your weekly nyc fitness and wellness guide: may 4 - 10
New gyms coming to town, Salomon's new UWS spot, a free pilates class, and a Merrell pop-up you'll want to put on your calendar.
Hi everyone! Welcome to the first edition of The Rundown NYC. We're genuinely thrilled you're here. This is just the beginning—and we'd love for you to be part of building it with us.
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.
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 Rae Witte 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
Love the roundup! Also really interesting for understanding general trends. Would love to connect :)
yayyyyyy let’s go!!!!