This week: Sober morning raves, free Pilates, a sumo competition, an unsanctioned relay race from Canada to NYC, and where to post up if you’re cheering on friends at the Brooklyn Half. Here’s what’s going on:

on the radar: this week’s fitness and wellness events

Tuesday May 12: The Yard Gym—Move Different Padel (Williamsburg), 6:30PM $40

Padel, which originated in Mexico, is picking up some major steam as the racket sport to watch (or try) in the U.S. Think a combo of pickleball and squash, but more dynamic, a bit sweatier, and a lot cooler we dare say. The Yard Gym is hosting a class this week—all gear and coaching included in the price.

Wednesday May 13: The PartyPlace Cookie Run (NoHo), 630PM, free

Three mile fun run with cookies at the finish line cohosted by Almost Friday Run Club and Slow Girl Run Club (love the name, can relate). All paces welcome. No bag check, so pack light.

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Thursday May 14: The Athletic Clubs Community Class (LES), 530PM, $10 refundable ticket if you actually show up

If you pay attention to the NYC fitness scene, it’s hard not to hear about The Athletic Clubs, a social fitness concept where you workout regularly with the same group of people—which they call your squad. I know quite a few people involved, and it seems like a great way to make friends. Classic strength and conditioning style workout with free weights, ski erg, etc. Also they request attendees wear all-black attire which feels a little tired, but sure it photographs well. If this fills up, there’s also one on Tuesday.

Friday May 15: Daybreaker Let’s Be Friends Morning Rave (Midtown), 6AM - 9AM $69

If your ideal Friday involves dancing on a rooftop before most people check their email, Daybreaker is a series of sober raves that start at a wild 6 AM. This one is at One Times Square rooftop (where the ball drops on NYE), which has been closed to the public for 50 years until now. Usually they host yoga before everyone heads to the dance floor, but the yoga portion is sold out for this event.

Friday May 15: Tracksmith x Reckless Run Club Brooklyn Half Shakeout Run (Williamsburg), 8AM, free with registration

Running the Brooklyn half on Saturday? Join Reckless Run Club for a three-mile shakeout starting from the Tracksmith Trackhouse in Williamsburg. Coffee and electrolytes provided after!

Saturday May 16: Free Peace x Awake NY Meditation Club (LES), 9AM, free with registration

If you’ve ever struggled to meditate, this free practice hosted at Awake NY’s storefront feels accessible and intriguing, as it blends music with mindfulness and breathwork. It’s led by Kenji Summers, who has a series of events called Meditation for Black Men Who Do Too Much.

Saturday May 16: Bad Ball Club QTBIPOC Kickball Game (Crown Heights), 12PM, suggested donation

Queer and trans BIPOC friends: What better to do on a spring saturday than embrace your playful side and kick some balls, hosted The Softness School, a BK-based design studio. Joining as a player, coach, or cheerleader is encouraged.

Sunday May 17: Vuori x BodyRok Mat Pilates Class (Williamsburg), 9AM, free with registration

Y’all loved the free mat pilates class mention last week and we’re back with news of another one—hosted at Vuori (the athleisure brand known for making the softest clothing in existence) in Williamsburg. Bring a mat! Its close to selling out but if it does, you can join the waitlist.

Sunday May 17: Coffee and Chill (East Williamsburg), 1030AM - 1230PM, ticket required

Another sober morning party, but this one more focused on cold plunging, coffee, and wellness activations through brands: those big compression boots from Hyperice, B12 shots from Drip Hydration, and protein smoothies from OWYN. Feels like a media event I would attend as a journalist, but open to the public. Last time I went, the crowd skewed somewhat finance bro-esque, but this one is in Brooklyn, so it may be different.

Sunday May 17: HYROX x Stryde Social Powered by Lexus Fitness Event (Times Square), 930AM - 12PM, free

Hyrox—you know that fitness competition everyone has been posting about lately—is coming to NYC for two weekends at the end of May. This community event is bringing the buzz early. Join for a guided run, Hyrox-style workout, recovery sessions, or activations like wall ball or tug of war challenges. Should be pretty big and busy.

we think you should know…

A big part of our active lives happen outside (Maddie is a climber and Hannah’s a former backpacking guide), so we know that it can be really hard to find community around outdoor hobbies in New York. But while run clubs may still dominate the fitness scene, a growing number of outdoor-oriented social groups are carving out a much-needed niche for New Yorkers craving movement in the fresh air. Most of them work out the hard part for attendees (transportation) and some provide gear.

Of course we’ll include these events in our weekly calendar whenever we can, but many fill up quickly or require a bit more advance planning. Here are a few companies to have on your radar:

• Usal Project makes hiking, birding walks, and community trail runs feel legitimately cool—and some of their in-the-city events are free. If you’re a last-minute planner, it looks like their Western Catskills Camping Trip (where they set you up a base camp complete with Snow Peak products), taking place this upcoming weekend, still has some slots left!

