Set the Pace

"Set the Pace," host Rob Simmelkjaer welcomes Team USA’s Tatyana McFadden, a world champion wheelchair athlete renowned for her dominance in Paralympic sports. Born with spina bifida and adopted from a Russian orphanage, McFadden has won 20 Paralympic medals, including eight golds, and is the first athlete to win four major marathons in a single year. As she prepares for the upcoming Paralympic Games in Paris, she highlights the importance of sports equality and its role in societal inclusion for people with disabilities. McFadden’s advocacy extends beyond athletics; she recounts her high school fight to compete alongside her peers, resulting in the passage of "Tatyana's Law" in Maryland, which ensures equal athletic opportunities for students with disabilities. Despite significant opposition, McFadden's efforts paved the way for future athletes with disabilities. Her commitment to giving back continues through various programs, emphasizing the transformative power of sports and the importance of community and inclusion.FOLLOW NYRR: Instagram | Facebook | X | TikTokSUPPORT: Support the Set the Pace podcast! If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.DISCLAIMERSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tyler Swartz, founder of Endorphins Running, joins Rob and Becs on this week’s episode of Set the Pace to talk about the group’s mission to spread positivity and happiness through movement and exercise. Born from his own passion for running and building community, Tyler founded Endorphins in November 2020 while training for a 50-mile ultra marathon. He started posting online asking people if they wanted to train with him because most of his friends weren’t runners. It started with one person showing up to run with him and since then has grown to approximately 18,000 members in 11 cities including New York City, Chicago, Boston, and Seattle. He says that a lot of people in a post-COVID world are lacking social connection and that he created the group as a way for people to meet others who share the same interests and to make new friends.LINKS:Endorphins Runninghttps://www.nyrr.org/tcsnycmarathon/runners/nyrr-team-for-climatehttps://www.nyrr.org/getinvolved/donateFOLLOW NYRR: Instagram | Facebook | X | TikTokSUPPORT: Support the Set the Pace podcast! If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.*New York Road Runners acknowledges offsetting alone will not tackle climate change and can only be credible while also avoiding, reducing, and substituting emissions. New York Road Runners follows the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Code of Practice by purchasing carbon offsets only while:-Measuring our greenhouse gas emissions inventory-Working toward our Net Zero by 2040 goal-Fulfilling our reduction efforts: Transitioning to electric vehicles and generators at our events, and Energy Star appliances at our facilities DISCLAIMERSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Rob and Becs talk to Nikki Hiltz, who has been breaking barriers on and off the track as a professional middle-distance runner in the 800 and 1,500 meters. Nikki is a transgender and non-binary athlete and a powerful advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community, and they’ll be competing in the U.S. Olympic Trials starting June 21 in Eugene, Oregon. Nikki talks about their journey to this year's Trials after not making the team at the 2021 Trials and learning to focus on process rather than outcome. They also share the ups and downs of having a partner, Emma Gee, who’s also a pro athlete headed for the Trials, what it means to feel safe, seen, and supported by their competitors and the larger running community, and their dream to round out Pride Month in June by qualifying for the Olympics with a podium finish in the Trials 1500 final.LINKSNYRR Runner DadsFOLLOW NYRR: Instagram | Facebook | X | TikTokSUPPORT: Support the Set the Pace podcast! If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.DISCLAIMERSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Check out this special live recording of Set the Pace at the Peloton Headquarters in New York City as Rob is joined on stage by three guests representing three of NYRR’s key partnerships—Anne Valentzas from Mastercard, Tom Carleo from New Balance, and Denise Wolffs from Citizens. Find out why they are so passionate about the partnerships their brands have built with NYRR, especially for the TCS New York City Marathon, to support the over 50,000 runners during marathon week and on race day. But the partnerships don’t stop there. All year long, these brands help put on some of NYRR’s biggest races, including the Mastercard New York Mini 10K, Citizens Queens 10K, and the New Balance Bronx 10 Mile. Tune in to learn about Mastercard’s commitment to women runners, how New Balance continues to inspire runners of all levels, and the work Citizens does to highlight local NYC businesses. 