After 12 DEKA FIT competitions and countless affiliate events in 2022, the DEKA World Championships took place in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Nov. 19 and 20, and it definitely lived up to the hype. Hundreds of top tier athletes flew in from across the country to participate in DEKA STRONG, DEKA MILE, and DEKA FIT.
Each event features the same 10 signature fitness zones, but the running distance between zones varies amongst events. The flagship DEKA FIT race totals to a 5K of running. Aptly named, DEKA MILE totals to one mile, and DEKA STRONG has no running between zones at all.
The events were broken down into an elite wave, age group waves, and an open wave. To qualify for the coveted elite wave, athletes needed to compete in a regional series DEKA and finish with a top 12 time. It truly represented the best of the best.
When you're going up against some of the world's fittest, it makes the battle for a podium spot that much sweeter. The competition is stiff, and athletes worked their a**es off to reach the top three male and female spots from each event. Take a look at our recap below.
DEKA World Championships Elite Results:
DEKA FIT
Elite Male
Colorado natives and training partners Rich Ryan and Ryan Kent were able to hold off the DEKA FIT world record holder, Rylan Schadegg, for a nail-biting finish to kick off the weekend, with Rich taking the top prize.
1. Rich Ryan
2. Ryan Kent
3. Rylan Schadegg
Elite Female
Team PWR LIFT member Terra Jackson remained in control throughout the full race for her first win of the weekend, with Alandra Greenlee and Bridget Brown closely behind her.
1. Terra Jackson
2. Alandra Greenlee
3. Bridget Brown
DEKA STRONG
Elite Male
Team PWR LIFT captain Ryan Kent started off day two with a first-place podium finish in DEKA STRONG. Day one champ Rich Ryan came in just behind him, and Ryan Corning rounded out the top three. There’s something in the air with the name “Ryan,” huh?
1. Ryan Kent
2. Rich Ryan
3. Ryan Corning
Elite Female
Terra Jackson took home her second gold medal finish of the weekend, with Alandra claiming silver once again and Vivian Tafuto holding down third place.
1. Terra Jackson
2. Alandra Greenlee
3. Vivian Tafuto
DEKA MILE
Elite Male
Ryan Kent picked up his second gold of the day and finished the weekend with a bang. Rylan and David Magida were nipping at his heels as they crossed the finish line.
1. Ryan Kent
2. Rylan Schadegg
3. David Magida
Elite Female
Having only once before competed in a DEKA event, Team PWR LIFT member Megan Jacoby earned gold in the MILE competition, with familiar faces Alandra and Terra rounding out the podium.
1. Megan Jacoby
2. Alandra Greenlee
3. Terra Jackson
PWR LIFT was proud to support these talented athletes – along with every competitor over the course of the weekend – with a cold PWR LIFT at the finish line of their races. Competing at the highest levels can be exhausting, so we were glad to be there to provide a rehydration tool with 10g of protein for athletes to kickstart their recovery.
PWR LIFT did more than just pass out drinks to DEKA competitors, though. We also debuted the “PL 50 Challenge” at our booth, challenging all DEKA supporters, spectators, and even participants to burn as many calories as possible in 50 seconds on a Concept2 SkiErg.
Morgan McGrath took the win on the women’s side with 25 calories in 50 seconds. It took 31 calories to win the men’s competition. Plus, free PWR LIFT was available to anyone that stopped by the booth to hangout.
The DEKA World Championships weekend was a largely inspiring and exciting weekend for Team PWR LIFT. DEKA Worlds concluded PWR LIFT's first year as a DEKA sponsor – but we're just getting started.
Moving towards next year's season, we're stoked about supporting even more athletes in this space. Nothing is more rewarding than believing in a group of people and seeing it through with them until they reach their lofty goals, ones that didn't even seem possible earlier in the year. Much more of that to come in 2023.
PWR UP!