Good Sweat
The fit New Yorker’s bucket list: 3 of the city’s most challenging fitness feats
The NYC Marathon isn't the city's only iconic athletic event
For athletic New Yorkers, the November marathon is a rite of passage. From the summer-long training to the Olympic atmosphere surrounding the event, competing in the 40-year-old race comes with major bragging rights, camaraderie, and a license to gorge on pasta.
What other NYC athletic events are seriously hard and will earn you serious respect? Well+Good declares these three fitness accomplishments the biggest and baddest.
There's a time limit of 9:30 for this marathon swim
1. Swim around Manhattan
NYC Swim’s uber-popular 28.5-mile Manhattan Island Marathon Swim, happening in June this year, takes swimmers from Battery Park City, north up the East River, counter-clockwise around the island, then south down the Hudson back to the Battery. Enrollment is limited and it’s tough to get a spot, since this event is for serious (and we mean serious) swimmers only. Next event: June 18, 2011, www.nycswim.org
2. Bike 100 miles—around Manhattan, of course
The Century Bike Tour you say? Well, yes, this September extravaganza is the nation’s only all-urban 100-mile bike tour. The full she-bang—which is for experienced cyclists only—takes participants through Queens, up into the Bronx, then back down through Harlem. But more casual cyclists can get in on the action, too: There are 15-, 35-, 55- and 75-mile routes, which take you everywhere from the Brooklyn Bridge to looping along the East River. Next event: September 18, 2011, www.nyccentury.org
New York City's Century Bike Tour
3. Run up the Empire State Building
A quarter-mile run doesn’t necessarily sound so impressive, but when you’re talking a quarter mile vertically? Wowza. And that’s exactly what the 100 or so runners selected for the Empire State Building Run Up get to do—bound up a mere 96 flights (or 1,576 steps) to the top of one of NYC’s true landmarks. Next event: February 2012, www.nyrr.org
Did we forget anything? Let us know what other events or races should be on the bucket list of every serious NYC athlete.
[...] Set, Goal – These fitness feats are at the top of a fit New Yorker’s bucket list; what’s on yours? (Well + Good [...]
The NYC Triathlon!
You MUST see the Manhattan skyline from the Brooklyn Bridge while getting your butt kicked at NYC’s toughest workout: the Brooklyn Bridge Boot Camp!
Another great one we’ll be doing as a team every year will be the Top of the Rock Stair Climb – 66 flights to an incredible view!
Doesn’t sound that hard, but the Shorewalkers’ GREAT SAUNTER – a walk around the the perimeter of Manhattan – is difficult.
What a great post! one day I would love to include swimming and cycling to my repertoire of marathons! the Shorewalkers great saunter sounds fun, too!