This week’s episode is extra special as Becs chats with not one but two amazing guests: Peloton Instructor Jeffrey McEachern and NYRR Chief Event Production Officer and Race Director Ted Metellus. Jeffrey shares his running journey from his first steps during a low point in 2015 to running a half marathon while crying tears of joy to completing five of the Abbott World Marathon Majors in 18 months—and now on his way to getting his Six Star medal in Tokyo on March 2. Professionally he’s gone from working in the fast-food industry to becoming a talent recruiter for the Voice of Germany to being a Peloton Tread Instructor known as the “chief of good vibes,” inspiring runners around the world. And Ted shares all the details runners and spectators need to know about the United Airlines NYC Half, set for March 16 and featuring an exciting course change with runners crossing the Brooklyn Bridge for the first time in NYRR race history! You won’t want to miss this one.
***NOTE*** Some race day details discussed in this episode are not yet posted on the NYRR website, but will be posted shortly. Keep checking back.
Becs on the 2025 United Airlines NYC Half Pro Field: 0:01:32)
Jeffrey McEachern Joins Becs: (0:04:46)
Everything You Need to Know to Run The United Airlines NYC Half: (0:41:49)
Today's Meb Minute: (1:09:12)
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Rob and NYRR’s Chair of the Board of Directors, Nnenna Lynch, are training to run the Tokyo Marathon together, so this week, Nnenna joins Set The Pace to talk all things Tokyo! In addition to receiving some priceless Tokyo Marathon advice from Becs, Nnenna discusses her stellar collegiate and professional running careers, as well as her philosophy on staying fit in her 50s while juggling life as a CEO and raising two teenagers. As the first African American and first woman to serve as Board Chair for NYRR, Nnenna emphasizes the importance of diversity in the running community.
Also joining this special Valentine’s-themed, running buddy–centric episode are NYRR members Jacob Caswell and J Solle from Front Runners NY. J and Jacob share stories that highlight the intersection of athletic excellence, social advocacy, love, and queer joy.
Nnenna Lynch Joins the Show (00:10:26:03)
Becs' Tokyo Marathon Advice (00:56:06:19)
Member Moment with Jacob Caswell and J. Solle (01:05:21:21)
The Meb Minute (01:15:32:04)
Read Nnenna's NYTimes OpEd Here
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After Rob makes a BIG ANNOUNCEMENT and gets some critical winter run coaching from Becs, Set the Pace kicks off Black History Month with guest Harry Chandler. Harry is the co-owner of the Charlotte Running Company (CRC), one of the very few Black-owned running retail stores in the United States and voted the best running store in the country in 2021. He recently became the president of the Running Industry Association, an organization dedicated to supporting the brick-and-mortar running retail channel throughout the U.S. and Canada. He is deeply committed to advocating for underrepresented communities, emphasizing social responsibility in everything he does. In this inspiring episode, Harry shares his two-decade journey in the running industry from a salesperson hired in high school to work at a specialty running store to ownership of a nationally recognized retail outlet, along with his vision for a more diverse and equitable running community. Also featured this week is NYRR member Annabella Espina, who’s completed 27 marathons and raised over $25,000 for Team for Kids.
Rob's Big Announcement: (00:01:58)
Becs Give Rob Winter Training Tips: (00:05:51)
Harry Chandler Joins STP: (00:15:55)
Annabella Espina talks Tokyo on STP: (00:50:15)
Today's Meb Minute: (01:00:24)
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Ever wonder what it’s like to direct the largest marathon in the world? Hear from the TCS New York City Marathon Race Director Ted Metellus and former NYRR CEO and Race Director of the New York City Marathon Mary Wittenberg during a live taping of Set the Pace at the Hard Rock Café in Times Square. From Mary's groundbreaking tenure as the first female race director of the New York City Marathon to Ted's current leadership as the first Black race director, these two trailblazers share their experiences of and inspiration for directing the iconic race. For Mary, she reflects on how Fred Lebow’s light paved the way for her. For Ted, being a race director means being a leader and someone who welcomes people to an experience. Also joining the stage was Luke Ginocchio, a radiologist based in New York City who has been an NYRR member since 2016 and has completed an incredible 120 NYRR races.
