Strong New York 2026 to Feature NYC Debut of ATHX Games

The Adidas-backed hybrid fitness competition will make its New York debut at the Sept. 26 festival, which expects more than 5,000 attendees and 100-plus brands

Strong New York is bringing a new competitive edge to its annual fitness and wellness festival.

The event returns to The Glasshouse in Manhattan on Sept. 26, with this year’s edition set to feature the New York City debut of ATHX Games, the Adidas-backed hybrid fitness competition that’s eyeing global expansion.

More than 5,000 attendees are expected at Strong New York 2026, alongside over 100 fitness and wellness brands, 50-plus speakers and trainers and 250-plus industry leaders.

Founded by Kenny Santucci, Strong New York has grown into one of the East Coast’s biggest experiential fitness gatherings, blending workouts, educational panels, recovery experiences, competitions and brand activations.

Title sponsors for this year’s festival include Celsius, SweatPals, Impact Kitchen and TMPL.

“When we started Strong New York, the vision was simple: create a place where people could come together to challenge themselves, learn from the best, and leave stronger than they arrived,” Santucci said. “Bringing ATHX Games to the city is another step forward because it reflects where fitness is headed: performance, competition, and community all coming together under one roof.”

ATHX Makes Its NYC Debut

ATHX, a U.K.-born functional fitness competition, is expanding aggressively in 2026 as hybrid fitness continues to gain momentum globally.

The format typically tests athletes across strength, endurance and metabolic conditioning, with movements including squats, deadlifts, running, rowing and ski-erg work.

At Strong New York, attendees will get a condensed introduction to ATHX through its FitScore activation, a 45-minute experience testing strength, endurance and MetCon performance.

Participants receive a score out of 100 designed to benchmark their fitness against ATHX’s performance standards.

“Strong New York brings together the kind of athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and communities that embody what ATHX is all about, making it the perfect setting to bring ATHX to New York City,” ATHX Games and PerformX Live co-founder Mark Hartnett-Morgan said.

The activation marks another step in ATHX’s global ambitions. The competition entered 2026 with 14 events planned across 10 European countries and has previously outlined expansion plans for the U.S., Middle East and Asia-Pacific.

ATHX also landed a reported four-year global partnership with Adidas last year, giving the emerging format additional backing as it looks to carve out a place in an increasingly crowded hybrid racing market led by Hyrox.

Strong NY Leans Further Into Competition

Competitive fitness is also taking on a bigger role within Strong New York itself.

This year’s festival will feature a new Test of Strength & Longevity powered by Concept2, where attendees can complete seven one-minute challenges across pull-ups, push-ups, deadlifts, grip strength, rowing, biking and running.

Scores will be logged through a mobile app and displayed on a live leaderboard, with Strong New York ultimately crowning the event’s strongest man and woman.

The offering builds on the festival’s Strongest in New York Competition introduced in 2025, which was designed to give both experienced athletes and everyday attendees a way to benchmark their fitness.

Beyond competition, the 2026 lineup includes workouts and activations from brands including Gotham Gym, Strong Pilates, Tremble, The Pack, obé Fitness, P90X, Pvolve and TRX.

Speakers include BODi co-founder Carl Daikeler, Dr. Drew Pinsky, powerlifter Stefi Cohen, performance coach Phil Daru and physician and neuroscientist Dr. Tommy Wood.

Strong New York will also host its first official after-party in partnership with TMPL Clubs, while a “Miles for Change” activation will support nonprofit Back on My Feet by encouraging attendees to contribute toward a collective walking and running mileage goal.