CrossFit Overview

CrossFit was founded in 1996 by Greg Glassman and Lauren Jenai as a company. They opened a gym in Santa Cruz, California in 2001. CrossFit gyms operate independently regarding branding, equipment, facilities, coaches, training methodology, and workouts.

Coaching Certification

To use the CrossFit name, gyms require coaches certified to CrossFit’s Level 1. Certification is through a weekend class on methodology and fundamentals, with four levels of coaching certification.

Financial Aspects

William Hurst invested $100,000 to start his CrossFit gym, Spark CrossFit, earning $120,000 in his best year. The average CrossFit gym owner earns about $143,000 annually. CrossFit, Inc. primarily generates revenue from annual affiliate fees and seminars.

In June 2020, Eric Roza acquired CrossFit and is the current CEO, succeeding Greg Glassman. Roza’s background includes being an executive at Oracle Data Cloud and holding positions in the fitness industry.