Affiliate owner Craig Howard and the community at Diablo CrossFit celebrate 20 years as an affiliate this July, a milestone rooted in shared suffering, shared wins, and long-term commitment.
Below, Howard reflects on how it all started, what he’s learned across two decades, and why the CrossFit Open remains one of the most powerful tools an affiliate has.
Q: What originally drew you to CrossFit, and what ultimately made you take the leap into affiliate ownership?
A: In late 2004, I read a Men’s Journal article that called CrossFit “the hardest online workout you’ll ever do.” The workout they referenced was Murph. I tried it at my local gym and quickly descended into single reps just to finish. I was instantly hooked.
In 2005, I moved to Walnut Creek, and there wasn’t a CrossFit affiliate nearby. I posted on the CrossFit message boards asking if anyone was interested in opening an affiliate. That’s how I connected with Jeremy Jones, who was preparing to open Diablo. We joined forces, starting in a local park, then moved into a 700-square-foot car mechanic’s garage. We even had a “karma jar” for anyone who wanted to help cover expenses.
In 2009, we moved into our current location, starting with 4,000 square feet and quickly growing to 12,000. It’s wild to look back at how grassroots it all was.
Q: How has your role as an owner evolved from your first year to now?
A: For our first 10 years, I held a full-time job in the investment world and acted more as a consultant and manager for Diablo CrossFit. In 2016, my wife and I took full ownership when I retired. Now I manage our coaches and oversee day-to-day operations. My wife handles the finances, pro shop, and memberships. It’s truly a team effort.
Q: The 2026 CrossFit Open, presented by Air National Guard, is coming up. How do you run the Open in your gym to make it meaningful for all athletes?
A: We host an intramural Open with members and coaches serving as team captains. To be on a team, members must register for the Open. Almost everyone can contribute to weekly scoring — Rx’d athletes, Masters, Scaled, and Foundations divisions all count.
Judges earn points for their teams, and simply showing up to Friday Night Lights adds to team totals. It’s not just about performance, it’s about participation.
Advice for new owners? Make it fun. Create an incredible three-week experience, and you’ll build members who stay for the long haul, feel deeply connected to your affiliate and CrossFit, and share that experience with friends and on social media.
Q: How do you make sure newer or more intimidated members still feel supported during the Open?
A: We give them ways to be valuable — judging, helping teammates, and earning points for PRs like a first pull-up, new weight lifted, or first double-unders. Everyone matters.
Q: What are some of the most special Open moments you’ve seen over the years?
A: There are so many. Diablo athletes and teams qualifying for Regionals straight out of the Open. Masters athletes qualifying for the Games in the early years. Hosting live Open workout announcements for 19.3 and 20.4 at Diablo. Our first intramural Open in 2018, which was unbelievably fun, and we wish we’d started sooner.
And then there are the countless firsts: first pull-ups, muscle-ups, weightlifting PRs, first Rx’d Open workouts. Those moments never get old.
Q: How do you keep the Diablo culture strong after so many years?
A: We invest in great coaches, require continuing education, and hold weekly coach meetings focused on our members. I also send a weekly email to members and former members with updates on Diablo events, CrossFit content, and weekly programming.
On top of that, we host five to six events each year. Friday Night Lights during the Open, our Turkey Trot, Holiday Party, Murph, and the Amazing Grace charity workout. Those shared experiences are everything.
Q: What moments remind you why you opened an affiliate in the first place?
A: Two things. First, coaching a class and seeing a member have a breakthrough in strength, skill, or confidence. Second, when members tell me how Diablo CrossFit changed their life. Messages about getting off medications, losing weight, achieving something they never thought possible, or even being physically able to help someone else in need — just last week, a member had to race to his elderly father’s house to lift him up from the floor. Those stories are powerful.
Q: What challenges have tested you most as an owner?
A: The bureaucracy of small-business ownership. Permits, taxes, leases, insurance, workers’ comp, city and county regulations. And coming to terms with the fact that while anyone can do CrossFit, CrossFit isn’t for everybody.
Q: What advice would you give to someone considering affiliate ownership?
A: Build a business before you build out your business. In other words, start small — your garage, a park, online. See if you can attract and retain clients. Expand only when people are complaining about space. Hire good people and treat them well. Run great classes. Clean your bathrooms and gym floor every day. Be patient, ignore shiny objects, and focus on the client in front of you.
Q: Looking ahead, what excites you most about the future of your affiliate and CrossFit?
A: It feels like the CrossFit methodology is finally having its day. Many of the most-recognized fitness and health experts and influencers are ringing the CrossFit bell: the biggest contributors to health, fitness, and longevity are eating real food, training for strength and intensity in workouts.
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The CrossFit Open starts Feb. 26. Register now.