Andy Devaney
If you thought New Yorkers had seen everything, think again. The Meatpacking District was turned into an urban battleground on Friday as fitness fanatics descended on 14th Street Park for the first-ever Ten Thousand 10K — a savage street race proudly billed as the Toughest 10K in NYC.
At the front of the carnage was Dylan Scott, who stormed to victory in 39 minutes and 16 seconds, leaving the competition gasping somewhere between the burpees and the disbelief.
For those unfamiliar with Scott, he’s not your average gym hero. Dylan Scott finished 3rd Overall at the Elite 15 race in the 2025 HYROX World Championships, and he turned up in Manhattan looking like a man who never met a lung-burning workout he didn’t enjoy. He left with a $5,000 cheque and a new title to add to his résumé: Toughest Athlete in NYC.
Behind him, HYROX regular Jack Driscoll muscled his way into second, while Stephen Pelkofer fought off the pain to grab third. The rest of the competitors—49 of them—were left to pick up whatever was left of their pride and hamstrings.
This wasn’t your typical 10K. No scenic river paths. No gel stations. No mercy. Instead, runners faced a looped city block that demanded 25 laps and a total of 250 burpees—10 per lap—just in case the concrete wasn’t unforgiving enough. It was part race, part punishment, and entirely glorious madness.
And the date? No accident. October 10th – 10/10 – was chosen to reflect Ten Thousand’s no-nonsense mantra: grit over glamour, effort over excuses. Every athlete was expected to give—yes—10/10 effort. There was nowhere to hide.
Even the merch carried that message. An exclusive 10/10 Interval T-shirt dropped online during the event and vanished faster than a New Year’s gym resolution. Sold out in hours. No second chances.
Ten Thousand, known for building performance gear for men who treat training as a way of life rather than a hobby, already confirmed this is only the beginning. The company is plotting to roll out the Ten Thousand 10K across other U.S. cities, on a mission to find—and break—the toughest athletes in America.
Judging by the chaos in Manhattan, the rest of the country has been warned.
