Set the Pace

New York Road Runners•www.nyrr.org

NYRR Set the Pace Presented by Peloton is the official podcast of New York Road Runners. Join hosts Rob Simmelkjaer, CEO of New York Road Runners, and Becs Gentry, Peloton Instuctor, every Thursday in conversation with inspiring athletes, from everyday enthusiasts to elite marathoners, to hear stories of perseverance, drive, and dedication. Each episode also includes an NYRR Member Moment spotlight and pro tip from 2009 New York City Marathon champ and Olympic medalist Meb Keflezighi.

Last refreshed: August 20th, 2025 at 11:32 PM ⓘ

Follow this podcast in the Metacast mobile app to refresh it and see new episodes.

Follow on

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

RSS

Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app

Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episodes

Advocating for Women’s Rights and Maternal Health: Olympian Alysia Montaño Talks About Her Nonprofit &mother

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...

Apr 04, 2024•44 min•Ep. 36

An unexpected Run with a Lil Nas X: NYRR Coach Roberto Mandje Recounts Running the United Airlines NYC Half with Rapper Lil Nas X

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...

Mar 28, 2024•51 min•Ep. 35

Major Talk: Discussing all things Boston Marathon and London Marathon with race directors Jack Flemming and Hugh Brasher

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...

Mar 21, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 34

2024 United Airlines NYC Half: Interviews with the Champions

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 | 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 . DISCLAIME...

Mar 17, 2024•31 min•Ep. 33

Running and Cooking as a Team Sport: Chatting with Chef Daniel Humm

Happy race week, listeners! For this episode of Set the Pace, hosts Rob and Meb talk to acclaimed chef Daniel Humm of the three Michelin star restaurant Eleven Madison Park. Chef Daniel is the owner of Make It Nice, the hospitality group behind Eleven Madison Park, where he's been executive chef since 2006. He’s also been a member of NYRR since 2007 and has run 39 NYRR races. Before becoming a world-class chef, he was a professional cyclist in his home country of Switzerland but after an injury ...

Mar 14, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 32

In the Command Center and on the Pavement: Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh Joins Set the Pace

This week, New York City Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh joins Set the Pace to talk to listeners about her experience being the first woman to take on the role. As Fire Commissioner, overseeing 17,000 employees and managing a $2 billion budget, she's been at the forefront of major responses, from the Ebola outbreak in 2015 to the COVID-19 pandemic. For her, being the first woman in the role is about figuring out what tools she can bring that may not have been traditionally used before. An avid ...

Mar 07, 2024•49 min•Ep. 31

Emily Sisson and Dinée Dorame Join us for A Special Episode Dedicated to Women’s History Month

March is Women’s History Month and we’re dedicating this week’s episode of Set the Pace to the many contributions of women in running. Join hosts Rob and Meb as they speak with two women who are each carving paths in women’s running history in their own unique ways. Joining the podcast is Emily Sisson, the American record holder for the marathon. Earlier this month, she ran to a second-place finish at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials Marathon in Orlando securing her spot to her second Olympics this ...

Feb 29, 2024•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 30

A Surprise Announcement From Connor Mantz and Clayton Young: Teammates, Competitors, 2024 Olympians

Description: Get ready for a great episode as Rob and Meb talk with Conner Mantz and Clayton Young about about their buildup to the Olympic Marathon in Paris this summer as they prepare for the race of their lives. Both train in Utah with the Run Elite Program and say without the community support they’ve experienced since high school and during their college days at Brigham Young University, they wouldn’t be the accomplished runners they are now. Connor and Clayton are training partners but mos...

Feb 22, 2024•58 min•Ep. 29

Keep Your Head Up: Ted Metellus Talks All Things United Airlines NYC Half

For this episode of Set the Pace, Rob and Meb are joined by Ted Metellus, NYRR’s Senior Vice President of Events and Race Director of the TCS New York City Marathon to talk all things United Airlines NYC Half. The last time he was on the show, he gave listeners great insight into everything about the TCS New York City Marathon. We’ve brought him back for the United Airlines NYC Half edition to help runners navigate getting to the start, how to have the best experience on the course (keep your he...

Feb 15, 2024•53 min•Ep. 28

16 Sub-3-Hour Marathons and Counting: Trailblazer Shawanna White Keeps It Positive

We’re joined this week by Shawanna White, the 9th-fastest U.S.-born Black woman marathoner, who was the inspiration for “The List” maintained by Gary Corbitt and consisting of 31 Black American-born women who have run sub-3-hour marathons. Shawanna has run 16 sub-3-hour marathons, more than any other Black American-born woman, and was featured in the documentary Breaking Three Hours: Trailblazing African American Women Marathoners. Tune in to hear Shawanna talk about her running journey, from hi...

Feb 08, 2024•46 min•Ep. 27

← Prev

Hosted on Omny Studio

For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android