ROW FOR GROW·42,195 Meters·Teams of 4·Sept 21-27, 2026·Row for Something Bigger·GROW Healthy Kids·$42K Goal·ROW FOR GROW·42,195 Meters·Teams of 4·Sept 21-27, 2026·Row for Something Bigger·GROW Healthy Kids·$42K Goal·
What Is It
A Marathon on the Erg. A Movement IRL.
The official charity rowing challenge of GROW Healthy Kids.
ROW4GROW42K is a team rowing challenge covering marathon distance - 42,195 meters - completed in teams of 4 during event week September 21-27, 2026.
You split the meters however you want. The only requirement: you row it together, and every meter means something.
Every team either registers for $100 or fundraises a minimum of $200 for GROW Healthy Kids - a nonprofit connecting 37,000+ Florida kids to movement, health, and opportunity.
42K
Meters / team
$42K
Fundraising goal
37K+
Kids impacted
How It Works
Simple. Scalable. Meaningful.
Complete your 42K anytime during event week. Join the live gym event on 9/26.
01
Build Your Team
4 people. Any fitness level. Name your crew, register as a team, and choose how you'll split the 42,195 meters. There's no wrong way to row.
02
Row the Week
September 21-27. Complete 42,195 meters as a team - at your gym, at a host gym, or wherever you row. Track your splits and climb the leaderboard.
The live event day. Gyms run heats, leaderboards go live, the energy is real. This is where the challenge becomes a moment you'll remember.
Separate leaderboards for Men's, Women's, Co-ed, and Virtual divisions - four ways to win.
Every meter you row means something to a kid.
This isn't just a workout. It's a reason. Every stroke you take connects directly to 37,000+ Florida children who need movement, health, and opportunity in their lives.
Team Options
Pick Your Path
Every team registers. Every team rows. Every team matters.
Most Impactful
Fundraise Your Entry
$0
Entry fee waived when you raise $200+ for GROW
Commit to raising $200 for GROW Healthy Kids and your team enters free. Use our fundraising tools and leaderboard to rally your community.
Host gym selection: At registration, you'll be asked to associate your team with a host gym (or row virtually). We'll add gyms to the dropdown as they confirm.
Gym Hosts
Bring the Challenge to Your Gym.
Hosting ROW4GROW42K is plug-and-play. We handle everything. You bring your community and run the heats on Saturday, September 26.
The gyms with the most participants and the top fundraising totals win recognition - and we'll make sure the entire rowing community knows your gym showed up.
01
Full Event PlaybookRun sheet, heat format, scoring - all done for you
02
Social Media PackDone-for-you posts, stories, and graphics
03
Leaderboard AccessReal-time scoring for your gym and the global board
04
Win a Concept 2 RowerThe gym whose teams raise the most money wins a brand-new Concept 2 rowing machine
05
Community BuilderA reason for members to show up, compete, and connect
The gym whose teams collectively raise the most money wins a brand-new Concept 2 rowing machine — straight to your floor. Rally your members, lead the leaderboard, and take home the most iconic erg in the sport.
Grand Prize
The Mission
This Is What the Meters Are For.
GROW Healthy Kids connects 37,000+ Florida children to movement, nutrition, and health - building the physical and mental foundation that shapes the rest of their lives.
Every meter you row. Every dollar you raise. It goes directly to kids in your community.
Lock in your spot. Register as a team of 4 or commit to fundraising $200 for GROW. Early teams get first pick of host gyms.
SEP
Challenge Week
September 21-27 - Row Your 42K
Split the meters however your team decides. Row at home, at a host gym, or anywhere you have an erg. Track every meter on the leaderboard.
9/26
Live Event Day
September 26 - Show Up
Host gyms run live heats. Leaderboards go real-time. The rowing community gathers. This is the moment that makes the week worth it.
9/27
Finish Line
September 27 - Final Meters + Results
Challenge week closes. Final leaderboard locked. Top fundraising teams and gyms announced. Impact report delivered to all participants.
FAQ
Got Questions? We've Got You.
ROW4GROW42K is a team rowing challenge covering the marathon distance - 42,195 meters - in teams of four. It runs September 21-27, 2026, with a live event day on Saturday, September 26. Every team either pays a flat registration fee or commits to raising $200 for GROW Healthy Kids. 100% of proceeds benefit GROW.
Anyone who can sit on an ergometer. You don't need to be a competitive rower - this challenge is designed for all fitness levels. The 42,195 meters are split among four teammates, so the workload is shared and manageable at any pace.
Anywhere you have access to a rowing machine (erg). You can row at a participating host gym, your home gym, or any facility with an erg. On September 26, host gyms run live structured heats - that's where the community experience is. Virtual teams can row anywhere and submit results through our platform.
GROW Healthy Kids is a Florida-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that connects 37,000+ children to physical activity, nutrition education, and health programming. Every dollar raised through ROW4GROW42K goes directly to their mission. Learn more at growhealthykids.org.
