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Remember that time Neil Patrick Harris tried to win a really fancy Equinox membership in Montauk by swimming 300 yards and diving 22 feet? Well, the competition has since moved to New York City, and it's only gotten tougher. Before you even got up this morning, dozens of hopefuls had arrived to 32 Dominick Street beginning at 5am to take the third of five challenges that comprise the Equinox Goldrush.
Early bird gets the Gold Membership? #EQXgoldrush pic.twitter.com/UmiagU81lL
— Equinox (@Equinox) July 30, 2015
Participants had to enter through a golden door (of course) and race up 12 flights of stairs—plus complete a surprise extra challenge at the top—faster than anyone else.
The surprise? It's just a 20ft flagpole that runners have to climb, after scaling 12-flights of stairs. #EQXgoldrush pic.twitter.com/htgzx9ZisZ
— Equinox (@Equinox) July 30, 2015
As of about 8am, the gym's Twitter account said that the fastest men's time was 1:48:87 and the fastest women's time was 2:11:97, with another hour of competition before the winners would be declared. "If you're willing to jump, dive, or climb to your limit, one could be yours," the Goldrush site reads. "Most will fail. But if you can reach one, you'll be handsomely rewarded for your blood, sweat, and tears with a first-of-its-kind membership package."
And lest you forget, that package includes a year of access to all Equinox gyms worldwide (it costs $2,700 for access to most locations nationally, and will unfortunately expire before they launch their health hotels), a monthly massage, $500 to the club's juice bar, $1,000 in apparel, Kiehl's products, and more. It also comes with 24 personal training sessions, but if someone can dash up 12 flights of stairs and scale a flagpole in under two minutes, he sounds pretty trained to us already.
The next challenge is called "Down the Well," and the only hint they give is a picture of an open manhole cover—yeesh. No word on when it'll take place just yet, but you can follow their Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for more clues about where and when to win.