Glasgow Favourites Evening III 2025

Inside the Learning and Teaching Building at Strathclyde University, the tables were set for an intense, fast-paced slate of puzzle solving. A field of 45 competitors gathered in Glasgow, City of Glasgow, United Kingdom on March 18, 2025, ready to tackle a dense program. The single-round structure across all twelve disciplines meant that every participant had only one chance to deliver on the timer. With no second chances or semi-final rounds to correct an early mistake, the pressure was immediate from the first solve of the evening.

The direct-to-final format demanded total focus, particularly in the marquee Rubik's Cube category. In a contest featuring 32 competitors, Johnny Morello Kerlaff produced a commanding performance to secure first place with a winning average of 7.69 seconds and a best single solve of 6.50 seconds. Bella Campbell claimed second place with an average of 9.12 seconds, just ahead of Branson Lau, who posted a 9.17-second mark to take third. These decisive 3x3 results rewarded those who could master their opening attempts without the safety net of multiple stages.

Kerlaff was not finished with his 3x3 triumph, putting his versatility on full display across other twisty puzzles. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Kerlaff captured another gold with a 31.98 average, outpacing Adam Black at 33.43 and Michal J. Sekulski at 38.06. Adding a third title to his tally, Kerlaff won the Megaminx event with an average of 53.11 seconds, anchored by a best single of 48.21 seconds. His consistency in these single-round events highlighted the efficiency required when podiums are decided on the spot.

Other multi-event specialists also thrived within the rapid-fire schedule at Glasgow Favourites Evening III 2025. Branson Lau secured two titles of his own, winning the 5x5x5 Cube with an average of 59.56 seconds ahead of Bella Campbell and Sam Jones, while also topping the 3x3x3 One-Handed event in 10.85 seconds. Sam Jones captured two first-place finishes, winning Clock with a 4.74 average and Skewb with a 4.29 mark. In the big cubes, Max Kwok U Sam secured a double victory, winning the 6x6x6 Cube in 1:50.50 and the 7x7x7 Cube in 2:40.57.

Away from the top steps of the podium, several competitors made substantial progress on their personal benchmarks. Josh Miller delivered one of the standout personal records of the meet, dropping his 3x3x3 Cube best single down to 16.49 seconds, which was 48.7 percent faster than his previous mark of 32.16, alongside an eighth-place finish in his first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube with a time of 2:03.75. Emma Clare Rigg improved her 2x2x2 Cube single to 8.77 seconds, an improvement of 25.4 percent, while also recording her first ever Clock attempt at 22.90 seconds. Gordon Rigg shaved 24.8 percent off his 3x3x3 Cube best single, registering 34.59 seconds compared to his previous 45.98. Aleena Xu entered three events and took fifth place in Pyraminx with a first ever attempt of 7.35 seconds, while also cutting her 2x2x2 Cube mark by 24.2 percent to 4.23 seconds.

The single-round setup also welcomed several brand new participants navigating their first official attempts. Benjamin van Wingen took on three separate events in his first WCA competition, logging his first attempts with 13.85 seconds in Pyraminx, 14.67 seconds in 2x2x2 Cube, and 46.20 seconds in the 3x3x3 Cube. Steven Johnson marked his first competitive appearance across three events as well, placing eighth in Pyraminx with an 11.91-second first attempt alongside an opening Clock single of 24.50 seconds. Fei Teng registered a fourth-place result in Skewb with a first ever single of 8.47 seconds, alongside a 2:20.23 first effort in Megaminx. Hector Fraser Payton cut 12.6 percent from his Clock best down to 28.66 seconds and notched a seventh-place finish in Skewb with an initial attempt of 9.54 seconds.

The 2x2x2 Cube contest produced an exceptionally tight finish where split-second execution made all the difference. Ryan McIlree won the event with a 3.56 average and a best single of 1.79 seconds, finishing barely ahead of Ryan Eckersley at 3.63 seconds and Jamie Haazen at 3.73 seconds. In Pyraminx, Rylan Cheng-Brown took top honours with an average of 5.15 seconds, while Eleanor Sinnott closed out the roster of winners by claiming the Square-1 event with a 14.78 average. Across every bracket, the speed cubing action demonstrated how concise formats reward pure composure.

Podium finishes at Glasgow Favourites Evening III 2025 reflected a diverse field, with United Kingdom competitors earning 28 podium spots, Hong Kong taking 3, Macau earning 2, and Poland claiming 2. By stripping away multi-stage qualifiers in favour of direct finals, this cubing competition tested nerve and execution across all twelve official events. As the speedcubing community looks ahead to future meets in the 2025 calendar, the focused schedule of Glasgow Favourites Evening III 2025 stands out as a prime showcase of efficient, high-stakes competition.