It's what you make it. There are separate leaderboards for Men's, Women's, Co-ed, and Virtual divisions - competition is built in. But the event is equally about community and cause. Your team can chase the leaderboard hard or simply complete the distance together. Both are valid.
Register through our event platform (link above). You'll create a team, name it, choose your registration path, and your teammates register under your team name. The whole process takes a few minutes.
Exactly 4. Teams of 4 collectively row 42,195 meters. You can split the meters any way that works for your team - equal splits, strength-based splits, or whatever gets it done.
ROW4GROW42K is team-based, so we don't assign individuals to teams automatically. If you don't have teammates yet, reach out to us at Events@growhealthykids.com - we can help connect solo registrants.
Fundraise Your Entry: Commit to raising $200 for GROW Healthy Kids through our fundraising platform. Your registration fee is waived when your team hits $200 in donations. Great for teams who want to maximize impact and rally their community.
Flat Registration: Pay the $100 team registration fee upfront. 100% goes to GROW Healthy Kids. Simple, fast, done.
Early bird pricing is $100 per team ($25/person) through July 4, 2026. Register early to lock in your spot and get first pick of host gyms.
Any stationary rowing machine (erg). Most gyms and CrossFit boxes have them. Any brand of stationary rowing machine qualifies. If you're not sure what to use, email us and we'll help you find a machine near you.
However your team decides. Some teams do equal splits (about 10,549m each). Others play to their strengths. Some bank meters before the live event on 9/26 and finish together. There's no required format - the only rule is all 42,195 meters get rowed by your team of four during event week.
Distance is logged and verified through our registration platform. Host gyms run structured tracking on September 26. For meters rowed outside of live events, you'll log results through your team dashboard on the platform.
That's Live Event Day. Host gyms run structured heats with real-time scoring. If you're associated with a host gym, you show up, row your heat, and watch the leaderboard update live. It's where the week's energy peaks. Virtual teams can still row and submit results on 9/26 from wherever they are.
Row what you can. You have the full week (September 21-27) to accumulate meters. If life happens and your team falls short, you still participated, still raised money, and still made an impact. We'd rather you row 30,000 meters than not show up at all.
When you register on the fundraising path, our platform generates a team fundraising page. Share it with friends, family, coworkers - anyone who wants to support GROW Healthy Kids. When your team collects $200 in donations, your registration fee is waived. Every dollar above $200 goes straight to GROW.
We'll follow up with your team before the event. Teams who make a genuine effort and fall short can transition to the flat registration fee. The goal is good-faith effort - we're not here to penalize people who tried and came close.
Yes. GROW Healthy Kids, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit . All donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Donors receive donation confirmation through our platform.
Once you register, our platform generates a team fundraising link. Share it on social media, text it to your contacts, post it at work. The more people you reach, the more you raise - and the more kids GROW can serve.
Email Events@growhealthykids.com with the subject "Gym Host Application," or click "Apply to Host" on this page. We'll send you the full host kit and get you confirmed.
On Saturday, September 26, you run structured heats at your facility. We provide a complete event playbook, run sheet, heat format, scoring, social media assets, and live day support. You provide the space, the ergs, and the community. The ask is minimal - the impact is real.
No. Hosting is completely free. Your gym keeps its brand visibility and community recognition. We handle all logistics and provide everything you need to run a great event.
At minimum, 2 ergs to run heats efficiently. Four to six allows for larger heats and a more dynamic event day. If you're not sure, reach out and we'll help you design a heat format that fits your equipment.
That's exactly the goal. Host gyms get their registered teams associated on the leaderboard - giving your gym credit for every meter your community rows, whether they row at your facility or remotely during the week.
The gym whose teams collectively raise the most money wins a brand-new Concept 2 rowing machine — straight to their floor. Additional prizes for top fundraising teams and top host gyms will be announced as the event approaches. Start fundraising early to lock in your position on the leaderboard.
Simple: the gym whose registered teams raise the most money in total donations wins a brand-new Concept 2 rowing machine delivered to their gym. Fundraising totals are aggregated across all teams associated with each host gym and verified through our registration platform at the close of challenge week (September 27, 2026). The more teams you recruit and the harder they fundraise, the better your shot at the rower.
The top fundraising team is determined by total dollars raised as of the close of challenge week (September 27, 2026). Fundraising totals are verified through our registration platform. All registered teams are eligible regardless of which registration path they chose.
In the event of a tie on fundraising totals, the tiebreaker is total meters rowed by the team during challenge week, verified through our registration platform.
Host gyms with the highest team participation counts and the largest combined fundraising totals will be recognized publicly - across our social channels, event communications, and the broader rowing community. We'll make sure your gym's contribution is seen and celebrated.
GROW Healthy Kids is a Florida-based nonprofit connecting over 37,000 children to movement, nutrition, and the tools they need to thrive. See their full story, programs, and impact.
