Ryan Eckersley Breaks European 5x5 Blindfolded Mean Record with 2:54.01
British blindfolded specialist Ryan Eckersley has broken the European Record for 5x5 Blindfolded mean, recording an incredible 2:54.01 mean at Mayo Cubing 2026 on 6th September 2026.
The result came from three successful solves:
- 3:04.07
- 2:52.53
- 2:45.42
The three solves combine to give Ryan a new 2:54.01 European Record mean, improving his own previous record by more than five seconds.
At the time of writing, the results from Mayo Cubing 2026 have not yet appeared on the official WCA competition page or Ryan's WCA profile, although the result is already appearing in updated WCA statistics data.
Fourth Fastest in the World – But Possibly the Most Consistent
The 2:54.01 result puts Ryan 4th in the world for 5x5 Blindfolded mean, but there is another statistic which arguably makes the achievement even more impressive.
Ryan is now the first person ever to record two official sub-3-minute 5x5 Blindfolded means.
His previous European Record was a 2:59.40 mean at Wakefield Summer 2026, consisting of 3:14.17, 2:30.97 and 3:13.06.
This means that Ryan now has two separate competition rounds in which he has successfully solved three 5x5 cubes blindfolded with a mean below three minutes.
That is particularly interesting when looking at the three competitors ahead of him in the world rankings. Each has produced an incredibly fast mean, but those results stand out as isolated successes among a large number of rounds ending with a DNF mean.
That is not particularly surprising in 5x5 Blindfolded. Even the very best competitors in the world frequently fail at least one of their three attempts, and a single DNF means that all of the remaining solves must be successful to record a mean.
Ryan's achievement therefore highlights something slightly different from outright speed: repeatability.
He may currently sit fourth in the world rankings, but he is the first person to demonstrate that a sub-3 5BLD mean can be achieved more than once.
Ryan Breaks His Own European Record
Ryan was already the European Record holder after becoming the first European to record a sub-3-minute 5BLD mean at Wakefield Summer 2026.
His 2:59.40 result there consisted of:
- 3:14.17
- 2:30.97
- 3:13.06
The 2:30.97 in the middle was an exceptionally fast solve, but the mean relied on two much slower solves either side of it.
The new Mayo result looks very different.
His slowest solve was only 3:04.07, followed by 2:52.53 and then an even faster 2:45.42. There were just 18.65 seconds between his fastest and slowest solve.
That level of consistency is arguably the most significant part of the new record.
Three Successful Solves Under 3:05
5x5 Blindfolded is one of the most unforgiving events recognised by the World Cube Association.
Competitors must first memorise the entire state of a 5x5 cube before putting on a blindfold and solving it from memory. To achieve a mean, they then have to repeat the process successfully three times.
A tiny memorisation error, incorrect execution or misplaced piece can turn an otherwise extremely fast attempt into a DNF.
That makes producing three successful elite-level solves in the same round exceptionally difficult.
Ryan opened his Mayo mean with 3:04.07, already putting him within range of his European Record.
His second solve of 2:52.53 then put the sub-3 mean firmly within reach.
Rather than simply protecting the record on his final attempt, Ryan went even faster, finishing with a 2:45.42.
The result was a 2:54.01 mean and another European Record.
An Incredible 2026 Progression
Ryan's improvement in 5x5 Blindfolded throughout 2026 has been remarkably rapid.
Earlier in the year he set a European Record mean of 3:08.73 at BL&D BLD Binningen 2026. He then smashed through the three-minute barrier with 2:59.40 at Wakefield Summer before lowering the record again to 2:54.01 at Mayo.
| Competition | 5BLD Mean |
|---|---|
| BL&D BLD Binningen 2026 | 3:08.73 ER |
| Wakefield Summer 2026 | 2:59.40 ER |
| Mayo Cubing 2026 | 2:54.01 ER |
In the space of a few months, Ryan has therefore taken more than 14 seconds off his own European Record.
One of the World's Best Blindfolded Solvers
The new record adds to an exceptional period for Ryan across the blindfolded events.
His WCA profile already includes a 2:28.53 European Record 5x5 Blindfolded single, set at Cambridge Autumn - British Blind Off 2024.
He has also been one of Europe's strongest 4x4 Blindfolded solvers. Ryan won 4x4 Blindfolded at the 2026 European Championship with a 1:23.06 mean, having previously taken silver in the event at the 2025 World Championship.
His WCA record history also shows multiple European Records across both 4x4 and 5x5 Blindfolded.
Could Ryan Challenge the World Record?
The next obvious milestone for Ryan is a sub-2:50 mean, and his Mayo solves suggest that it could be realistic.
Two of the three attempts in his new European Record were already comfortably below 2:55, while his 2:28.53 European Record single demonstrates that he is capable of much faster individual solves.
His new mean is still some distance behind the current world-best performances, but the unusual part of Ryan's record is how consistently he is now producing successful fast attempts.
In 5x5 Blindfolded, where DNF means are extremely common even among the world's fastest competitors, that consistency could eventually become a major advantage.
For now, 2:54.01 is the new European benchmark, Ryan Eckersley is 4th in the world, and he has become the first person ever to achieve two sub-3-minute 5x5 Blindfolded means.
Considering that his first sub-3 mean only came a few months ago, it will be very interesting to see how much further he can take the record.
