The World’s Strongest Man competition will return to Myrtle Beach for the third time in four years!
The 2026 World’s Strongest Man competition will return to a familiar location. The show is scheduled to take place from April 23-26 and will be back in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, according to a press release by WSM.
The qualifying rounds will begin on Thursday and Friday from the Oceanfront Borroughs & Chapin Paviolion Place. A champion will be crowned after the two-day final round taking place on Saturday and Sunday.
President of Visit Myrtle Beach Stuart Butler shared a statement following the announcement:
“We’re thrilled to welcome the World’s Strongest Man competition back to downtown Myrtle Beach for another exciting showcase of live sports action. This world-class competition has exceeded out expectations each year we’ve hosted it, bringing in competitors and fans from across the globe and putting Myrtle Beach on the world stage.”
The 2026 competition is expected to feature some of the greatest athletes in the world and will have a lot to live up to following last year’s showcase. Rayno Nel became the first rookie to win the competition since 1977. New beat out former champions Tom Stoltman and Mitchell Hooper, who finished second and third respectively, during the final days.
World’s Strongest Man Returning To Myrtle Beach
The World’s Strongest Man competition will be back in Myrtle Beach for the third time in four years. In 2025, the competition took place in Sacramento, which has held the event three times.
In 1977, the WSM began action from Universal Studios, California. It would be held in the United States for the first six years before taking trips around the globe. This includes New Zealand, Sweden, France, Portugal, South Africa, and many more locations. The last competition held outside of the U.S. took place in the Phillippines in 2018, where Hathor Bjornsson was crowned champion.
The WSM returned to the U.S. in 2019 with back-to-back years taking place in Bradenton, Florida. Now, Myrtle Beach will once again be the site where a champion will be crowned.
“Our community has wholeheartedly embraced this event and we’re looking forward to the economic and recreational impact that it brings to our entire region.”
Rayno Nel Shares Advice To Amateur Strongmen
Rayno Nel rose to prominence in just a few short years and has a unique perspective to speak to the next generation of great competitors. During an interview with GI, Nel shared different pieces of advice to young lifters:
- Train for events — not just lifts. Strongman isn’t about your bench press. It’s about awkward objects, carrying, loading, and grinding under fatigue.
- Compete often. Amateurs need experience more than perfect lifts. Get on a platform, make mistakes, and learn from them. Rayno Nel himself has about 6 competitions lined up for this year.
- Stay humble. Don’t compare yourself to social media lifters. Your only competition is yesterday’s version of you.
