COLUMBUS-The Arnold Sports Festival is back for its 31st year, bigger and better than ever.
- 31st Annual Arnold Sports Festival kicked off Thursday
- Features more than 22,000 amateur and pro athletes from around the world
- Four day event expects to draw more than 200,000 visitors to downtown Columbus.
By the numbers its quite impressive, 22,000 athletes from 80 nations, competing in 80 events.
And more than 1,000 booths featuring the the latest supplements, apparel, games, challenges and fitness equipment, from amateur to pro.
And the Arnold Sports Festival keeps with the latest trends and continues to add new events each year.
“We have foosball for the first time, we have high school wrestling for the first time, we have viking dash trail run up in Delaware state park, we have speed cubing—competitive rubrics cube,” says Arnold Sports Festival Communications Director, Brent LaLonde.
One new event this year expected to be a crowd favorite, this 70 foot obstacle course inspired by popular TV show American Ninja Warrior.
And if you do decide to step up to the challenge, you'll have Dayton native and former champion Brian Arnold cheering you on.
“We're going to have a starting buzzer, you're going to push to start your time, you have to race through the course, and then you're going to push your time at the end. The fastest person, we're gonna give a prize out to. This event is probably the biggest and best event we go to all year round. I mean Arnold Schwarzenegger puts it on, so you know its going to be amazing,” says Arnold.
And you don't have to walk far to find a celebrity in the crowd, how about the 2017 World's Strongest Man, Eddie Hall.
Hall says the Arnold will always hold a special place in his heart.
“I think what makes the Arnold so special is that its not just an exhibition, its an entertainment show. It's something that anyone can come to and be entertained. And I think that's why the bang for a buck is so much better than any other in the world. And I always treasure the memories of me lifting in front of Arnold and having Arnold cheer me on and having such a huge crowd,” says Hall.
Dione Masters is a former record holding power lifter a national champion and has been apart of the Arnold Sports Festival for more than a decade.
She says for amateur competitors, competing in front of thousands of fans is the ultimate adrenaline pump.
The participation numbers continue to grow, especially among women.
'When we first started here, we probably had about 10, maybe 15 women competing, to where now, we have over 50 women competing as well as women coming from other countries. No matter what area of fitness they're in, if you're following anyone on social media in the fitness realm, come here, this is where you're going to find them at,” says Masters.
The Arnold Sports Festival runs thru Sunday.
Tickets are $25 at the door, 14 years and under free if accompanied by an adult.
The SportsWorld Teens and Teens EXPO will take place Saturday and Sunday off-site at the Ohio Expo Center.
For more information click here: https://www.arnoldsportsfestival.com/
