Race through downtown, tighten your core, or swim through the Hudson — we’ve rounded up four major fitness events for newbies and fitness pros alike.
**Planks for the Park is a fundraising event looking to raise $10k for Friends of Liberty State Park, which will use the funds to plant trees and gardens throughout the park. All you have to do is tighten that core and make it through the 1-hour event. The plan is to plank for 1 minute and rest for 1 minute — for an entire hour. The inaugural plankathon takes place Saturday, August 20 from 9am through 10am. —Planks for the Park
**The 2nd Annual Jersey City Triathlon will take place Sunday, August 21 along the Jersey City waterfront. The race is divided into “sprint” (0.5-mile swim, 14-mile bike, 3.1-mile run) and “Olympic” (1-mile swim, 23-mile bike, 6.2-mile run) courses for newbies and seasoned vets, respectively. The swim is in a protected alcove in the Hudson River, followed by a cycling course throughout downtown Jersey City/Liberty State Park, and a run along the waterfront. Admission fees are $150 for the sprint course and $170 for the Olympic course. A part of the proceeds will go to the Jersey City Youth Foundation. —JC Triathlon
**Registration for the Newport Half Marathon is now open. The USA Track & Field-certified course takes you through Newport, the waterfront, and Liberty State Park on mostly flat terrain. (You can check out the course map here). Registration is currently $47 and increases on August 12. The race will be held Sunday, September 18 at 8.30am. —Newport Half Marathon
**O’Connell’s Run to Cure Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a 5K fundraiser for the Cystic Fibrosis Center at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital. The course is USATF certified and there will be cash prizes for the best male and female runners. A 0.5-mile children’s fun run will also take place on the same day. Both races will be held Saturday, September 24 at 10am in Union City. —O’Connell’s Run via Brennan’s Florist
**Bonus: Details are scarce, but boutique megaformer gym 8 Springs Studio is planning a Luxfit Luau on Saturday, August 13 from 12pm through 3pm. Stay tuned for more info. —8 Springs Studio
(Image: JC Triathlon)
