If you’ve ever watched Ninja Warrior and thought, “I could crush that,” now’s your chance to put your grip strength and fast-twitch fibres to the test. This May, the first Ninja Warrior-inspired Olympic-style competition is landing on the Gold Coast–and it’s going to be absolute chaos in the best way.
There are two headline events: YOHKA Stampede, a 100m obstacle sprint officially recognised as an Olympic sport as part of the Modern Pentathlon in LA 2028–and YOHKA Pursuit, a tactical, team-based urban tag game. Together, they’ll push your athleticism, grit and agility to the limit. Everyone is welcome to give it a go. There are competitors ranging in age from 12-50s.
What’s YOHKA Stampede?
This is a 100m obstacle sprint designed to torch your lungs and destroy your quads. It’s raw speed plus all-body coordination. Every misstep costs you time. No treadmills, no machines–just you versus gravity, racing head-to-head through a series of explosive, high-skill obstacles.
Stampede has already made waves internationally and is now set to become one of the newest Olympic sports. Whether you’re into CrossFit, functional fitness or just love a good sprint challenge–it’s the ultimate test of fast-twitch performance.
What’s Pursuit?
Pursuit is structured as a 10-minute team-based game. Here’s how it breaks down;
- Two teams. One objective.
- Each match runs for 10 minutes: two 4-minute rounds with a 2-minute rest in between.
- In Round 1, Team A chases while Team B defends. Then they swap.
- Each 4-minute block runs like a Tabatta: 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off.
- In those 20-second intervals, it’s one-on-one–either you’re the hunter or the hunted.
If you’re on defence, you’ve got 20 seconds to avoid getting tagged. If you’re attacking, you’ve got 20 seconds to close the gap and make contact–all while navigating a course that demands agility, speed and tactical awareness.
Every team is guaranteed at least one match. After that, it’s sudden-death playoffs. Win or go home.
How to Get Involved
The comp is open to everyday warriors and elite athletes alike. Whether you’re a CrossFitter, OCR junkie, ex-gymnast or just someone who thrives on dynamic, full-body movement–this is your chance to show up and put your training to the test.
The Bottom Line
This isn’t just another novelty event. With serious backing and Olympic aspirations, Stampede and Pursuit are flipping the script on what competitive fitness looks like. They reward speed, strategy, explosiveness and mental grit. It’s like someone finally made a spot for the parkour kids, the functional fitness crews and the backyard daredevils.
Which brings us to this: Brisbane or Bust is making it happen. The rest is up to you.