American Ninja Warrior (season 7)
The seventh season of American Ninja Warrior premiered on NBC on May 25, 2015. Hosts Matt Iseman & Akbar Gbaja-Biamila returned for their respective sixth and third seasons while newcomer Kristine Leahy joined as sideline reporter, replacing Jenn Brown. In addition, this season's grand prize was increased from $500,000 to $1,000,000. The season concluded on September 14, 2015.
For the first time in American Ninja Warrior history, a competitor completed Stage 3 of the Las Vegas Finals. Both Geoff Britten and Isaac Caldiero completed Stage 3 and climbed Mount Midoriyama in the allotted time of 30 seconds and achieved "Total Victory," however, Caldiero made the climb in the faster time and was the first competitor to be awarded the grand prize of $1,000,000. However, the title of "First American Ninja Warrior" was unofficially awarded by the community to Britten for being the first to climb the tower.
Changes
This season's grand prize was doubled from $500,000 to $1,000,000.Cities
In addition to 6 cities, the Finals were once again held on the Las Vegas strip.Obstacles
City Qualifiers & Finals
Las Vegas
City finals
Venice finals
Competitors who advanced to the Vegas Finals are listed below. Obstacles used in the Venice Finals included:| Rank | Finalist | Outcome | Obstacle/Time |
| 1 | Nicholas Coolridge | Completed | 6:06.39 |
| 2 | Kevin Bull | Failed | Invisible Ladder |
| 3 | David Campbell | Failed | Invisible Ladder |
| 4 | Alvaro Campos | Failed | Clear Climb |
| 5 | Grant McCartney | Failed | Clear Climb |
| 6 | Jessie Graff | Failed | Clear Climb |
| 7 | Dustin Rocho | Failed | Rumbling Dice |
| 8 | Ben Melick | Failed | Rumbling Dice |
| 9 | Ryan Robinson | Failed | Rumbling Dice |
| 10 | Almas Meirmanov | Failed | Salmon Ladder |
| 11 | Jason Tirado | Failed | Hourglass Drop |
| 12 | Sam Goldstein | DQ | Hourglass Drop |
| 13 | Michael Burkett-Crist | Failed | Hourglass Drop |
| 14 | Azeo Torre | Failed | Hourglass Drop |
| 15 | Theo Agu | Failed | Hourglass Drop |
;Notes
- Nicholas Coolridge was the only person to clear the course as the "POM Run of The Night".
- Many people went out on the Hourglass Drop, meaning that most people had to only clear the 5th Obstacle to make it to Vegas, and did not even need to pass all the standard qualifying course obstacles; the only other time this has occurred was during Season 4 during the Northeast Region Finals and that was the last season we saw it as a fifth qualifying obstacle next it became an eighth obstacle after the Salmon Ladder still a ninja killer for American Ninja Warrior Season 8 and 9.
- Jessie Graff is only the 4th woman to scale the Warped Wall, and the second to make it to Las Vegas without being a Wild Card. Graff is also the second woman to clear the Salmon Ladder. Graff is only the second woman to clear the salmon ladder, behind Kacy Catanzaro in ANW 6.
Kansas City finals
Obstacles used in the Kansas City Finals included:
| Rank | Finalist | Outcome | Obstacle/Time |
| 1 | Lance Pekus | Completed | 5:38.44 |
| 2 | Ian Dory | Completed | 6:44.51 |
| 3 | Brendan Couvreux | Completed | 8:14.84 |
| 4 | Isaac Caldiero | Failed | Body Prop |
| 5 | Josh Cook | Failed | Body Prop |
| 6 | Brandon Berrett | Failed | Body Prop |
| 7 | Lorin Ball | Failed | Body Prop |
| 8 | Paul Kasemir | Failed | Body Prop |
| 9 | Brandon Mears | Failed | Body Prop |
| 10 | Jake Murray | Failed | Body Prop |
| 11 | Karson Voiles | Failed | Body Prop |
| 12 | Brian Arnold | Failed | Body Prop |
| 13 | Jason Williams | Failed | Body Prop |
| 14 | Dan Yager | Failed | Body Prop |
| 15 | Dennis Lappin | Failed | Body Prop |
;Notes
- Meagan Martin was the only female in the finals, but she fell on the second obstacle and placed last in the finals. However, she still became a wildcard for Vegas.
- Kansas City had the most finishers of any city finals course this year, with 3.
Houston finals
| Rank | Finalist | Outcome | Obstacle/Time |
| 1 | Jeremiah Morgan | Completed | 6:16.68 |
| 2 | Sam Sann | Completed | 8:43.39 |
| 3 | Daniel Gil | Failed | Crazy Cliffhanger |
| 4 | Karsten Williams | Failed | Crazy Cliffhanger |
| 5 | Tremayne Dortch | Failed | Crazy Cliffhanger |
| 6 | Thomas Stillings | Failed | Walking Bar |
| 7 | Geoff Lancaster | Failed | Walking Bar |
| 8 | Brent Steffensen | Failed | Walking Bar |
| 9 | David Yarter | Failed | Walking Bar |
| 10 | Dillon Gates | Failed | Walking Bar |
| 11 | Kevin Klein | Failed | Walking Bar |
| 12 | Abel Gonzalez | Failed | Walking Bar |
| 13 | Joe Calderon | Failed | Walking Bar |
| 14 | Anthony Scott | Failed | Walking Bar |
| 15 | Jonathan Parr | Failed | Walking Bar |
;Notes
- Jeremiah Morgan and Sam Sann were the only 2 finishers of the course.
- Sam Sann is the 2nd oldest person to finish a City Finals Course at 48 years old, after Jon Stewart.
- The "Walking Bar" proved to be the most difficult obstacle during the course.
Orlando finals
| Rank | Finalist | Outcome | Obstacle/Time |
| 1 | James McGrath | Completed | 5:30.58 |
| 2 | Adam Arnold | Completed | 6:42.07 |
| 3 | Flip Rodriguez | Failed | Invisible Ladder |
| 4 | Drew Drechsel | Failed | Invisible Ladder |
| 5 | Neil Craver | Failed | Invisible Ladder |
| 6 | Travis Rosen | Failed | Double Helix |
| 7 | Gordon White | Failed | Double Helix |
| 8 | JJ Woods | Failed | Cannonball Alley |
| 9 | Sean Clayton | Failed | Cannonball Alley |
| 10 | James Bogle Jr | Failed | Cannonball Alley |
| 11 | Hunter Sipes | Failed | Cannonball Alley |
| 12 | Eddy Stewart | Failed | Cannonball Alley |
| 13 | Rich Shoemaker | Failed | Cannonball Alley |
| 14 | Jo Jo Bynum | Failed | Cannonball Alley |
| 15 | Alexio Gomes | Failed | Cannonball Alley |
;Notes
- Adam Arnold and James McGrath were the only two competitors to complete this course.
- Cannonball Alley eliminated 11 competitors, almost one-third of the competitors. Only 7 out of 18 competitors who made it that far, advanced to the next obstacle.
- The course took place at Universal Studios Orlando.
Pittsburgh finals
Obstacles in the Pittsburgh Finals included:
| Rank | Finalist | Outcome | Obstacle/Time |
| 1 | Geoff Britten | Completed | 6:44.81 |
| 2 | Joe Moravsky | Completed | 7:28.92 |
| 3 | Jamie Rahn | Failed | Invisible Ladder |
| 4 | Elet Hall | Failed | Doorknob Arch |
| 5 | Mike Meyers | Failed | Doorknob Arch |
| 6 | Sean Darling-Hammond | Failed | Doorknob Arch |
| 7 | Mike Bernardo | Failed | Doorknob Arch |
| 8 | Adam Mihm | Failed | Floating Monkey Bars |
| 9 | Brian Wilczewski | Failed | Floating Monkey Bars |
| 10 | Pavel Fesyuk | Failed | Floating Monkey Bars |
| 11 | Adam Grossman | Failed | Floating Monkey Bars |
| 12 | P.J. Granger | Failed | Floating Monkey Bars |
| 13 | Aaron Himelright | Failed | Floating Monkey Bars |
| 14 | Todd Mitchell | Failed | Floating Monkey Bars |
| 15 | Ron Schmidt | Failed | Floating Monkey Bars |
;Notes
- Joe Moravsky and Geoff Britten were the only two finishers.
- Michelle Warnky was the only female in the Pittsburgh City Finals, but failed on Snake Crossing. However, she was wild-carded to the Las Vegas National Finals.
- Miles Avery was the oldest man ever to make a City Finals but failed on Snake Crossing as well.
Military finals
Obstacles in the San Pedro Finals included:
| Rank | Finalist | Outcome | Obstacle/Time |
| 1 | Dustin McKinney | Completed | 9:48.75 |
| 2 | Matthew Jensen | Failed | Invisible Ladder |
| 3 | Ryan Stratis | Failed | Invisible Ladder |
| 4 | Robin Pietschmann | Failed | Globe Grasper |
| 5 | Justin Gielski | Failed | Globe Grasper |
| 6 | Ahmed Toure | Failed | Globe Grasper |
| 7 | Jeremy Prather | Failed | Globe Grasper |
| 8 | Christopher Moore | Failed | Swinging Frames |
| 9 | Jeremy Guarino | Failed | Swinging Frames |
| 10 | Van Tran | Failed | Swinging Frames |
| 11 | Steve Martin | Failed | Swinging Frames |
| 12 | Caleb Hayre | Failed | Salmon Ladder |
| 13 | Preston Griffall | Failed | Salmon Ladder |
| 14 | Nathan Tucker | Failed | Salmon Ladder |
| 15 | Benjamin Barrett | Failed | Salmon Ladder |
;Notes
- The Finals were held in San Pedro, California, with the USS Iowa as a backdrop.
- Dustin McKinney was the only finisher; he is also the shortest man to ever complete a City Finals course.
- Preston Griffall was the first Olympian to advance to Vegas, failing on the Salmon Ladder, placing 13th.
Fastest Finalists
| City | Fastest Time | Time |
| Venice | Nicholas Coolridge | 6:06.39 |
| Kansas City | Lance Pekus | 5:38.44 |
| Houston | Jeremiah Morgan | 6:16.68 |
| Orlando | James McGrath | 5:30.50 |
| Pittsburgh | Geoff Britten | 6:44.81 |
| Military | Dustin McKinney | 9:48.75 |
Mount Midoriyama
Stage 1 Clears
Competitors who successfully completed Stage 1 in the 2:30 time threshold are listed below. Competitors in Bold are finishers of the City Finals. Obstacles used in Stage 1 included:Stage 1 featured three new obstacles, Sonic Curve, the Coin Flip and the Triple Swing.
| Order | Finalist | Outcome | Result |
| 1 | Brent Steffensen | Completed | 1:38.92 |
| 2 | Jake Murray | Completed | 1:39.78 |
| 3 | Kevin Bull | Completed | 1:40.26 |
| 4 | Drew Drechsel | Completed | 1:49.42 |
| 5 | Daniel Gil | Completed | 1:51.56 |
| 6 | Joe Moravsky | Completed | 1:54.69 |
| 7 | Jeremiah Morgan | Completed | 1:56.24 |
| 8 | JJ Woods | Completed | 1:57.36 |
| 9 | Mike Meyers | Completed | 2:00.23 |
| 10 | Flip Rodriguez | Completed | 2:01.14 |
| 11 | Dan Yager | Completed | 2:02.50 |
| 12 | Brian Wilczewski | Completed | 2:03.66 |
| 13 | Travis Rosen | Completed | 2:04.14 |
| 14 | Geoff Britten | Completed | 2:05.34 |
| 15 | Lance Pekus | Completed | 2:06.34 |
| 16 | Brian Arnold | Completed | 2:07.15 |
| 17 | Neil Craver | Completed | 2:07.16 |
| 18 | Jo Jo Bynum | Completed | 2:07.17 |
| 19 | Sean Clayton | Completed | 2:08.36 |
| 20 | Isaac Caldiero | Completed | 2:09.26 |
| 21 | Jason Williams | Completed | 2:09.78 |
| 22 | Karson Voiles | Completed | 2:11.53 |
| 23 | Mike Bernardo | Completed | 2:11.86 |
| 24 | Thomas Stillings | Completed | 2:13.02 |
| 25 | Abel Gonzalez | Completed | 2:14.50 |
| 26 | Ryan Stratis | Completed | 2:15.21 |
| 27 | Jamie Rahn | Completed | 2:17.22 |
| 28 | Anthony Scott | Completed | 2:19.10 |
| 29 | Brandon Mears | Completed | 2:19.52 |
| 30 | Grant McCartney | Completed | 2:20.41 |
| 31 | Dustin McKinney | Completed | 2:22.52 |
| 32 | Ian Dory | Completed | 2:24.13 |
| 33 | Nathan Tucker | Completed | 2:25.34 |
| 34 | Kevin Klein | Completed | 2:25.44 |
| 35 | Tremayne Dortch | Completed | 2:28.03 |
| 36 | Pavel Fesyuk | Completed | 2:29.01 |
| 37 | David Yarter | Completed | 2:29.48 |
| 38 | Dustin Rocho | Completed | 2:29.53 |
;Notes
- A record of 38 competitors had completed stage 1, beating the record of 24 in season 4. This record would be beaten in season 9, with 41 competitors.
- The Vegas finals had a record 3 finishers who completed Stage 1 with less than a second left.
- Brent Steffensen had the fastest time on the course by 1:38.92.
- Brandon Mears is the tallest person to complete Stage 1 in ANW history at 6'5.
- Dustin McKinney is the shortest person to complete stage 1 in ANW history at 5'2, until Tyler Yamauchi in the show's ninth season.
Stage 2
| Order | Finalist | Result | Notes |
| 1 | Jo Jo Bynum | 2. Double Salmon Ladder | Third level. |
| 2 | Daniel Gil | 5. Roulette Row | First roulette. |
| 3 | Dustin McKinney | 1. Rope Jungle | |
| 4 | Kevin Klein | 1. Rope Jungle | Digest. |
| 5 | Tremayne Dortch | 3. Unstable Bridge | Digest. First board. |
| 6 | Brandon Mears | 3. Unstable Bridge | Digest. Transition to second board. |
| 7 | Jamie Rahn | 5. Roulette Row | Transition to second roulette. |
| 8 | Grant McCartney | 2. Double Salmon Ladder | Sixth level. |
| 9 | Dan Yager | 5. Roulette Row | Failed dismount. |
| 10 | Ian Dory | FINISH | First to beat Roulette Row. |
| 11 | Brian Arnold | 5. Roulette Row | First roulette. |
| 12 | Travis Rosen | 3. Unstable Bridge | First board. |
| 13 | Neil Craver | 2. Double Salmon Ladder | Digest. Fifth level. |
| 14 | Dustin Rocho | 3. Unstable Bridge | Digest. Failed dismount. |
| 15 | Brian Wilczewski | 5. Roulette Row | Digest. First roulette. |
| 16 | Ryan Stratis | 2. Double Salmon Ladder | Sixth level. |
| 17 | Isaac Caldiero | FINISH | |
| 18 | Mike Meyers | 5. Roulette Row | Digest. Failed dismount. |
| 19 | Jeremiah Morgan | FINISH | Digest. |
| 20 | Lance Pekus | 5. Roulette Row | Transition to second roulette. |
| 21 | Kevin Bull | FINISH | |
| 22 | Mike Bernardo | 5. Roulette Row | Digest. First roulette. |
| 23 | Karson Voiles | 5. Roulette Row | Digest. First roulette. |
| 24 | Flip Rodriguez | 5. Roulette Row | Second roulette. |
| 25 | Pavel Fesyuk | 2. Double Salmon Ladder | Digest. Third level. |
| 26 | Anthony Scott | 3. Unstable Bridge | Digest. First board. |
| 27 | Abel Gonzalez | FINISH | Digest. |
| 28 | Geoff Britten | FINISH | |
| 29 | David Yarter | 3. Unstable Bridge | Digest. First board. |
| 30 | JJ Woods | 5. Roulette Row | Digest. First roulette. |
| 31 | Drew Drechsel | FINISH | Digest. |
| 32 | Brent Steffensen | 3. Unstable Bridge | Transition to first board. |
| 33 | Joe Moravsky | FINISH | |
| 34 | Nathan Tucker | 3. Unstable Bridge | All cut. |
| 35 | Jake Murray | 2. Double Salmon Ladder | All cut. |
| 36 | Jason Williams | 5. Roulette Row | All cut. First roulette. |
| 37 | Sean Clayton | 3. Unstable Bridge | All cut. |
| 38 | Thomas Stillings | 3. Unstable Bridge | All cut. |
;Notes
- A record 8 competitors finished Stage 2, but this record would later be beaten in Season 11 when 21 competitors finished the stage.
- Geoff Britten had the fastest finish with a time of 2:00.89
Stage 3
| Order | Finalist | Result | Notes |
| 1 | Abel Gonzalez | 4. Ultimate Cliffhanger | Transition to fourth ledge. |
| 2 | Kevin Bull | 4. Ultimate Cliffhanger | Transition to fifth ledge. |
| 3 | Ian Dory | 8. Flying Bar | Third jump. |
| 4 | Isaac Caldiero | FINISH | First competitor to finish Stage 3. |
| 5 | Jeremiah Morgan | 4. Ultimate Cliffhanger | Transition to final ledge. |
| 6 | Drew Drechsel | 6. Hang Climb | Lost grip on transition bar to Area 51. |
| 7 | Joe Moravsky | 4. Ultimate Cliffhanger | Transition to final ledge. |
| 8 | Geoff Britten | FINISH | Second competitor to finish Stage 3. |
;Notes
- Geoff Britten and Isaac Caldiero were the only two finishers in Stage 3.
Stage 4
| Order | Finalist | Outcome | Result |
| 1 | Geoff Britten | Total Victory | 29.65 |
| 2 | Isaac Caldiero | Total Victory | 26.14 |