Gyms are marking the 25th anniversary of 9/11 with 110-flight memorial stair climbs. Learn how to use this event as an annual physical conditioning benchmark.
Athletech News reports that fitness operators across the United States are marking the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001, with memorial stair climbs. On September 11, 2026, multiple gym brands will host events honoring first responders and those who died in the attacks. The primary challenge involves a symbolic climb of 110 flights. This specific distance represents the 110 floors of the World Trade Center towers.
Retro Fitness is one of the operators organizing these physical challenges for the community. The company translates this 110-flight target into a benchmark of 2,071 steps. The brand is inviting members, non-members and first responders to participate on September 11, 2026. The franchise is also offering first responders free workouts on this specific date as part of the broader initiative.
Retro Fitness is partnering with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation for this event. Point of sale donations will be collected from August 15 through September 15. All proceeds from these donations will be directed entirely to the foundation. The brand is also supporting the #ForThe343 campaign to honor the 343 FDNY firefighters who died during the attacks on September 11, 2001.
This event format provides an annual conditioning benchmark that directly connects physical effort with community remembrance. A 110-flight climb requires significant cardiovascular capacity and muscular endurance in the lower body. For veterans and active personnel, it serves as a practical testing method for maintaining long term physical capabilities. You can integrate this goal into broader military health and physical performance routines without requiring highly specialized equipment.
These events operate as symbolic community challenges rather than official military readiness assessments. The structure allows participants to adapt the physical demand to their current fitness level. A service member could repeat the exact same format each year under consistent conditions to track completion time and perceived exertion. The format is highly scalable because participants do not all need to complete the identical activity.
The 110-flight format is a highly adaptable physical benchmark for military and veteran groups. While commercial clubs rely heavily on StairMaster machines or gym treadmills to facilitate the challenge, military installations often use ordinary stairwells. A service member could choose to repeat the same 110-flight format each year under consistent conditions to establish a baseline. However, the benchmark should always supplement rather than replace official branch specific medical screening and fitness testing.
The military application of this concept is highly visible at overseas installations. At Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Japan, participants in the installation's 13th annual 9/11 stair climb completed six flights 22 times. This sequence produced the equivalent of 110 floors. These service members carried firefighting hoses and other equipment during the ascent, creating an occupationally specific version of the test.
Different fitness operators are scaling the 110-flight target across various locations and participation formats in 2026. CR Fitness Holdings is staging its annual 9/11 Stair Climb Challenge Remembrance across 98 open gyms. These facilities are located across Florida, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee. CR Fitness team members are also visiting local fire stations before the event to deliver refreshments and thank first responders.
Fit Fusion is hosting its 9/11 Tribute Stair Climb at 20 locations across eight states in partnership with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. This major Crunch franchisee provides several distinct participation options so that people of varying fitness levels can participate. Individuals can complete all 110 flights, walk on a treadmill for 20 minutes, or simply make a financial donation. Participants in the Fit Fusion event who climb or donate will be entered for a chance to win a free year of Crunch membership.
LA Fitness is holding its inaugural 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb at select clubs nationwide from September 11 through September 13, 2026. Participants at these locations will use StairMaster machines to complete the 110 flights. Some participating locations may include live DJs, local vendors and special firefighter appearances. LA Fitness is working with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to raise money during this three day period.
LA Fitness is also offering first responders a complimentary 30-day guest pass redeemable at participating clubs during the September 11 to 13 window. 24 Hour Fitness is similarly providing free guest access on September 11 alongside three memorial workouts. The company is also utilizing an "I Climbed For" tribute board where participants can identify the people they are remembering. Outside of commercial gyms, a Tulsa Tech memorial event saw students complete 110 flights to honor first responders.
While the 110-flight challenge is a demanding physical effort, it does not replace official branch specific fitness tests. The available reporting does not establish a universal pace, rest protocol or pass and fail threshold for these events. Anyone attempting the climb should standardise their conditions to produce useful year over year comparisons. This means recording your total ascent time, the number of rest periods and the exact duration of those pauses.
You should also track your heart rate, any external load carried and any physical symptoms experienced during or after the climb. Changing your testing environment completely alters the physical demand of the climb. Switching from a StairMaster machine to a building stairwell makes direct comparisons unreliable. You must also document whether you used handrails, your specific footwear and the surface type.
If you use a building, understand that the 2,071 steps reported by Retro Fitness is specific to its own event description. This exact step count will not apply to every building, stair machine or local memorial route. Veterans should focus on gradual preparation rather than attempting the full distance immediately. A safer approach involves building from shorter intervals with adequate recovery periods before trying the 110 flights.
Individuals with cardiovascular disease, significant joint problems or recent surgeries must obtain appropriate clinical guidance before starting. Anyone with a high risk for heat illness should also consult a professional before attempting this high volume stair climb. This specific challenge provides an excellent cardiovascular stimulus, but it does not test every physical quality required in military work. It does not measure upper body pushing, trunk endurance, sprinting or balance under load.
Those capacities must be trained and assessed separately within your broader strength, fitness and body composition protocols. Veterans and troops should not add weight simply to make the challenge harder without careful planning. Load should only be introduced progressively once basic stair capacity is well established.
These 110-flight events demonstrate how fitness operators can merge physical endurance with community remembrance and charitable support. Kim Gouch, chief brand officer at Retro Fitness, noted that the annual initiative creates connections beyond the gym. Tony Scrimale, CEO of CR Fitness, stated the annual challenge brings the community together to honor those who responded with bravery. Jill Hill, president of club operations at Fitness International, described the LA Fitness climb as an opportunity to remember the selflessness demonstrated on September 11.
These executive statements characterize the purpose of the programs rather than providing clinical evidence of health outcomes. The available reporting documents what the brands are organizing without providing independent injury rates, fundraising totals or average completion times. The events should not be presented as proof that a person is medically fit for duty or protected from injury.
The primary objective is to preserve a legacy of service rather than merely creating a competitive leaderboard. This focus on long term health and capability aligns with core veteran lifestyle and healthcare principles. Money raised by Fit Fusion supports foundation programs for families of fallen firefighters and the fire service. This format allows veterans to honor fallen first responders while safely testing their own physical resilience.
As more fitness operators adopt this physical tribute, how will these community-based memorial challenges shape the future of veteran health and physical conditioning standards?
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