Manchester Favourites I 2025

Forty-six competitors converged at 422 Manchester on September 27, 2025, bringing international speedcubing talent to the heart of the North West. While local British solvers formed the core of the field, international contenders travelled significant distances across continents and oceans to contest Manchester Favourites I 2025. With competitors representing the United Kingdom, Canada, Malaysia, and Hong Kong, the one-day gathering in Manchester, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom delivered an intense programme spanning 10 events and 14 distinct rounds of competition across the tables.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event drew 37 entrants across three hard-fought rounds, serving as the centerpiece for the day. Canada's Jensen Belen-Brown journeyed from North America to capture the title, logging a decisive winning average of 8.33 seconds and a best single time of 7.41. The final 3x3 results saw Britain's Benjamin Espinosa secure second place with an 8.78 average, narrowly holding off Hong Kong's Hayron Ling, who stepped onto the podium in third with an 8.85 average. Ling's cross-continental journey was rewarded with silverware in one of the most competitive Rubik's Cube brackets of the year.

Belen-Brown was not finished with his winning ways, taking home a second gold medal in Square-1. Navigating the shifting puzzle, the Canadian posted a winning average of 13.23 seconds alongside a best single of 10.95 to clear the field. Josh Condy claimed the runner-up spot for the United Kingdom with a 15.55 average, while Bella Campbell rounded out the podium positions with a steady 17.60 mark in the single-round showdown.

Franklyn Bensley proved to be another standout performer of the weekend, securing two individual event victories for the home nation. Bensley topped the 4x4x4 Cube standings with an impressive 34.48 average, outpacing fellow British finalists Vi Dinh, who took second in 37.70, and Fred Lang in third with 40.32. Bensley later demonstrated exceptional dexterity in 3x3x3 One-Handed, averaging 14.95 seconds to edge past Espinosa's 15.24 and Belen-Brown's 15.42 in a remarkably tight three-way contest at the top of the leaderboard.

The big-cube and side events produced equally memorable battles across the floor. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Bella Campbell earned top honors with a fine winning average of 1:09.40. She held off a determined challenge from Nevins Chan Pak Hoong, who travelled from Malaysia to claim the silver medal with an average of 1:12.96, while Bensley collected third place in 1:15.91. Meanwhile, Rufus Prabhu-Desai executed a clinical double victory of his own, winning Megaminx with a 43.22 average and Skewb with a 3.91 average, finishing ahead of Blue James and Campbell in the latter event.

Away from the top steps of the podium, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones that highlighted the depth of progress across the tournament. Sam Roberts took on four events and delivered a standout personal best of 3.54 seconds in the 2x2x2 Cube, an enormous 74.9 percent improvement over his previous mark of 14.11, while also making his first career attempts in Pyraminx with an 8.76 single and Skewb with a 13.07 single. Theo Holmes tackled four disciplines, logging a personal best of 2.74 seconds on the 2x2x2 Cube to drop his previous mark by 48.4 percent, alongside maiden official attempts in Pyraminx at 6.88 and One-Handed at 38.31. Nathaniel Wallace improved his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 40.5 percent down to 3.53 seconds, while recording first-time marks in Pyraminx at 5.54 and One-Handed at 44.44. Shangen Ji also capitalized on four events, carving 38.7 percent off his 2x2x2 Cube best to hit 3.06 seconds while registering his first official times in 5x5x5 Cube at 1:56.28 and Pyraminx at 6.14.

The personal breakthroughs continued across multiple age groups and specialties. Kasper Duras embraced a busy slate of four events, logging his first ever official attempts in the 2x2x2 Cube with a 5.17, the 4x4x4 Cube with a 1:13.16, and the 5x5x5 Cube with a 2:18.18. Edgar Holmes trimmed 22.1 percent off his 4x4x4 Cube best to reach 42.95 seconds, complementing the feat with maiden official solves in Megaminx at 1:44.13 and 5x5x5 Cube at 1:25.94. Pierre Smith sliced his Pyraminx personal record by 52.9 percent down to 12.43 seconds, while Nathan Gale-Coyne dropped his 2x2x2 Cube best by 46.2 percent to 5.12 seconds and his 3x3x3 Cube standard by 24.7 percent to 30.37 across his schedule.

The shorter formats delivered breathtaking speed as Tommy Kiely dominated the 2x2x2 Cube. Kiely recorded a blistering 1.91 winning average and a 0.77 single across two rounds, besting Sandeep Sambhi and Sofia McCormick. In Clock, Blue James led the field with a 4.21 winning average, finishing ahead of Jimi Naysmith and Josh Condy. Benjamin Espinosa added a Pyraminx crown to his podium collection, averaging 3.42 seconds to seal the win.

Across the entire weekend, this official WCA competition highlighted the enduring allure of speed cubing, drawing passionate solvers together from diverse corners of the world. Manchester Favourites I 2025 proved that whether competitors travelled from across the globe or across town, the drive to shave seconds off the clock remains universal. As the 2025 cubing competition calendar continues, the results in Manchester set a high benchmark for the season ahead.