• With branches in London, LA, Tokyo, and, of course, New York, Gorp Girls has built an outdoor community that feels both movement-focused and creative-minded. Their May calendar includes a Governor’s Island picnic and New Jersey hike.

• The Crown Heights-based outdoors store, Outlandish, has become a strong local hub for hikes and trail runs. They’re also sponsored by Salomon, so when I joined last spring, I got to demo some boots on a hike in the Hudson Valley.

• Outsiders may be one of the biggest companies focused on social connection through outdoor adventures, with at least six events filling out the rest of May alone. There’s everything from horseback riding to climbing to kayaking, so it may be a great option for diving into a new-to-you activity.

happenings around town

• The RBC Brooklyn Half, which spans from near the Brooklyn Museum to Coney Island, is on Saturday. Registration is closed (the event sold out very quickly) but get out there and spectate: Start at Grand Army Plaza (around mile 1.5), which always has big crowds, then anywhere in Prospect Park will be fun. But runners may need more motivation along the loooong, quieter stretch on Ocean Parkway so pop down there next. There’s also a New Balance Cheer Zone at Mile 11 on Ocean Parkway and Avenue W, and an after-party at Maimonides Park if you wanna catch your folks after the finish line. Here’s a list of street closures and no parking zones.

• A new yoga and pilates studio, Paloga, opened in Bed-Stuy a few weeks ago. Maddie hasn’t had a chance to check it out yet but a few of her colleagues (Nikita and Shane!) teach there and it looks promising, especially as the neighborhood doesn’t have a lot of independent studios and gyms.

• This weekend, Southbound 400, a 400-mile relay from the Canadian border to NYC, returns with its annual race, offering a glimpse into one of endurance sports’ more interesting cultural phenomenons. Part of a growing wave of unsanctioned races, this grassroots event reject the hyper-commercialized, tightly regulated structure of major races like the NYC Marathon in favor of something rawer, more community-driven, and often far more adventurous. Ten self-supported teams will tackle the route, camping together between segments. Even if ultrarunning isn’t your thing, it’s worth follow along starting Thursday via Southbound 400’s Instagram, which will feature real-time coverage from some of New York’s most talented fitness photographers and videographers, including my pal Dave Hashim.

• Hear me out: I know it’s random but New York’s only official sumo tournament—the Empire Cup—is coming to the city this week, and it’s free for spectators. I watched the video from last year and it looks like so much fun, and it’s hosted in part by a cool Brooklyn-based martial arts design collective, Half Sumo, that I’ve followed for yeaaars since I did Muay Thai. You can also check out culture and food offerings in Japan Village all day.

  

That’s all for this week. If you make it to any of these events, we want to hear about it—sound off in the comments. And if you come across something worth featuring, send it our way or drop it in the community chat! PR and brands, our inboxes are always open for news and events we need to know.

Know someone who'd be into this? Forward it to them.

See you next Monday.

— Hannah & Maddie

We started The Rundown because there’s always so much happening in NYC’s massive fitness and wellness scene, but until now, there hasn’t been one resource to keep up to date on all the details and events.

If you’re new here, let us introduce ourselves:

• Hannah Singleton is a Bed Stuy-based journalist who covers health, fitness, and travel for publications like GQ, National Geographic, and more. She’s usually testing new gear, checking out fitness concepts, or attending wellness events under the very convenient excuse of “work.”

• Maddie Singleton is a yoga teacher, climber, and cold plunge freak. She teaches classes at Chelsea Piers Fitness, Kula Yoga Project, Bouldering Project, and Vital Lower East Side.

And yes! We’re sisters. (Maddie’s younger by about a year, in case anyone was wondering.)

This week: Heavy on run club activations, including one from Salomon—plus a lil Solidcore drama, summer sports league signups, and a nightlife-meets-fitness trend that seems to be picking up serious steam. Here’s what’s going on:

on the radar: this week’s fitness and wellness events

Monday May 4: Create x Run with Kati Billow (Williamsburg, 15th and Banker St), 6:30PM

Kati is an NYC-based run coach who brings the best vibes (Hannah interviewed her recently for this NYT piece about periodizing your workout routine), and her fun community run will be stop number nine on Create x Rivian’s Creatine and Electrolyte Truck Tour. We know it’s tonight, but if there’s ever an excuse for a spontaneous run, this is it!

Tuesday May 5: Peak and Pace Track Day at McCarren Park (Williamsburg), 6:30PM

Peak and Pace made quite a splash last year, carving out a lane in NYC’s crowded run 🏃‍♂️ club scene by prioritizing partying and community events as much as they do running. With over 72k IG followers, they’re one of the fastest growing run clubs in the city—and one of the most pace-inclusive we’ve attended. Their track workouts are a solid option for beginners to try out speed work in a welcoming environment that some more—err, intimidating, run clubs lack.

