Ted Metellus On How The New York City Marathon Came Back From The Pandemic + Making History As The Event's First Black Race Director

“One of my colleagues said this in a meeting, and I’ve heard this before, but it really had an impact on me during 2020/2021. It’s the Maya Angelou poem where she says, and I’m paraphrasing to a degree here, ‘You may not remember what I said. You may not remember what I did. But you’ll remember how I made you feel.’ That right there is it. That’s what we can all do in our own little space: have people feel amazing, have a great experience, walk away with a smile on their face.”

Last year, Ted Metellus made history when he was named the race director of the New York City Marathon. Not only that, he became the first Black race director of any of the World Marathon Major races. In 2020, New York Road Runners faced criticism and allegations of discrimination and racism and vowed to make changes within its leadership roles and internal structure to make things better. The move with Metellus also came at a time when the running industry was coming back from a year full of cancellations and postponements for major races. New York Road Runners canceled all in-person races from March 2020 to September 2020. In this episode, you’ll learn more about how an event like that comes together but also learn a bit about Ted’s story from growing up as a kid in the Bronx to lessons he learned from the entertainment industry and other sports. He’s so down to earth. 

We recorded this conversation in late February at the Running USA Conference. For this episode, I’m joined by Joshua and Aaron Potts of the 2 Black Runners Podcast. 

SUPPORT THE SPONSORS

FINAL SURGE: No matter if you are an athlete or a coach, Final Surge helps plan and attain both short, and long-term training success. Their free online training log is compatible with Garmin, Strava, Polar, Stryd, COROS and a slew of other apps and devices. If you are a coach, Final Surge makes planning and analyzing workouts simple and helps streamline communication with your athletes. If you’re an athlete out there hammering miles and tempo runs solo with no guidance or direction, Final Surge is also here to offer up some world-class training programs. Check out their offerings today: FINALSURGE.COM – USE CODE CITIUS FOR 10% OFF.

BROOKS RUNNING: The Brooks Hyperion Elite 3s were released earlier this month and its Brooks' latest road-running shoe built for speed with ultralight foam and a carbon fiber plate to help propel you forward.

THERABODY: Their new RecoveryAir JetBoots are the first of its kind as the world’s most advanced pneumatic compression system ever created. RecoveryAir flushes out metabolic waste more fully and brings back fresh blood to your legs at three times the speed of competitors. Faster cycles mean faster recovery, so you don’t have to wait for..the legs to be feelin' great. For more information and to get a discount visit: https://therabody.com/citius

OREGON22: We are less than 90 days until the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon (7/15-24). The outdoor track season is underway and the journey to Hayward has begun. Don’t miss out. Buy your tickets today to see the world’s best athletes in action at the first-ever world outdoor championships being held on U.S. soil. You can get your tickets by visiting WorldChampsOregon22.com/Tickets