New York City Triathlon Returns and also Includes New Distance and Virtual Options

The Verizon New York City Triathlon, owned and produced by Life Time, will return to the Hudson and streets of Manhattan on Sunday, July 11. The event comes at a time when Life Time, the nation’s premier healthy lifestyle brand, is continuing to expand in New York City, having opened four Life Time athletic resort destinations in the last six months with three additional clubs slated for 2022. July marks the first running of the event since 2018 as the International-distance race was canceled due to heat in 2019 and COVID-19 in 2020.

More than 2,000 athletes are expected for the 2021 event, which includes swimming 1,500M, biking 40K and running a 10K with the goal of crossing the finishing line in historic Central Park. Honoring healthcare workers, first responders and military, the event is providing select entries to this group. New distance and virtual options also have been added to this year’s competition to accommodate athletes who do not wish to take part in the traditional swim-bike-run format, including:

1. On-site Bike-Run ($249)
2. Virtual Swim-Bike-Run ($109)
3. Virtual Bike-Run ($109)

“We are so excited to host the New York City Triathlon this year and bring back this iconic event to the city,” said Nicole Bostick, Associate Marketing Director of Athletic Events at Life Time. “The health and safety of our athletes and the community will continue to be our first priority and, in partnership with the City, we are excited to deliver an exceptional experience to our athletes.”

The swim/bike/run triathlon course will begin with a swim in the Hudson River. For the first time in race history, athletes will swim north, entering the water along Riverside Drive at 81st Street and exiting at 99th Street. The swim-to-bike transition, at which athletes change from their swim to cycling gear, will be located at the soccer field at 101st Street, adjacent east to Henry Hudson Parkway.

Triathletes will start a completely new 40K bike course at 101st Street, ride north on the Henry Hudson Parkway towards the Bronx and turn back on the Mosholu Parkway at Gunhill Road. Athletes will then pedal down the Henry Hudson Parkway towards 58th Street, where they will head back north to the finish at 101st Street. After transitioning from bike to run, competitors will commence a 10K on West 96th Street, heading east to Central Park, where they will turn right on West Drive and make their way south, past Tavern on The Green running the southern loop of Central Park. Runners then head north on East Drive to 90th Street between 5th Avenue and Jacqueline Onassis Kennedy Reservoir, where they will turn around and make their way south to the 72nd Street Transverse, turn right and continue to the finish line at Center Drive.

Participants opting for the bike/run-only option will begin their bike course within the transition area at the 101st Street soccer field and ride north on the Henry Hudson Parkway, following the same route as the full triathlon participants outlined above, finishing their run at Central Drive.

Race courses and the coveted finisher’s medal featuring an engraved NYC skyline design have been released and are available at NYCTri.com. To learn more and register visit NYCTri.com.