep to be counted it must receive the down call before 60 sec is called. Reps still in progress will not count.

Good Lift for shouldering: feet together, feet not moving, one arm holding/securing stone on top of the shoulder & athlete demonstrating full control while the opposite arm is completely off/away from stone. 

Good Lift for overhead pressing: feet together, feet not moving, arms locked out overhead & athlete demonstrating full control. *Arms fully locked out are no always the same as normal overhead pressing with standard equipment. We will go over this during rules. 

Not allowed: pressing off of head, anything sticky except for a tacky towel.

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Event 4: Sandbag Toss for Max Ht.

Athletes will jump in at the height of their choosing and be allowed 3 attempts total at different heights with no more than 2 throws in a single attempt. Athletes do not have to take their 3 attempts consecutively, they may take the heights they so choose by jumping in and out until they have complete their 3 attempts or they are considered to be out. You will have 2 bags ready for each height attempt, which means no wasting time running back to get a bag. If you achieve the a successful throw with your first bag there is obviously no need to throw the second. If you are unable to achieve a successful toss at a certain height with both of your attempts then you are considered out and will not be allowed further attempts even if this was your 1st or 2nd attempt. 

30 sec time limit per attempt. No Split times taken. If the bag has COMPLETELY left the athlete's hands before time is called and it successfully goes over the bar then it will be counted. Scored by final successful height cleared. If the bag gets stuck on top for 10 sec we’ll declare that a successful height cleared. There is no point/score difference between achieving a successful toss on the 1st or 2nd bag at that height. 

Women start at 10ft height ascending 1ft each round.

Men start at 12ft height ascending 1ft each round.

Not allowed: anything sticky 

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Event 5: Load, Load, Pull. 

Athletes will start behind the starting line closest to the natural stone with their hands off the natural stone but their hands may be hovering over the stone. On the judges start command the athlete will pick and carry the same natural stone they used for event 3 down a 50ft course and load it over a 48" bar, then sprint back to the start line to pick and carry a sandbag down the same 50ft course and load it over the same 48" bar, then sprint back and get into position by getting inside a large tractor tire picking up the rope connected to a vehicle to then arm over arm pull the vehicle down the 50ft course. A staff member will help with the slack of rope as the athlete pulls so that it does not impede their ability to continually pull. 

60 sec time limit. Only event with split times, split times when first 2 objects hit the ground and when the front of the vehicle tires cross a certain line will be taken. (vehicle may be 30ft pull not 50ft). 50ft course at max. All items start on same end. 48" crossbar at max for the loads. The natural stone must cross over the bar to progress to the sandbag and the sandbag must cross over the bar to progress to the seated arm over arm vehicle pull.

Not allowed: anything sticky except for the tacky towel only before beginning the event and not once more after the time has begun (anyone found using a tacky towel on the sandbag or rope will receive a zero for the event) using the straps of the sandbags in anyway to rotated, pick, carry or move the sandbag. (You will be using Bells of Steel sandbags, pretend as if the handles are non-existent).

Likely Vehicles for Ladies : Be ready for anything on wheels. 
Likely Vehicle for Men: Be ready for anything on wheels. 

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Tie Breaker …. It’s on the need to know