Ryan Eckersley Records First Sub-3 5x5 Blindfolded Mean Since 2019
The British blindfolded specialist sets a 2:59.40 European record at Wakefield Summer 2026, ending a nearly seven-year wait for another official sub-three-minute mean.
Ryan Eckersley recorded a 2:59.40 5x5 Blindfolded mean at Wakefield Summer 2026, setting a new European record and becoming only the third competitor in WCA history to break three minutes.
Eckersley recorded three successful solves of 3:14.17, 2:30.97, and 3:13.06. His 2:30.97 was also the fastest single of the round and secured the event win.
The result ranks Eckersley third in the world for 5x5 Blindfolded mean, behind Stanley Chapel’s 2:27.63 world record and Kaijun Lin’s 2:49.17.
What makes the result especially significant is how long the sub-three barrier had remained untouched.
Chapel recorded the first sub-three mean with his 2:27.63 world record at MCC Epsilon 2019. Lin followed two weeks later with a 2:49.17 at Selangor Cube Open 2019.
No competitor recorded another sub-three mean for nearly seven years, until Eckersley became the third to break the barrier in Wakefield.
A completed 5x5 Blindfolded mean is one of the rarest and most difficult results to add to a WCA profile. Competitors must successfully memorize and solve the puzzle three times, with every attempt counting toward the final result. One unsuccessful attempt prevents a mean from being recorded, regardless of the other two times.
Eckersley entered the competition with a 3:08.73 personal best mean from BL&D BLD Binningen 2026. His performance in Wakefield improved that mark by 9.33 seconds and pushed the European record below three minutes for the first time.