your weekly nyc fitness and wellness guide: august 3 - 9
.Run clubs with shoe demos, free Central Park family camping, and a field day in the park.
Hi friends! Hope everyone had a beautiful weekend and got to spend some time outside. I’m freaked out that it’s already August and according to my marathon training plan, November is only 12 weeks away? No thank you! Time to spend every waking moment running around and causing chaos!
This week: Run clubs with shoe demos, free Central Park family camping, and a field day in the park.
on the radar: this week’s fitness and wellness events
Tuesday August 4: Vivobarefoot x Othership Runner’s Night (Williamsburg), 8PM, $35
Sauna/cold plunge space Othership usually costs over $60 for a single session, but this monthly collaboration with barefoot shoe brand Vivobarefoot gets you in for nearly half the price. Join the free 5K beforehand if you just want the run, or stick around afterward for sauna, cold plunge, and a social hour.
Tuesday August 4: The Crate Run Club Track Tuesdays with Adidas (Jamaica), 7PM, free
Track workouts are more fun with a crew, and while Williamsburg is packed with run clubs, there aren’t too many options in other neighborhoods, especially Jamaica, Queens. This week, The Crate Run Club is teaming up with adidas so runners can demo the brand’s most popular supershoe, the Adios Pro 4.
Wednesday August 5: Pétanque at Washington Square Park (Greenwich Village), 12PM - 3PM, free
If you’re the type of person that likes to collect new experiences, well here’s your chance to try a new activity: Pétanque, a French lawn bowling game that dates back to the early 20th century. Every Wednesday in August, you can learn from experts at Washington Square Park.
Wednesday August 5: Reckless Run Crew x Urban Iron at Ray’s (Williamsburg), 645PM, free
Reckless Run Crew has one of the coolest aesthetics in the oversaturated market, and they host a monthly run from Ray’s in Williamsburg. There’s free food (nachos!) and drink specials. But this month they’re also teaming up with Urban Iron, a hybrid race where athletes run between some of NYC’s iconic gyms and complete a workout at each. Show up and run for the chance to win two tickets for the September race.
Thursday August 6: Outdoor F45 Pop-Up (Dumbo), 7PM, free
Thinking about signing up for Hyrox? This is a free way to try one of Hyrox's official training partners—F45—before committing to a membership. Head down to the turf on Pier 2 for a fun outdoor “bootcamp” (as much as we hate that word) style workout with F45 Dumbo. Don’t expect sled pushes or ski ergs at this class, but it’s a good way to suss out the instructor and vibe of the gym.
Saturday August 8: Summer Streets Manhattan (Manhattan), 7AM - 3PM, free
If you sadly missed last Saturday’s summer streets (like me), don’t sleep on it this week. From 7AM to 3PM, you can run, bike, dance, walk your way from Inwood to Brooklyn Bridge on car-free streets. This year I’m planning to run less so I can actually stop and enjoy more of the activities along the route.
Sunday August 9: Peak and Pace Field Day (Prospect Park), 3PM, $10
Tap into childhood with a fun field day hosted by run club community Peak and Pace. You can expect all the classics like tug-of-war, sack racing, capture the flag, kickball.
worth knowing:
I rolled my eyes when I first saw this product because I’m sick of protein everything, but once I tested it I couldn’t deny how convenient it is: Pure Genius’ protein shots, which have 23g in an easy to guzzle three ounces. Essentially the Five Hour Energy of protein.
On the women’s health front: Ziwig launched a new saliva-based endometriosis test, which could make it much easier for people with suspected endometriosis to get diagnosed without invasive testing.
happenings around town
CityPickle is opening a new space with 11 courts and food trucks in Anchorage Plaza under the Brooklyn Bridge, which led me into a research rabbit hole. Pickleball courts are going for $90/hour+ rentals in NYC? This is absurd. You can get around this pricing by joining in on their $5 community play hours, of which there are many at Wollman Rink this week because of a partnership with Blackstone.
Summer of sports isn’t over!! Here’s a niche one: The 2026 Ocean Race Atlantic, a transatlantic high-speed sailing race, On September 1, six mixed-gender teams will launch from the East River and race high-speed carbon fiber sailboats all the way to Lorient, France. You’ll be able to watch them sail beneath the Brooklyn Bridge as one of offshore racing’s biggest events kicks off.
Every year, NYC Parks opens up free camping for families in urban parks like Central Park and Blue Heron Nature Center in Staten Island, and although they’re wildly popular, it’s worth throwing your name in, because the lottery registration opens for some dates today (and each subsequent Monday.)
Planet Fitness offers a High School Summer Pass program, where teens aged 14 - 19 can work out for free until August 31st. Personally, a deterrent to join this gym, but great news for parents. Some locations even offer free personal training.
I never thought I’d say it, but golf keeps creeping further into cool-kid culture. The latest example is Hypebeast’s Hypegolf NYC Clubhouse in SoHo running through August 19th. They say it is “designed as a place to practice, explore new equipment, discover emerging brands and connect with the golf community.” The Wall Street Journal recently reported on golf’s growth for younger generations.
meanwhile, online:
The creator of Hot Girl Walk is in the middle of a trademark battle over the phrase, sending cease-and-desists to small run clubs and independent meetups. I gasped when I heard her claim that before COVID, "walking only existed as the post-dinner thing your mom made you do."
That’s all for this week. If you make it to any of these events, we want to hear about it. Let us know in the comments. And if you come across something worth featuring, send it our way or drop it in the community chat!
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See you next Monday.