Set the Pace

Hosts Rob and Becs welcome back Ted Metellus, SVP of Events and Race Director for NYRR, to Set the Pace to talk about all things RBC Brooklyn Half and what makes this local race so special. This race is one of the largest half marathons in the U.S. with over 25,000 participants expected to run the course that starts near the Brooklyn Museum and finishes on the iconic Coney Island boardwalk. Get the 411 on when and where to pick up your bib, making the most of race morning, and the best way to celebrate after the race. Ted tells listeners to “mind your space, mind your pace” and that preparation starts now, so make sure you're getting yourself prepped mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally for what will be an amazing day. Plus, Becs announces that she will be hosting a live recording of Set the Pace after the race featuring a special guest.LINKS:NYRR Racing Appliveresults.nyrr.orgFOLLOW 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.

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 running) and is grateful she’s able to teach in Spanish and to also help break down any stigmas around talking about mental health. During the show, she leads a short, guided meditation so you’ll want to tune in.Today, Set the Pace welcomes a familiar voice, Peloton Instructor Becs Gentry as the new co-host for the podcast while Meb continues to cover Meb Minutes and Member Moments.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.

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 race's first known woman finisher with Down syndrome. Tina talks about how her decision to get Achilles surgery is a type of physical sustainability as it will hopefully enable her to run for many years to come. Whether she’s leading a plogging event (picking up trash while jogging) for NYRR or wearing a skirt made of gel wrappers and plastic water bottles, her environmental advocacy is leading the way in the global running community.LINKS:Becoming a Sustainable Runner: A Guide to Running for Life, Community, and Planet by Tina Muir and Zoë Romtinamuir88 on IGFOLLOW 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, 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 podcast has had over 12 million downloads ever since. He’s a former English international runner, British National Elite duathlon champion, and triathlete. Since September of 22, Deena has joined Martin as co-host on the podcast. Listen in as both discuss their take on the current state of the sport and what they hope to see in the future, including at this weekend’s TCS London Marathon.LINKS:Inside the Winner's Circle: Behind the scenes LIVE with Meb and Des at the Boston MarathonMarathon Talk, powered by Abbott World Marathon MajorsLet Your Mind Run A MEMOIR OF THINKING MY WAY TO VICTORY By Deena Kastor and Michelle HamiltonFOLLOW 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 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 makes a surprise appearance. Known for his inspiring coaching, Matt adds an extra layer of anticipation as he gears up for his first Boston Marathon.With race day looming, the atmosphere is electric as Meb, Des, and Matt share their nerves, excitement, and everything in between. Whether you're a seasoned marathoner or just getting started, this episode offers a peek behind the curtain of one of the world's most iconic races, and a glimpse into the incredible drive that inspires these iconic runners to conquer the course time and time again.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.

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 run to empower kids to achieve their running dreams, and how the MEB Foundation works provide them with scholarships, shoes, and more. He also shares what his 2014 Boston win meant to him, the challenges he’s faced this year in balancing training with a busy schedule of work and family obligations, and what will inspire him throughout his 26.2 miles to the finish line.LINKS:https://www.mebfoundation.org/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.

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 United Airlines NYC Half, and the RBC Brooklyn Half. Alysia made international headlines when she ran the 800 meters nearly eight months pregnant at the 2014 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships and sparked conversation about policy changes for pregnancy and athletes. During the race she wore the signature hibiscus flower in her hair which she says is representative of her family’s Jamaican roots.LINKS:https://www.andmother.org/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.

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, he admits, knowing “literally zero” about Lil Nas X. He shares his race-day experiences, from Lil Nas X revealing that he hadn’t trained but was eager to chat during their 13.1 miles, to their steady progress through the Brooklyn-to-Manhattan course, to crossing the finish line together in 2 hours, 32 minutes, and 53 seconds. And yes, you’ll also hear all about those Coach high-top basketball shoes.LINKS:Lil Nas X and Robeto on IGJersey Women StrongKayleigh Williamson Finishing the UANYC 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.

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 about the history of the “grandfather” of marathons, the Boston Marathon, and the costumes that add excitement along the TCS London Marathon course. Hugh and Jack discuss the special collaboration that happens between all the Abbott World Marathon Majors and how each of them welcomes runners from across the globe in “a glorious idea of running 26.2 miles” along with the greatest athletes in the world.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.

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 | 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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.