St. Cloud is about to host Minnesota's top speedcubers for the first time, as the third annual Minnesota Championship takes over the River's Edge Convention Center November 7 and 8. Up to 200 competitors can register for the event, which carries a $60 base entry fee and is open to spectators at no cost.
The competition will be held in the convention center's Glenn Carlson Hall, according to the World Cube Association, which sanctions the event. Registration opened back in June and closes Thursday at 11:59 p.m. Central time, per the WCA listing. There are no age divisions at WCA-sanctioned competitions, meaning cubers of any age can compete head-to-head for a spot on the podium.
That open-age format matters for a sport where youth and seniors alike can post competitive times. As reported by WJON, competition spokeswoman Lisa Kucala said organizers expect roughly 140 competitors this year, ranging from age seven to senior citizens.
A Growing Event Finds a New Home
This year's championship marks a step up from 2025 in several ways. Last year's event, held at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, capped registration at 150 competitors and charged a $50 base fee, according to the WCA's archived listing for the Minnesota Championship 2025. This year's move to St. Cloud comes with a higher 200-competitor limit and a $60 base fee, reflecting the event's continued growth into its third year.
The championship is sponsored by TheCubicle, which will provide prizes to podium finishers and state champions, the WCA notes. Only competitors who list Minnesota as their home state by the registration deadline are eligible for the Minnesota Champion title in each event, a restriction that also applied to last year's competition in Rochester.
What It Takes to Compete
Per WJON, competitors may register as long as they can solve a cube, even if it takes them more than a minute, while some entrants are capable of finishing in just six or seven seconds. The gap illustrates just how wide the skill range can be at an event with no age or ability cutoffs. The WJON report also indicates the competition includes 12 events spanning the regular 3x3 Rubik's Cube and various odd-shaped puzzles, with a state champion crowned in each and the top three finishers per event reaching the podium.
Minnesota's cubing scene has another notable gathering nearby for comparison. The CubingUSA Heartland Championship, held in August 2025 at Saint Paul's RiverCentre, served as the official regional competition for the Upper Midwest and featured 17 separate speedcubing events. That event's larger lineup shows how the Minnesota Championship fits into a broader regional circuit of WCA-sanctioned competitions.
Last Year's Fastest Times
Results from the 2025 Minnesota Championship give a sense of the caliber of competitor St. Cloud can expect. Mihir Narayan won the 3x3x3 Cube event in Rochester with an average solve time of 6.99 seconds, according to the WCA's results page for that event. Whether anyone tops that mark in St. Cloud remains to be seen when competitors gather at River's Edge next weekend.
