The 37th annual Arnold Sports Festival, running from Feb. 27 to March 2 this year, is set to be the biggest in the event’s history, with the first-place reward for the Arnold Classic winner being bumped up to $500,000.
Perhaps best known for its bodybuilding and strongman shows, the festival has solidified its place in Columbus culture as one of the city’s biggest yearly attractions, bringing in more than $54 million over the years.
“(The Arnold Sports Festival) draws over 100,000 visitors over three or four days. It’s kind of a sight to see,” says Brent LaLonde, director of communications for the festival. “The city has done a lot for the show, and the show has done a lot for the city. They both grow together.”
Changes over the years
Ever since the 2020 festival, which was limited in its capacity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival format has changed in subtle ways. The biggest change is probably the Arnold Strongman/Strongwoman Classic, a premier event at the festival, being moved to its own dedicated arena.
This move from the main show stage to its own arena frees up space and allowed for other changes to be made.
Instead of having all of the competitions on the main stage at the event, organizers are able to host seminars as well as meet-and-greets. These events have been headlined by notable athletes such as bodybuilders Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler.
These new events are consistent with the festival’s mission to spotlight some of the world’s most athletic humans.
“It’s the meat and potatoes of what a sports festival is about: the pro and amateur bodybuilding, all the strength and combat sports – from powerlifting to weightlifting to amateur strongman and martial arts, all of that kind of stuff,” LaLonde says.
What to expect
The bodybuilding and strongman events, as always, are expected to be highlights this year. On the physique side, Iranian bodybuilder Hadi Choopan, also known as “The Persian Wolf,” looks to defend his crown and become a two-time Arnold Classic champ.
In the powerlifting competition, Canadian Mitchell Hooper seeks to win his third consecutive title as the Arnold Strongman champ. If Hooper is successful in his campaign, he will become the fourth competitor to reach three victories, putting him behind Žydrūnas Savickas with eight all-time victories, and tying him with Brian Shaw and Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson (well known to American audiences for his role as Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane on Game of Thrones).
Popular social media star Sam Sulek is expected to compete. A native of Delaware, Ohio, Sulek
has made a name for himself on platforms including YouTube and Instagram for his fitness vlogs and tips.
On top of the headline events, the festival also hosts 1,000-plus vendors on the expo floor and more than 35 sporting events, from weightlifting and combat sports to gymnastics and foosball.
A surging favorite is the recently added Strongest Firefighter competition. Roughly 150 amateur strongmen and women, who are also firefighters, will compete in a series of events that include ambulance tire deadlifts and fire hydrant load, similar to an Atlas lift.
Nothin’ like it
For almost four decades, the Arnold Sports Festival has been growing nonstop, bringing a great deal of attention to Columbus every year.
“It’s led by the greatest ambassador and champion of sports history in Arnold (Schwarzenegger),” LaLonde says. “He is a unicorn obviously in bodybuilding, but he’s a worldwide icon, from being a movie star and the governor of California and the greatest Olympia Champion of all time.”
Another thing that separates the Arnold from other similar events is that everything happens in one place. While there are bigger bodybuilding competitions and strongman events, such as the Olympia and the World’s Strongest Man competitions, none of them host both, as well as so many other attractions, under one roof.
Organizers expect the festival will only continue to grow.
“I think the city is definitely the focus of the health and fitness industry once a year,” LaLonde says. “If we could have the Arnold Classic in Columbus every weekend, we’d all be thrilled.”
Wil Steigerwald is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