Tuesday May 5: The Move Mat Pilates with Humna Ahmed (Williamsburg), 7:30PM, free with registration

Enough of run clubs, said outdoor social club Outsiders (which we talk more about below.) Their new weekly series—The Move—is for people who want to get movement and community without running. This week’s is a free mat pilates class at the mvmt collective studio at the Dime.

Wednesday May 6: Thermoregulation in Sport hosted by CORE (Flatiron), 5:45PM registration required

Hannah recently wrote about how runners and other endurance athletes can train for extreme heat conditions for Nat Geo, but understanding heat training feels increasingly relevant for anyone active outdoors. Hosted by CORE, a sensor that measures your heat training load, this event dives into the science of thermoregulation and performance in warming conditions.

Wednesday May 6: Salomon Gravel Community Run (UWS), 7:00AM, register on Forte

Salomon is opening a new Upper West Side location and celebrating with a community run in partnership with Circa95, a run club-meets-creative community founded by a very cool musically inclined couple. Attendees can test out the new Aero Glide 4 Gravel and Aero Blaze 3 Gravel on a 5K. Hannah was lucky enough to test these shoes back in October in Annecy, France, where the brand is headquartered, and the Glide is a personal fav so snag that one if you can.

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Wednesday May 6: After Hours Club Art and Meditation Workshop (Midtown), 6:30PM, $35

A mindful art experience with breath work practice and all art supplies included, hosted by art and wellness community, After Hours Club. NA bevvies provided from culturepop.

Thursday May 7: Get Outside Mural Experience with Merrell (South Plaza Union Square), 12PM - 4PM

Hiking boot brand Merrell is unveiling a new “Get Outside mural” by artist and brand ambassador Shantell Martin. Expect music by Angel & Dren, complimentary Mad Juicy refreshments, local NYC hike group community activities, and photography from local NYC artists on display. Merrell consistently nails the intersection of outdoor culture and city creativity, and we’re genuinely bummed to miss this one.

Thursday May 7: Outsiders: Summer Adventure Drop Happy Hour (LES), 6:00PM $5 registration required

Outsiders, an NYC-based outdoor adventure social club, puts together events like hikes, whitewater rafting, sound baths, and even international travel during the summer. This meet-up/happy hour event previews their summer lineup while giving attendees discounts and a chance to meet fellow adventure-minded New Yorkers.

Saturday May 9: Strength in the City Festival at Elsewhere (Bushwick), 9:00AM, $49

For just a teeny bit more than the price of an AARMY drop in class, this Brooklyn fitness festival offers a full day schedule of HIIT, bootcamp, full body strength, dance, pilates and kettlebell classes, as well as more mindfulness practices like a meditation and sound bath.

Saturday May 9: Matcha Beats Club (Bushwick), 12:00 PM, free entry with RSVP

Non-alcohol-based daytime parties are thriving in the wellness space, and Matcha Beats is an interesting newcomer. This is the third edition of their afternoon party, with matcha whisked up and 4 DJ sets running until 4PM. Check out the vibes of past parties on their IG page.

Saturday May 9: Volley and Vibe x HELD Pickleball Social (Fort Greene), $25

Volley and Vibe, a pickleball club, is partnering with H.E.L.D., a Black women creative accountability group, to host this Mother’s Day social. The hosts specify that this event caters to Black women who are looking to try something new or build existing skills! Bringing your mom, or mother figure, is encouraged.

we think you should know…

This week, we got the chance to visit The Altar, a new sauna/cold plunge destination during its soft launch for event with performance/recovery brand KA-EX.

The product: KA-EX dropped the first ready-to-drink creatine beverage available on the market. It was a tricky task because creatine deactivates quickly after it dissolves in liquid, so the product team had to design a new cap to solve the problem—you push it in to release the creatine when you’re ready to drink. It also has EAA+ (an animo acid blend that helps build muscle + increase endurance), caffeine, and electrolytes. Maddie’s been loving it before her workouts because it makes her feel energized yet calm, and slightly euphoric.

