Episodes
Peloton Instructor Mariana Fernández joins Set the Pace to talk about growing up in a Latinx family of athletes and how her mother is her source of inspiration. They even ran the 2017 TCS New York City Marathon together. For Mariana, running has been a criical source of solace. After a tough breakup and losing a friend to suicide, Marianna went for runs in Central Park, and used her running to help her move through her grief. She’s the first bilingual Peloton instructor (yoga, meditation and...
Published 05/02/24
Published 05/02/24
Tina Muir, environmental activist and former elite runner, rejoins Set the Pace during Earth Week to talk about the benefits of becoming a more sustainable runner that go beyond creating less waste, to having a better running experience overall. She’s host of the Running for Real podcast, a global community with a shared love of running and co-author of the book Becoming a Sustainable Runner with Zoë Rom, and she also ran the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon with Kayleigh Williamson, the...
Published 04/25/24
This week, Rob and Meb talk with Deena Kastor and Martin Yelling, co-hosts of the running podcast Marathon Talk powered by Abbott World Marathon Majors, about all things marathon from the elite performances at this year’s Boston Marathon to trends in marathon running. Deena is a three-time Olympian, winning bronze in the 2004 Athens Olympics Marathon. She held 10 American records and represented the U.S. on 16 world championship teams. Martin started Marathon Talk over 12 years ago and the...
Published 04/18/24
Join Set the Pace for this special, Live, backstage pass to the Boston Marathon with two running legends: Meb Keflezighi and Des Linden. Recorded just two nights before the big race Meb and Des dish out insider stories, laughs, and candid reflections on their journey from the starting line to the winner's circle. From the early days of training to the unforgettable moments on race day, their conversation is as real as it gets. And for today’s Member Moment, Peloton’s very own Matt Wilpers...
Published 04/14/24
This week, co-host Meb Keflezighi is on the other side of the microphone as he talks with Rob and special guest-host Becs Gentry about the 2024 Boston Marathon, coming up this Monday, April 15. Ten years after his historic 2014 Boston win, Meb will run this year for his charity, the MEB Foundation, which raises funds for youth health, education, and fitness. Meb—who also won the 2009 New York City Marathon and a silver medal at the 2004 Olympic Marathon—talks about what it will mean to him to...
Published 04/11/24
Olympian and 2x world champion, Alysia Montaño joins Set the Pace to talk about her experience as a mother, athlete, and fierce advocate for women’s rights and maternal health. Alysia is the founder of &mother, a nonprofit organization dedicated to breaking down barriers for women in sports and empowering them to pursue their dreams, both on and off the track. NYRR has partnered with &mother for the past two years to provide lactation support at the TCS New York City Marathon, the...
Published 04/04/24
This week hosts Rob and Meb are joined by Roberto Mandje, senior advisor for running engagement and coaching at New York Road Runners, who ran the 2024 United Airlines NYC Half on March 17 with one of the world’s most recognizable entertainers, the rapper, singer, and songwriter Lil Nas X. Roberto talks about being asked on Saturday afternoon if he could pace a VIP runner and that he didn’t find out until Sunday morning that the VIP was Lil Nas X. He was excited about the opportunity—despite,...
Published 03/28/24
This week hosts Rob and Meb are joined by Jack Fleming, president and CEO of the Boston Athletic Association (BAA) and Hugh Brasher, event director of the TCS London Marathon. Jack has served in a variety of roles with the BAA since 1992 and was COO of the BAA from 2017 through 2022, where he then took over as president and CEO. Hugh’s father, Chris Brasher, was one of the founders of the original London Marathon in 1981 and Hugh has worked at every London Marathon since. They swap stories...
Published 03/21/24
In this special race-day edition of Set the Pace, hosts Rob and Meb interview 2024 United Airlines NYC Half champions Abel Kipchumba, Karoline Bjerkeli Grovdal, Geert Schipper, and Susannah Scaroni who led more than 27,000 finishers through Brooklyn and Manhattan to the finish line in Central Park. FOLLOW NYRR: Instagram | Facebook | X | TikTok SUPPORT: Support the Set the Pace podcast! If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or...
Published 03/17/24
Happy race week, listeners! For this episode of Set the Pace, hosts Rob and Meb talk to acclaimed chef Daniel Humm of the three Michelin star restaurant Eleven Madison Park. Chef Daniel is the owner of Make It Nice, the hospitality group behind Eleven Madison Park, where he's been executive chef since 2006. He’s also been a member of NYRR since 2007 and has run 39 NYRR races. Before becoming a world-class chef, he was a professional cyclist in his home country of Switzerland but after an...
Published 03/14/24
This week, New York City Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh joins Set the Pace to talk to listeners about her experience being the first woman to take on the role. As Fire Commissioner, overseeing 17,000 employees and managing a $2 billion budget, she's been at the forefront of major responses, from the Ebola outbreak in 2015 to the COVID-19 pandemic. For her, being the first woman in the role is about figuring out what tools she can bring that may not have been traditionally used before. An...
Published 03/07/24
March is Women’s History Month and we’re dedicating this week’s episode of Set the Pace to the many contributions of women in running. Join hosts Rob and Meb as they speak with two women who are each carving paths in women’s running history in their own unique ways. Joining the podcast is Emily Sisson, the American record holder for the marathon. Earlier this month, she ran to a second-place finish at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials Marathon in Orlando securing her spot to her second Olympics...