Mary and Ted Join Rob and Becs: (00:07:12)
Member Moment with Dr. Luke Ginocchio: (00:51:09)
HSS Exercise Physiologist & Director of Performance & Wellness Services Pam Geisel (01:04:36)
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Randi Zuckerberg, yes that Randi Zuckerberg! (entrepreneur and bestselling author) joins Set the Pace this week to describe how her running journey has taken her from 10ks to 250 milers in only two years time, all while she balances her role as a mother of three and a leader in the tech and media industries. Hear about the powerful lessons ultra running has taught Randi about vulnerability, community, and mental toughness and find out how blazing new trails as an entrepreneur prepared her for blazing her own path to ultra running. Also joining for this week’s member moment is Kurt Farrell, a runner and neuroscientist whose lab received funding for CurePSP, an official charity partner of New York Road Runners.
Randi Zuckerberg joins STP (05:48)
NYRR Member and Neuroscientist Kurt Farrell (54:04)
Today's Meb Minute (01:01:00)
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Joining Becs and Rob this week is British professional distance runner Calli Hauger-Thackery. The Yorkshire, England native represented Great Britain at the Paris Olympics last summer and took the women’s top spot at the California International Marathon in December, finishing in 2:24:28 and breaking the previous course record. Calli is setting her sights on the Boston Marathon in April, but before that, she’ll join an amazing pro field at the United Airlines NYC Half on March 16. She recalls having to drop out of the Paris Olympic Marathon after receiving sad news about her mother’s cancer diagnosis and her decision to run the Berlin Marathon seven weeks later, finishing with a PB of 2:21:24! Tune in to this episode for the details, including why Calli, a world traveler, worked in Australia as a lumberjack. Plus, this week’s member spotlight features Danielle Grimley, a first-time marathoner who crossed the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon finish line on crutches after a mid-race injury.
Rob and Becs talk JoeK 10K (2:00)
Callie Hauger-Thackey joins Set The Pace. (11:52)
NYRR Member Danielle Grimley's Final Finisher Story (46:30)
Today's Meb Minute (57:29)
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On this week’s episode of Set the Pace, Becs reads questions from the running community about all things New York Road Runners as Rob provides clarity on some of the most asked questions such as how can runners get into sold-out races and how can more people run the TCS New York City Marathon for the first time. Rob also recaps key moments of 2024, including issuing a reimaged mission and vision statement, having record number finishers at the TCS New York City Marathon and other marquee races, and launching the new NYRR Team for Climate to expand on sustainability goals. And looking ahead to 2025, Rob says technology is a big focus as NYRR including updates to our registration platform and app. Tune in to hear this special NYRR state of the union episode.
LINKS:
Ted Corbitt 50K
NYRR Membership: https://www.nyrr.org/getinvolved/membership
Dr. Leo Murillo on Set The Pace
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Tune in to this special New Year’s episode of Set the Pace that’s all about resolutions, goal setting, and opportunities to help you stay motivated in 2025. Rob is joined by Coach Ben Delaney, director of training programs and operations at NYRR, who explains what NYRR coaches do to help thousands of runners reach their goals. Whether you’re just starting out or going for a PR, you can learn more about the various training programs NYRR offers such as Group Training, Team for Kids, and Striders. Also joining this week is NYRR member and Open Run volunteer captain Rose-Gaelle Belinga, a software engineer originally from Cameroon who shares her remarkable story about coming to the U.S. and getting involved with the NYC running community. Plus, next week’s show will be dedicated to answering listeners’ questions, so if you have a question for Rob or anyone at NYRR, send it to nyrrpodcast@nyrr.org, add it to the review section of the Apple podcast app or Spotify, or DM us on social.
Learn more about Runna's personalized and adaptable training plans here: https://www.nyrr.org/train/classes/runna
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On this special holiday edition of Set the Pace, Rob shares some of the most inspiring conversations he’s had on the podcast this year that reflect our new vision of building healthier lives and stronger communities through the transformative power of running. Tune in to hear from Peloton instructors and NYRR members who’ve turned to running to help them through difficult times and volunteers building community while helping out at NYRR events. We also share stories about Olympians and Paralympians finding joy in training young athletes and celebrities taking on the TCS New York City Marathon for the first time. Don’t miss this special episode filled with inspiring stories from our running community!
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Joining us this week is Nev Schulman, a TV host, a father of three, and a passionate runner. He's known to millions as the face of Catfish: The TV Show on MTV. Nev’s life took a scary turn this past August, when a bicycle accident left him with a spinal cord injury. Amazingly, just three months later, he defied the odds by completing the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon as a guide for Achilles International, helping blind runner Francesco Magisano, the director of the NYC Metro Region Achilles chapters, cross the finish line. Hear about how his recovery went and when and why he decided to run the marathon after having such a traumatic experience. Also joining the show is NYRR member and volunteer Dietmar Stork who has run 159 NYRR races. He’s also a volunteer leader at critical race events, including unloading buses at the marathon starting line.
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