The space: The latest to arrive on the social wellness scene. You might be wondering how it compares to Othership or Bathhouse. It’s similar to Bathhouse in the sense that you feel like you’re entering somewhere underground and labyrinthine, an escape from the city. Think low-lit, sexy, minimal. But then similar to Othership, it maintains that intimate feel, like you’re on a journey with the people around you, with classes that are a group experience where you could easily meet someone interesting. We imagine this space having the curated experiences that Othership is known for in a less performative, more laid-back environment? Only time will tell. They also have a strong focus on recovery services like IV drips, hyperbaric chambers, and red light therapy.

happenings around town

• A tip on our LinkedIn post led me deep into a Solidcore drama rabbit hole. New Yorkers (and those in other big cities) are not okay. Here’s the problem: Members can book classes a month in advance, which means people are literally logging on at midnight on the 24th of every month just to fight for spots. And despite paying unlimited membership prices that can run upwards of $420 a month, many members still can’t reliably get into classes before they fill. Meanwhile, people with class packages are apparently watching credits expire before they can even use them. Maybe this scarcity model still works from a business perspective, but from a consumer perspective, it doesn’t seem sustainable. If you’re a loyalist, we genuinely want to hear if/why it’s still worth dealing with this? Comment below if you have thoughts.

• Soundbody, a workout concept where a club is the studio, launched on April 21st and their pop up sold out. These classes take place in different nightclubs around the city, and there’s always a live DJ. Sign ups are open for their classes in May. So many studios have tried to be rhythm-based (like Soulcycle, of course), but we’ve seen more events when music is the main draw, almost above the workout. It’s coming at an interesting time after Chris Black’s GQ column about how terrible all fitness class music is. Trainers in the comment section were not happy (which our girl brought to my attention.)

• If you’re looking for a team sport, NYC Footy soccer league sign-ups are open to the public on Thursday, May 7th at midnight. They’ve got options for all skill levels, so get out there and have a fun summer! For the women—they’re always looking for more women free agent participation for their co-ed leagues, so use the code RUNDOWN20 for 20% off if you join!

• Maybe you missed the Bandit Grand Prix last year at the Brooklyn Storehouse in the Navy Yard, but you won’t want to repeat that mistake. Runners compete in 5k open races, and the top finishers progress to the 3K Final at night. High energy, cool setup, and food/drink vendors all day. Registration is still open for women’s, non-binary, and charity bibs, and worst case, you can just go spectate and join the post-race dance party, like Hannah did last year.

• Crain’s broke the news that Lifetime is heading to Williamsburg, though don’t expect it tomorrow—development still appears a ways off, with projected openings stretching into 2027. Still, between this and the previously announced Gowanus location, it’s hard not to notice Lifetime making a strategic play for New Yorkers who may be increasingly disillusioned by other luxury fitness options (like Equinox.) They’re also introducing a new Hybrid XT class to keep up with the Hyrox craze.

• Rostudios, an Amsterdam-based studio with reformer and cycling classes, is opening this June in Greenwich Village, continuing NYC’s ongoing tradition of redefining what budget-friendly means. Apparently, in this economy, $25 classes are now positioned as accessible. Sure (but we appreciate that they’re pricing it much lower than most studios in the area.)

That’s all for this week. If you make it to any of these events, we want to hear about it—sound off in the comments. And if you come across something worth featuring, send it our way or drop it in the community chat! PR and brands, our inboxes are always open for news and events we need to know.

Know someone who'd be into this? Forward it to them.

See you next Monday.

— Hannah & Maddie

Welcome to The Rundown NYC! We’re so happy you’re here.

This is a weekly newsletter covering what’s happening in the active culture scene in New York City. You won’t find fitness tips or a list of run clubs, but a curated digest of what’s actually worth showing up to each week. Think brand activations, cool run club collabs, pop-ups, the newest contrast therapy studio opening. We’re also diving into the news (and tea) you need to know. In your inbox every Monday.

Written by Hannah Singleton, a Brooklyn-based fitness journalist, and Maddie Singleton, a yoga teacher at studios across the city. (Oh, we’re sisters.)

Please subscribe and share with your friends—that’s how we grow and we’d love to continue to bring you some more news (and hopefully some events of our own.)

Why subscribe?

Hannah has spent years writing about fitness and wellness for publications like GQ, National Geographic, Men’s Health, and The New York Times, covering everything from running culture to your favorite shoe brands. She has relationships with the brands, the studios, and the people shaping this scene. Her fav activities: running and lifting, but it depends on the season!

Maddie teaches yoga at Chelsea Piers Fitness, Kula Yoga Project, Bouldering Project, and Vital Lower East Side—and has been an instructor for over a decade, so she knows the wellness and studio world from the inside. She’s also a cold plunge freak (Hannah wrote lovingly.)

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What to expect

Every Monday morning. Three sections—a quick, five minute read (or skim!) What’s on our radar for the week, what’s new and interesting in the fitness space, and one thing worth knowing that you probably don’t yet.

Got something worth featuring?

We’re always on the lookout for cool new info about the fitness world!

If you’re a brand, studio, PR rep, event host, or just someone in the scene with something worth knowing about, reach us at hannahsingleton2@gmail.com or madissonsingleton@gmail.com with The Rundown NYC in the subject line.