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 Spotify.DISCLAIMERSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Set the Pace as we sit down with two extraordinary runners, fresh from the finish line of today's Mastercard New York Mini 10k, champion Senbere Teferi and top American, Amanda Vestri. Teferi, Ethiopia's two-time Olympian and the event-record holder, shares her journey to winning the Mastercard New York Mini 10K for the third consecutive year and all the things she loves about New York City. Meanwhile, Amanda Vestri, a rising star from Webster, N.Y., discusses her breakout season, her impressive fourth-place finish as the top American in the race and her road to the Track and Field Olympic Trials in Eugene.FOLLOW NYRR: Instagram | Facebook | X | TikTokSUPPORT: Support the Set the Pace podcast! If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.DISCLAIMERSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Heading into the Mastercard New York Mini 10K this weekend, Rob is joined by Dakotah Lindwurm who will be running the race as part of an amazing elite field. Growing up in Minnesota, Dakotah admits she wasn’t a fast runner when she first joined her high school track team but that didn’t deter her from working hard to get better. Her determination has paid off. She’s won two Grandma’s Marathons, one of which qualified her for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials where she finished in 36th place. She kept the momentum going and qualified for the Trials again this past February in Orlando, placing 3rd and cementing her spot in Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics. Tune in to hear why she likes running NYRR races and why smiling helps her stay positive during even the most challenging moments on the course.LINKS:Peloton AppCheck out live coverage of the Mastercard New York Mini 10K Women's Race on race day! Building a World-Class Pro-Field- NYRR’s Sam Grotewold Shares What It Takes to Bring the Pros to NYCGlobal Running DayFOLLOW NYRR: Instagram | Facebook | X | TikTokSUPPORT: Support the Set the Pace podcast! If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.DISCLAIMERSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week’s episode is all about the pros as Set the Pace hosts Rob and Becs talk to Sam Grotewold, NYRR General Manager of Professional Athletes, about what goes into building a professional field. Leading up to the Mastercard New York Mini 10K on Saturday, June 8, we learn how Sam and his team managed to get all three of the American women representing the United States at the Olympics in the marathon this summer in Paris—Fiona O’Keeffe, Emily Sisson, and Dakotah Lindwurm—to run the iconic women’s race. The incredible pro field will also include 7 of the top 10 finishers of the 2024 U.S. Olympic marathon trials. Sam reveals some of his favorite pro athletes through his 20 years at NYRR, one being Meb Keflezighi who interviews Julianne Grace for the Member Moment. She’ll be running her 48th New York Mini 10K at next week’s race.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 Spotify.DISCLAIMERSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Renowned media personalities Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes join Rob and Becs for a lively and wide-ranging conversation. Known for covering everything from headline news to pop culture, and now for their podcast, Amy and T.J., the two are also dedicated runners with 19 NYRR race finishes between them including the last two TCS New York City Marathons. In this episode they discuss the ups and downs of being the partner of a runner, fitting in their training around their demanding schedules, Amy’s experience running through breast cancer, and more. And keeping it real, there’s even a vomit story! In observance of Mental Health Awareness Month, the episode also includes a Member Moment interview with NYRR member Michelle Moore, psychologist and author of Sustainable Wellness: A Memoir of Loss, Perseverance and Resilience.LINKS:Special Live STP Episode: Interview with Ali Feller at the RBC Brooklyn Half Finish Line. Sustainable Wellness: A Memoir of Loss, Perseverance and Resilience. Amy and T.J. PodcastFOLLOW NYRR: Instagram | Facebook | X | TikTokSUPPORT: Support the Set the Pace podcast! If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.DISCLAIMERSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Set the Pace for this very special episode—a live recording from the finish line of the 2024 RBC Brooklyn Half! Co-host and Peloton Instructor Becs Gentry is flying solo today behind the mic at the After-Party at Maimonides Park in Coney Island, and she speaks with special guest Ali Feller, host of the incredibly popular Ali on the Run podcast. Ali is also a writer, an announcer for Abbott World Marathon Majors races including the TCS New York City Marathon, a mom, and of course a passionate runner. This week marks the one-year anniversary of Ali’s breast cancer diagnosis, and she’s shared her journey bravely and honestly over these past 12 months. You won’t want to miss this episode, which also includes a Member Moment interview with The Bachelorette’s Zac Clark, who founded Release Recovery and also ran the RBC Brooklyn Half today.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 Spotify.DISCLAIMERSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thomas Neuberger and Meaghan Murray, hosts of The Drop podcast join this week’s show to talk about how they've managed to turn their love of running into their careers. Their website Believe in the Run is the top running review site where they review shoes and apparel and all things important to runners. Thomas created the site in 2009 to raise money for charity as he trained for the five-day TransRockies Run in Colorado. He met Meaghan at a company that did software for social media and inspired her to take on long distance races. They’ve gained tremendous popularity in the last two years due to the running boom that started during the pandemic. Both ran the RBC Brooklyn Half last year and will be running the race again this Saturday. Tune in to hear their story—and get bonus advice on what to wear for race day and what to expect on the course. LINKS:NYRR Group TrainingBelieve in the RunTed Metellus Gives Us the 411 on All Things RBC Brooklyn HalfFOLLOW NYRR: Instagram | Facebook | X | TikTokSUPPORT: Support the Set the Pace podcast! If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.DISCLAIMERSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.