Leeds Spring 2026

Caleb Wolf Dunn delivered an emphatic statement on the solving tables of The Edge, capturing the headline 3x3x3 Cube title with a blistering 5.96-second winning average. His standout form was anchored by the tournament's quickest single solve of 5.34 seconds, setting a breathtaking benchmark in the final round. Dunn was not finished there, adding another gold medal in the Clock event with an average of 3.22 seconds alongside a second-place finish in One-Handed and third in Megaminx. The two-day gathering drew 141 competitors across 10 distinct events, showcasing the immense depth and relentless progress of the modern speedcubing circuit.

Hosted in Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom across the weekend of April 11–12, Leeds Spring 2026 featured 18 rounds of intense competition. The action in the classic Rubik's Cube brought 135 contenders through three demanding rounds, where Dunn stood atop the podium ahead of Nicholas Archer, who averaged 6.82 seconds, and Franklyn Bensley, who secured bronze with a 7.89-second average. The sheer speed on display throughout the 3x3 results demonstrated how rapidly rising competitors continue to shave fractions of a second off their personal marks in premier WCA competition environments.

Short-format events produced equally fierce turnarounds, led by Luke Burns claiming top honours in the 2x2x2 Cube with a rapid 1.25-second average and a best single of 0.83 seconds. Jacob Sherwen Brown took second place with a 1.32 average, while Nicholas Archer rounded out the podium at 1.75. Archer found his own gold in the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, dominating the field of 73 entrants with an 8.70-second average and a best single solve of 7.55 seconds, outpacing Dunn and Brown.

The larger puzzles demanded both stamina and tactical execution, seen clearly in Monty Fox taking victory in the 4x4x4 Cube with an average of 27.91 seconds, narrowly besting Bensley's 28.72 and Harvie Partridge's 29.03. In the twelve-sided Megaminx event, Sean Moran claimed first place courtesy of a 32.89-second average, followed by Rufus Prabhu-Desai at 37.31 and Dunn at 43.51. Across all these categories, the technical standard demonstrated how dedicated training has elevated overall speed cubing performance across the United Kingdom throughout 2026.

Beyond the podium battles, the true pulse of the cubing competition was felt across the ranks of emerging solvers who logged massive personal breakthroughs. Thomas Tanner cut his 3x3x3 Cube best by 57.3 percent down to 14.04 seconds, while also trimming his 4x4x4 Cube time to 1:24.99. Charlie Hill entered four events, posting an 18th-place finish in his first ever attempt at Clock with a 6.34 single, alongside an 18.98-second One-Handed personal best that was 57.2 percent faster than his prior record, and a 3x3x3 personal best of 9.62. Rex Bell lowered his 3x3x3 best by 42.5 percent to 12.08 seconds, dropped his 2x2x2 mark to 2.65, and recorded a 1:07.36 in his first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube.

That surge of progress continued with Ellis Ide, who tackled three disciplines, achieving a 47.5 percent personal best improvement in 2x2x2 Cube to 4.88 seconds, a 24.28 single in 3x3x3, and a 2:25.07 in his first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube. Noah Grant tackled four events, completing his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed in 30.99 seconds, his first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube in 1:50.71, and improved his 2x2x2 mark to 4.55. Isaac Helstrip marked his weekend with a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube in 57.88 seconds, a first 2x2x2 attempt of 5.39, and a 12.42-second 3x3x3 personal best. Meanwhile, Aida H. Sharp took on eight events, securing a 6th-place finish in Fewest Moves with a first-time 38 moves, alongside first attempts in 3x3x3 Blindfolded at 3:09.68 and Megaminx at 3:10.18. Robert Morris also took on eight events, logging a 4x4x4 personal best of 47.88 seconds, which was 37.2 percent faster, while recording first-time efforts in Fewest Moves at 42 and Blindfolded at 2:58.28.

Specialist solving categories brought unique challenges requiring deep concentration and calculation. Galih Arya Santosa topped the 3x3x3 Fewest Moves contest with an efficient single solve of 22 moves, ahead of Jacob Sherwen Brown's 24 and Jimi Naysmith's 29. In the 3x3x3 Blindfolded event, Ben Stokes navigated the field to win with a 22.41-second average and an 18.76 best single, relying on sharp memorisation and clean spatial recall under pressure.

The heavy blindfolded disciplines belonged to Mengfei Shen, who captured victories in both the 4x4x4 and 5x5x5 Blindfolded categories, recording winning singles of 2:01.29 and 4:51.34 respectively. In the 5x5x5 Blindfolded division, Michael Ngan took second with a 6:48.09 single, while Charlie Harrison earned third in 7:53.81. Across two days of high-paced problem solving, the gathering highlighted an impressive wave of young talent and sharp technical mastery.

As the final timers were packed away, Leeds Spring 2026 concluded with the host nation earning 23 podium places, complemented by top honours across visiting international competitors. The rapid improvements seen across all tiers of competitors suggest that the standards of British speedcubing will only continue their steep ascent into the coming season.