How to Run, Walk, Hike and Bike, All for Free

The Boston Marathon may just have passed, but that’s no reason to hang up the running shoes. Boston-based brand New Balance teamed up with Westin to offer free sports equipment for guests across the States, and several other resorts provide a chance to work up a good sweat while working out, too.

The partnership between the athletic wear company New Balance and the Westin offers shoes and apparel for free to guests, along with suggested outdoor running trails throughout the country. Shoes have new, disposable insoles, and apparel includes shorts, shirts, socks, capri pants and sports bras in myriad sizes. There’s also an in-room fitness component that includes tips on exercise and nutrition from a trainer. Select properties also have TRX facilities.

Mackinac Island is notoriously famous for its car-free, pristine environment where Lake Huron meets Lake Michigan. At Mission Point Resort, the tennis courts overlook the former lake and rental equipment like racquets and balls are complimentary to guests. There are also free croquet and bocce ball lawns.

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There are more than 40 miles of bike trails at the Ritz-Carlton on Florida’s Amelia Island, and it’s easy for guests to enjoy on a free bike (two for up to two hours). The resort also includes a bag of range balls and the Golf Club of Amelia Island and tennis court privileges including racquets and balls for one hour.

Pedal from one side of Boston to one of its most famous universities — nearby Cambridge’s Harvard, with a joint-usage agreement for complimentary Electra Amsterdam Classic Bicycles between the Liberty Hotel in the hot Beacon Hill neighborhood and the Charles Hotel in Cambridge. There’s a scenic eight-mile stretch of river between the two, so take advantage of the bikes’ shopping baskets to buy some souvenirs or load up a picnic at Boston’s Public Garden.

Work on your abs with complimentary stand-up paddleboards or on your pecs with complimentary kayaks at Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club in Cape Cod. You can venture out on calm Cape Cod Bay or on the property near Blueberry Pond. Other free equipment for guests includes bikes for the famous 26-mile Cape Cod Rail Trail and croquet sets to test your skills on the Mansion front lawn.

Watersports await at The Palms Turks & Caicos, where the 72-room resort’s prime location steps away from the flawless white sands of Grace Bay Beach is the perfect spot for kids and adults alike. Complimentary sailing lessons include Hobie Cat vessels (easy-to-sail, easy-to-rig speedsters); snorkeling equipment; and kayaks. A fitness center and flood-lit tennis court can be enjoyed by families traveling with kids and teenagers. For the youngest children, the Conch Kritters kids’ club provides complimentary half-day and full-day activities with a clubhouse and beach toys and floats for indoor and outdoor activities. Also on Turks & Caicos, the new Shore Club offers visitors water-filled fun, as its name suggests. Kiteboarding is guaranteed to keep you in shape, along with free watersports and boating activities.

The ART hotel in Denver combines culture with sport thanks to custom-designed bikes from students at the city’s Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design. Each has a different painting and is available for guests to check out for day usage to pedal through the city’s cultural scene during an urban ART Ride. Maps curate a ride through all of downtown Denver, and bikes come in all sizes for parents and children.

Lawn games abound at the Ritz-Carlton Reynolds at Lake Oconee in Greensboro, Ga. Outdoor activities include includes glow-in-the-dark corn hole, ping pong, bocce ball and more. The resort also just added new Schiller Water Bikes so guests can pedal on top of the lake without getting wet.