NYC native Janie Deegan got sober in 2013 after years of battling drug and alcohol addiction that had led to her becoming homeless. In her early years of sobriety she turned to baking—something that had brought her joy as a child—as an act of self-care. Encouraged by friends, in 2015 she founded Janie’s Life-Changing Baked Goods, now in three Manhattan locations and best known for its mouth-watering Pie Crust Cookies. Janie ran her first race with New York Road Runners in 2016, and she’s gone on...
Sep 26, 2024•52 min•Ep. 66
Tune in to a special live show recorded at the NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub as part of Fast Company’s 2024 Innovation Festival. Rob and Becs are joined by Haley Price, the Head of Sports in North America for Tata Consultancy Services. Hear about Haley’s transition from working at New York Road Runners 20 years ago in the brownstone office on East 89th Street to being a proponent of technological advances in running at TCS. She says TCS believes running has the power to change...
Sep 19, 2024•40 min•Ep. 65
Carrie Tollefson, a 2004 Olympian and a three-time national champion who represented the United States at the Athens Games joins Set the Pace to talk about where she thinks running is headed. Carrie is now a broadcaster for ESPN, USA Track & Field, and the TCS New York City Marathon, and she’ll be premiering as the first woman broadcaster for the Berlin Marathon on September 29. Carrie is a fierce advocate for fitness and wellness via her podcast, C Tolle Run, and her work with Moms on the R...
Sep 12, 2024•48 min•Ep. 64
Karissa Schweizer and Josh Kerr recap their 5th Avenue Mile Wins! Olympian and Broadcaster Carrie Tollefson steps in today to interview the winners of today's spectacular New Balance 5th Avenue Mile. Hear from them both as they reveal what their strategies were behind their thrilling wins on 5th Avenue this morning, including a course record for Josh Kerr, and a tie with the course record for Karissa Schweizer. FOLLOW NYRR: Instagram | Facebook | X | TikTok SUPPORT: Support the Set the Pace podc...
Sep 08, 2024•8 min•Ep. 63
Tune in to this special episode recorded live at the NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub as Becs talks with Peloton’s Alex Karwoski, a dedicated rowing instructor and multifaceted athlete. He competed at the Olympic Games in Rio and was an alternate for the Olympics in Tokyo. Now, Alex is setting his sights on the road ahead and is training for his first marathon, the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon. Alex shares with the live audience how he’s making the transition from rowing to ru...
Sep 06, 2024•35 min•Ep. 62
This week, Rob and Becs are joined by British Olympic 1,500m silver medalist and world champion Josh Kerr. He’s coming back to New York to defend his title won last year at the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile in an astounding 3:47.9, the third fastest time in event history, and is looking to make history again this year. Fresh off an unforgettable race at Stade de France during the Olympics in Paris, Josh gives listeners a look behind the scenes at the fierce track and field rivalries that kept view...
Sep 05, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 61
Mark Milde, the race director of the BMW Berlin Marathon joins Set the Pace to talk about what it's like to race 26.2 miles through one of Germany's most storied cities. With the marathon celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, Mark has a lifetime of experience when it comes to this race because his father, Horst Milde, founded the race in 1974. This year will have a celebratory feel with lots of music along the course and a special exhibition at the Brandenburg Gate showcasing the history o...
Aug 29, 2024•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 60
This week Becs talks to Olympian Dakotah Lindwurm, who ran an amazing 26.2 miles on the hardest marathon course in Olympic history, and her fiancé Montana Popehn, who surprised her by turning the finish line into the starting point of the rest of their lives together. Tune in to hear about Dakotah’s Olympic experience from chanting “USA!" on the boat during the Opening Ceremony to tossing her hat to a fan along the marathon course. She’s excited to come back to New York to race this year’s TCS N...
Aug 22, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 59
Tune into this special NYRR Member Week episode of Set the Pace as Rob and Becs talk to Dr. Leo Murillo, an NYRR member for 50 years who first conquered the New York City Marathon in 1974 and plans to run the race again after 50 years. His career includes not only marathons, but stellar performances in cross country and track, particularly in the steeplechase, where he holds top rankings both nationally and globally in the Masters division. The 70-year-old emigrated from Colombia with his mother...
Aug 15, 2024•51 min•Ep. 58
This week, Becs is flying solo as Rob is off in Paris for the final week of the Olympics. She’s joined by her partner Austin Curtis as they talk about how they met, how he transitioned from hockey to running, and the joys of raising their daughter Tallulah. Austin grew up in the Philadelphia area and played hockey as a child and into college until he turned to running as an adult. He ran his first marathon in 2015 in Philadelphia with his sister, finishing in just under five hours. After trainin...
Aug 08, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 57
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 d...
Aug 01, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 56
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 empower...
Jul 25, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 55
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 t...
Jul 18, 2024•50 min•Ep. 54
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 marat...
Jul 11, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 53
"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 fo...
Jul 04, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 52
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 sho...
Jun 27, 2024•51 min•Ep. 51
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 th...
Jun 20, 2024•55 min•Ep. 50
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 t...
Jun 13, 2024•38 min•Ep. 49
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 impre...
Jun 08, 2024•19 min•Ep. 48
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....
Jun 06, 2024•57 min•Ep. 47
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 wom...
May 30, 2024•42 min•Ep. 46
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 ex...
May 23, 2024•58 min•Ep. 45
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 passionat...
May 18, 2024•40 min•Ep. 44
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 inspire...
May 16, 2024•52 min•Ep. 43
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 ce...
May 09, 2024•36 min•Ep. 42
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 run...
May 02, 2024•43 min•Ep. 41
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 f...
Apr 25, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 40
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 podca...
Apr 18, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 39
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 ...
Apr 14, 2024•46 min•Ep. 38
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 ru...
Apr 11, 2024•45 min•Ep. 37
