That's Fit

What makes the Men's Health Urbanathlon and Festival different from other marathons? What makes it so special?

It's special because it's awesome. And I don't care if I sound like a 13-year-old for describing that way, either.

Apart from its advanced level of awesomeness, the Urbanathlon is also different in that it is more than just a run; it's a long-distance, urban obstacle course that's stationed over various parts of New York City (and also Chicago, which is its own separate event). Participants cover a total of 8.1 miles, starting from the Band Shell area in Central Park and -- after jumping over taxi cabs, navigating through a scaffolding maze, climbing the 52 stories of a skyscraper, and successfully overcoming a myriad of other obstacles -- eventually ends at a festival of live entertainment, health and wellness expos, interactive sports, and samplings and demos by a range of fitness-related vendors at Battery Park.

One of the coolest parts of the Urbanathlon is that it can be done either as a solo effort or as part of a 3-person relay. So, if you're not exactly up to the full challenge, maybe you can convince two friends to join in the fun with you. Oh yeah, and just because this is a Men's Health sponsored event, it doesn't mean that it's strictly a boys club sort of thing. Women are just as welcome to brutalize their bodies for hours on end in this citywide obstacle course.

I'm pretty sure that I may be doing the Urbanathon in New York (which is being held on Saturday, September 27th). For those of you in the Midwest, it will be held in Chicago on October 18th. To read more about the Men's Health Urbanathlon, or to pre-register for the vent, click HERE.