Meridian Marathon 2026

The tables inside the Courtyard by Marriott Boise West were humming with activity on April 25, 2026, as solvers gathered for a full day of puzzle solving in Meridian, Idaho, USA. Timer displays flickered across the room while competitors inspected their cubes, reset their mats, and took their seats for a demanding schedule. The single-day speedcubing gathering brought together 31 competitors across 12 rounds and 5 events, testing both sprint speed and endurance on the larger NxN hardware.

The closest contest of the entire cubing competition unfolded in the 6x6x6 Cube final, where the podium places were decided by razor-thin margins. Evan Beck claimed victory with a winning average of 1:53.94, posting a best single of 1:48.65. Eduardo Garcia took second place with an average of 1:55.00, finishing just over one second behind the leader. Cade Beck followed immediately behind in third place at 1:56.20, leaving a mere 2.26 seconds separating first place from third in an event that takes nearly two minutes per solve.

Evan Beck carried that winning momentum across nearly the entire program, collecting four separate titles throughout the day. In the classic 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube, Evan Beck took the crown with an 8.43 winning average and a top single of 6.98 across three rounds of play. Eduardo Garcia secured second place with a 9.00 average, while Rustin Haderlie finished third with a mark of 9.93. The 3x3 results capped a 31-competitor bracket that stood as the most heavily attended event on the schedule.

Beyond the traditional Rubik's Cube, Evan Beck proved equally dominant on the specialty and mid-sized puzzles. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Evan Beck logged an average of 1:00.22 and a best single of 56.98 to defeat Eduardo Garcia, who recorded 1:05.85, and Cade Beck, who took third in 1:10.45. Evan Beck also topped the 17-person field in Megaminx, winning with an average of 57.77. Cade Beck claimed the runner-up spot on the dodecahedral puzzle at 1:05.39, while Andrew Terpening placed third with a time of 1:14.76.

The lone title to escape Evan Beck came in the largest puzzle on the slate, the 7x7x7 Cube. Cade Beck delivered the winning performance across the two rounds, finishing with an average of 2:55.77 and the day's best single solve of 2:48.93. Evan Beck took the silver position with an average of 3:13.16, and Cody Cheng earned third place with a 3:31.73 result. All 15 podium positions across the five disciplines went to competitors representing the USA.

Away from the top steps of the podium, several solvers posted massive personal improvements and took on unfamiliar disciplines. Olly Duel entered all five events on the schedule, earning an eighth-place finish in 3x3x3 Cube, recording a first official attempt at 7x7x7 Cube with a 6:36.40, and cutting their 6x6x6 Cube best down to 3:40.39, which was 57.4 percent faster than before. Jacob Weiss dropped their 3x3x3 Cube personal record to 13.52, an improvement of 35.8 percent, while also posting a first official Megaminx attempt of 1:31.04. Matthias Moore took fourth place in Megaminx and set a new personal record of 1:15.92, improving by 35.3 percent, alongside a 31.3 percent drop in 6x6x6 Cube to 4:20.36. Caden T. Reeder achieved a 22.1 percent personal best of 12.62 in 3x3x3 Cube and logged a first Megaminx mark of 2:25.52.

The spirit of testing new boundaries at the speed cubing tables continued with Robert G. Klusaw, who entered five events, shaved 17.6 percent off their 5x5x5 Cube best to hit 2:07.69, and recorded first attempts in both Megaminx at 2:15.89 and 6x6x6 Cube at 4:49.85. Grady Wright finished fourth in 3x3x3 Cube, took on 7x7x7 Cube for the first time with a 4:49.87, and lowered their 5x5x5 Cube mark by 19.2 percent to 1:22.42. Jackson Vondergeest logged first-ever attempts in three separate events, posting 2:44.38 in 5x5x5 Cube, 2:54.23 in Megaminx, and 7:10.44 in 6x6x6 Cube. Haden R. Preuninger tackled their first career WCA competition, taking on four events and registering first-ever marks of 19.80 in 3x3x3 Cube, 2:11.37 in 5x5x5 Cube, and 4:14.79 in 6x6x6 Cube.

The action at Meridian Marathon 2026 proved that local competitions can offer both top-tier speed and tight finishes across a wide range of official puzzles. From the multi-layered tactics of the big cubes to the rapid turns of the classic three-by-three, the Meridian gathering provided a showcase of focused execution. Solvers packed up their gear with new personal records in hand, marking another successful chapter in the Pacific Northwest cubing calendar.