About the Event | VEX Robotics World Championship
The VEX Robotics World Championship took place in St. Louis, Missouri, April 21-30, 2026.
In this edition:
Each season, our VEX IQ, VEX V5, and VEX U Robotics Competition teams dedicate countless hours to designing, building, strategizing, and revision for their competitions. For thousands of teams, the culmination of all of this hard work comes together at their Event Region Championships. For the 2025-2026 season, we’d like to celebrate all the teams that qualified and participated in over 300 Event Region Championships worldwide. Your sportsmanship, innovation, perseverance, and teamwork throughout the season are recognized and celebrated! Likewise, we are celebrating all the Event Partners and amazing volunteers within our community who host and support these events. Thank you and congratulations to our entire VEX Robotics community for an amazing and inspiring season!
When the world shut down during COVID-19, Ayushmaan Bellum, then a sixth-grader from Folsom, CA, found himself isolated, bored, and unsure where to channel his curiosity. What began as a simple suggestion from his dad to explore a VEX IQ robotics kit at home sparked a transformation that would shape his confidence, academic path, and future career goals.
This year, the 2026 VEX Robotics World Championship moves to St. Louis, and with the move, teams, coaches, and spectators get to visit a new city. RECF and VEX Robotics have partnered with Explore St. Louis to share all of the things that make our new city so special. From museums, to sporting events, to renowned cuisine, we’re sure that our competitors, spectators, and volunteers will love visiting the Gateway to the West next month.
For the Thompson family, robotics is about much more than just gears and competition. It’s a training ground for the “real world.” In an era where the technological landscape is constantly shifting, Lauren and Jacob see firsthand how these programs are essential to prepare their children for a rapidly evolving workforce.
“Robotics touches every industry now, especially agriculture,” Jacob explained, noting how drone surveyors and advanced machinery are changing the face of farming in rural areas. “This is where reality and technology meet.”
We’re proud to announce the Cycle 2 and Cycle 3 winners of the RECF Online Challenges for VEX Robotics teams and the winner of the RECF Online Challenges for Aerial Drones Competition! Teams participated in the challenges to develop critical skills such as communication, research, design, writing, and teamwork — all of which prepare students for success in college, careers, and life. Thank you to all teams who participated this season and congratulations to our winners!
Hear more about current highlights of RECF programs and participants. See some of the most recent stories about our teams, events, and partnerships here:
