People · New Zealand
Marco Lawson-Hughes
2×2 · top 6.0% of 186,767 all-time · competing since May 2025 · 2025LAWS02
Marco Lawson-Hughes has been competing for a year. His best event is the 2×2: a personal-best single of 2.18, set at Cubing East Auckland Newcomer Open 2026, puts him in the top 6.0% of the 186,767 people who have ever been ranked in the event, and 135th in New Zealand. Until February 2008, no official 2×2 solve in the world had been that fast. Across 6 competitions since May 2025, he has put 164 official solves on the record across seven events. Solve to solve, his 3×3 times vary about 14% around a typical one; 75% of the 35,811 competitors with ten or more counted rounds hold a tighter spread. His 3×3 best has come down from 23.86 in May 2025 to 11.71, a 51% improvement. Marco has entered six competitions, more competitions than 86% of everyone who has ever competed.
Standing, event by event
vs everyone ever ranked| Event | PB single | PB average | All-time standing | New Zealand | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2×2 | 2.18 | 3.70 | top 6.0% | 135 / 1,615 | |
| 3×3 | 11.71 | 13.06 | top 12.9% | 268 / 2,095 | |
| Pyraminx | 5.51 | 7.41 | top 16.5% | 232 / 1,141 | |
| 3×3 one-handed | 20.28 | 25.21 | top 21.2% | 122 / 600 | |
| Skewb | 5.45 | 9.18 | top 21.6% | 172 / 666 | |
| 4×4 | 54.66 | 58.22 | top 30.3% | 196 / 722 | |
| 5×5 | 2:19.53 | 2:39.33 | top 60.8% | 211 / 355 |
Percentile against all competitors ever ranked in each event, a fairer measure than raw rank, because the pools differ by a factor of ten.
The line so far
Best single per competition, 3×3. Faster is higher — the axis is the right way up.
The story so far
- 18 Apr 2026Three personal bests in one day at Cubing East Auckland Newcomer Open 2026.
- 15 Nov 2025Three personal bests in one day at Drury Summer 2025.
- 16 Aug 2025First sub-20 3×3: 14.37 at 2x2 in Tāmaki Makaurau 2025.
- 16 Aug 2025First sub-15 3×3: 14.37 at 2x2 in Tāmaki Makaurau 2025.
- 10 May 2025First competition: Puzzling Papatoetoe 2025. A 23.86 3×3 single to start from.
Competitions
- Cubing East Auckland Newcomer Open 2026 · 18 Apr 2026 — 3 personal bests set
- New Zealand Nationals 2025 · 12 Dec 2025 — 2 personal bests set
- Drury Summer 2025 · 15 Nov 2025 — 3 personal bests set
- 2x2 in Tāmaki Makaurau 2025 · 16 Aug 2025 — 2 personal bests set
- Coping in Auckland 2025 · 5 Jul 2025 — 2 personal bests set
- Puzzling Papatoetoe 2025 · 10 May 2025
Reading this page: a single is one solve's time · an average is the middle three of five solves, best and worst discarded · a PB is a personal best · a DNF (did not finish) is an attempt with no valid result: a popped piece, an unsolved face, an over-limit memorisation · top X% compares against everyone ever ranked in that event, which is fairer than raw rank because event pools differ tenfold.
The circuit
The people whose scorecards keep turning up next to his.
- Ethan Ruoqing Chen (陈若轻) — met in 34 rounds, finished ahead 11 times
- Elvis Chung — met in 34 rounds, finished ahead 6 times
- Brandon Harris — met in 34 rounds, finished ahead twice
Next targets
- A sub-2 2×2 single — 8,848 people have one; it is 0.18 away.
- A sub-10 3×3 single — 21,172 people have one; it is 1.71 away.
Targets move as he improves.