Northeast Classic
THIS IS A QUALIFYING EVENT TO THE U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT IN SEPTEMBER!
Event Sponsors
July 23-25, 2026
Akron, Ohio
SPECTATORS: ALWAYS FREE ADMISSION!
No tickets are required. Come out when you can, stay as long as you want, and join us in cheering on our amazing first responders taking it to the challenge course for bragging rights. See our full event schedule below.
Every day features some amazing athletes and teams! We do recommend our Saturday morning main event since it is considered ‘the toughest two minutes in sports’, featuring the fastest athletes in each division, age, and gender subcategory going head-to-head for event titles.
ATHLETE INFORMATION
Welcome to Akron for the SERVPRO FCL 2026 Northeast Region Classic in the TFT® Firefighter Challenge Championship Series. This event is presented by the City of Akron.
Labeled by ESPN as ‘the toughest two minutes in sports’, this event is open to any firefighter that meets the following criteria:
- career or volunteer firefighters (active or retired) ages 18+ that are employed by and/or are voluntary members of an organized fire department (i.e.: township, municipal, district, county, state, country, military, or industry)
- licensed firefighters seeking employment
- cadets
- junior firefighters/explorers (ages 14-21)
- accredited governmental or educational agencies with a fire service curriculum
Whether an amateur or pro in our sport, we have a place for you!
This event is open to any firefighter from around the world. All athletes will vie for Overall Event bragging rights in our many subcategories, however athletes in our Northeast Region residing in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont will also vie for Northeast Region titles and records. This is the only annual event where these Northeast Region titles and records can be earned. Winners will maintain their title(s) and record(s) until the next season’s regional event.
Our Guide to the Challenge provides you with a comprehensive overview and understanding of our competition series, including all rules, regulations, awards, records, schedule, and more. Everything you need to know all in one document! We recommend you read this from beginning to end so you are fully prepared to take the Challenge.
Event Site Address:
510 South Main Street
Akron, OH 44311
Daily Schedule
We hold our Opening Ceremony on Friday morning to ensure every athlete has an opportunity to participate.
Thursday:
7:00AM: Open Practice
8:00AM to 5:00PM: Individual Category Qualifying Rounds & Region Title Awards Ceremony
Friday:
7:00AM: Open Practice
8:00AM: Opening Ceremony
8:30AM: Competitions Begin. Each event outlined below immediately follows the preceding event.
-Tandem Team Category Title Championship Event
-Awards Ceremony for Tandem Category
-Relay Team Category Title Championship Event
-Awards Ceremony for Relay Category
Saturday:
7:30AM: Open Practice
8:30AM – 12:00PM: Individual Category Overall Event Title Championship Finale & Awards Ceremony
REGISTRATION RATES
Early Bird Rate: just $55.00 ‘per category’ registration (must register 21+ days before the first day of the event)
Regular Rate: $70.00 ‘per category’ registration (when registering less than 21 days before the first day of the event).
**Each athlete serving on a Tandem or Relay team must register and pay for their seat on the team!
NOTE: Athletes already registered for the event may add additional subcategory runs onsite at the event at the early-bird rate!
HOST HOTEL