Published 02/29/24
Description:Get ready for a great episode as Rob and Meb talk with Conner Mantz and Clayton Young about about their buildup to the Olympic Marathon in Paris this summer as they prepare for the race of their lives. Both train in Utah with the Run Elite Program and say without the community support they’ve experienced since high school and during their college days at Brigham Young University, they wouldn’t be the accomplished runners they are now. Connor and Clayton are training partners but...
Published 02/22/24
For this episode of Set the Pace, Rob and Meb are joined by Ted Metellus, NYRR’s Senior Vice President of Events and Race Director of the TCS New York City Marathon to talk all things United Airlines NYC Half. The last time he was on the show, he gave listeners great insight into everything about the TCS New York City Marathon. We’ve brought him back for the United Airlines NYC Half edition to help runners navigate getting to the start, how to have the best experience on the course (keep your...
Published 02/15/24
We’re joined this week by Shawanna White, the 9th-fastest U.S.-born Black woman marathoner, who was the inspiration for “The List” maintained by Gary Corbitt and consisting of 31 Black American-born women who have run sub-3-hour marathons. Shawanna has run 16 sub-3-hour marathons, more than any other Black American-born woman, and was featured in the documentary Breaking Three Hours: Trailblazing African American Women Marathoners. Tune in to hear Shawanna talk about her running journey, from...
Published 02/08/24
At age 37, Jenny Simpson has seemingly done it all in the world of distance running, having won world championships and Olympic medals at 1,500 meters and eight New Balance 5th Avenue Mile titles. This Saturday, February 3, she’ll take a big step up in distance when she runs her first marathon at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Orlando. In this episode, Simpson shares her origins in the sport—she started in elementary school in Oviedo, FL, just down the road from Orlando—and her nearly 30-year...
Published 02/01/24
In a special episode of Set the Pace, NYRR CEO Rob Simmelkjaer welcomes Lauren Lubin April, Founder of April Haus, Inc. and NYRR Advisor, and Christine Burke, NYRR Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Runner Products, to help unravel the complexities of creating a non-binary division for NYRR events, including the TCS New York City Marathon. Dive into the strategic decisions, including prize money alignments and policy adaptations, that NYRR made to ensure an inclusive and fair...
Published 01/30/24
This week Rob is joined by Becs Gentry as co-host to speak with her fellow Peloton Instructor Rad Lopez about his fitness journey and how running has become his superpower. The bilingual boxing instructor is a native of the Bronx, who was raised by a single mom in a vibrant Dominican household. He talks about how he fell in love with boxing as a kid at family gatherings and how through sport, he’s able to channel hiscompetitive energy. Find out what motivated him to start running in the first...
Published 01/25/24
This week we’re joined by Jay Scott, co-executive director of Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, a nonprofit he and his wife started in 2005 with a mission to change the lives of children with cancer. Their daughter, Alex Scott, was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a terminal form of childhood cancer, just before her first birthday. When she was four, she set up a lemonade stand to raise money to help doctors find a cure for childhood cancer. In 2004, when Alex passed away at the age of eight,...
Published 01/18/24
Explore the personal side of Ginger Zee as she shares her journey into the world of running. We delve into her training routines, the excitement of the United Airlines New York City Half Marathon, and the unexpected joys and challenges of taking on such a monumental race. Get ready for an inspiring glimpse into the mindset of a seasoned meteorologist and running enthusiast. TRIGGER WARNING: This podcast episode contains sensitive content, including discussions relating to suicide, mental...
Published 01/11/24
Gear up for an energizing start to the new year as we kick off 2024 with reflections, resolutions, and a dash of community celebration. Join Rob and Meb as they share their most cherished running moments from 2023, offering a peek into the personal journeys that fueled their passion for the sport. But that's not all – be the first to experience our exciting new segment, "Member of the Week," where we shine the spotlight on a remarkable individual from the New York Road Runners community. Get...
Published 01/04/24
Join us in this special end-of-the-year episode as we take a stroll down memory lane, reminiscing about the highs and lows of the past running year. We dive into the intriguing questions posed by our dedicated audience, exploring topics that matter most to runners like you. But that's not all – get ready for an inspiring journey as we share and celebrate YOUR favorite running moments of 2023. From personal achievements to unexpected triumphs, this episode is a heartwarming testament to the...
Published 12/28/23
In this episode we sit down with the brilliant health journalist and seasoned marathoner, Cindy Kuzma. Together, we unravel the insights from Cindy's recent New York Times article, "Running vs. Walking: Which Is Better for Lasting Health?" Dive deep into the discourse surrounding this age-old debate and discover the surprising truths about the impact of running and walking on your overall well-being. Gain exclusive behind-the-scenes perspectives from Cindy herself and explore the...
Published 12/21/23
Lace up your running shoes and tune in for an uplifting conversation with Peloton's Becs Gentry. Discover how Becs turned her passion for running into a fulfilling career that extends beyond the treadmill. From her humble beginnings as a self-proclaimed running commentator to joining the elite broadcast team at the New York City Marathon, Becs shares the highs, the hurdles, and the genuine moments that have defined her journey. Whether you're a seasoned marathoner or just starting your...
Published 12/14/23