Set the Pace

Today on Set The Pace, we sit down with Paralympic legends Oksana Masters and Aaron Pike as they prepare for the Paris Paralympic Games. With an incredible collection of medals across multiple sports, Masters and Pike share their personal journeys and the challenges they've overcome. As a powerhouse couple, they discuss their competitive spirit, the support they offer each other, and the drive that fuels their relentless pursuit of athletic excellence. From the intense training regimens to the deep connection they share, today's conversation delves into what it takes to be at the pinnacle of Paralympic sports. LINKS:Oksana Master's memoir - The Hard Parts, A Memoir of Courage and TriumphFOLLOW 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 Interactive Instructor Logan Aldridge opens up to hosts Rob and Becs about the tragic wakeboarding accident that led to him losing his left arm when he was just 13 years old. Logan eventually had to learn to adapt to a new way of doing daily tasks like writing with his right hand as he was lefthanded before the accident. Inspired to be the best he could be physically, he started working out regularly, adapting exercises along the way. Now as an adaptive training specialist, Logan empowers other trainers and athletes to find ways to adapt workouts to meet each individual’s fitness needs. He ran his first marathon last year and is setting his sights on running the TCS New York City Marathon on November 3.Join the Set the Pace team as we close out Disability Pride Month with Logan Aldridge, adaptive training specialist and Peloton Interactive instructor. 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.

Our guest this week is Nicolas Heller, otherwise known as New York Nico. NY Nico shines a spotlight on the extraordinary lives of everyday New Yorkers, proving that any true New Yorker can be the next new talent. Born and raised in NYC, he was affectionately called the “mayor of 16th Street” as a kid for befriending nearly everyone in the neighborhood. NY Nico's video from last year's TCS New York City Marathon finish line was a moving tribute to more than 50,000 runners. Now, as NYRR seeks to tell more marathon stories, we will be partnering with him to document runners’ journeys to the start and their emotional moments crossing the finish line. Tune in to learn more about this project and how you can share your story.LINKS:@newyorknicoNew York Nico's Guide to NYCFOLLOW 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.

One of the world’s best ultramarathoners, David Kilgore, joins Set the Pace this week. He is the current reigning champion of the World Marathon Challenge®, where competitors run 7 marathons on each of the 7 continents in 7 days. David completed 6 of the 7 marathons in under 3 and a half hours, the seventh being his fastest, which he finished in an astonishing 2 hours 41 minutes and 50 seconds. David grew up running cross country and track in Florida and eventually focused on running ultra marathons for the adventure. He talks about what inspired him to take on this ultimate world challenge and what it was like running on every continent, starting in Antarctica, and finishing in Miami. Plus, Becs makes a big announcement about a new challenge that she’s embarking on this year that’s inspired by David’s ultra marathon journey.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.

"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.