In this special race-day edition of Set the Pace, Olympian Carrie Tollefson gets the very first interviews with 2025 United Airlines NYC Half champions Sharon Lokedi, Abel Kipchumba, Manuela Schär and Geert Schipper, who led more than 28,600 athletes through Brooklyn and Manhattan to the finish line in Central Park. Geert Schipper at: (01:45) Manuela Schär at: (15:22) Sharon Lokedi at: (22:34) Abel Kipchumba! at:( 30:51) FOLLOW NYRR: Instagram | Facebook | X | TikTok SUPPORT: Support the Set the...
Mar 16, 2025•39 min•Ep. 96
It's Race Week! In preparation for the United Airlines NYC Half, Set The Pace presents a special episode recorded live at the NYRR Run Center Featuring the New Balance Run Hub. Hosts Rob and Becs are joined by special guest Alison Mariella Désir, founder of Harlem Run, author of the bestselling book Running While Black, and the host of the award-winning PBS show, "Out & Back with Alison Mariella Désir." Alison discusses her work in the outdoor industry, building community, and making room fo...
Mar 14, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 95
Direct from Kyoto, Japan, Rob hosts Set the Pace just a few days after he ran the Tokyo Marathon with Team for Kids. He’s joined by NYRR Chief Commercial Officer Christine Burke who has all the information you need about what it takes to run with one of the Official Charity Partners of the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon. The 2025 program just launched and the spots fill quickly so tune in to learn everything you need to know! Then Christine turns the table on Rob and interviews him about his ex...
Mar 06, 2025•52 min•Ep. 94
This week, Olympian Sharon Lokedi joins Rob and Becs to talk about getting ready for the United Airlines NYC Half and splitting her time between Flagstaff, Arizona and her native Kenya. Sharon discusses her transition from collegiate running to professional road racing and winning the 2022 TCS New York City Marathon in her marathon debut. She talks about her experience running the Paris 2024 Olympic Marathon and how she managed her training as a late addition to the race. She reflects on her rol...
Feb 27, 2025•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 93
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...
Feb 20, 2025•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 92
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 Chai...
Feb 13, 2025•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 91
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 c...
Feb 06, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 90
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 exper...
Jan 30, 2025•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 89
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 bl...
Jan 23, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 88
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 ha...
Jan 16, 2025•59 min•Ep. 87
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, ...
Jan 09, 2025•54 min•Ep. 86
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....
Jan 02, 2025•56 min•Ep. 85
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 Paralympi...
Dec 26, 2024•50 min•Ep. 84
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 ch...
Dec 19, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 83
Find out what it’s like to run 7 marathons on 7 continents in 7 days as Becs recaps her amazing experience tackling The Great World Race. She reflects on what inspired her to take on the challenge and how it played out from Antarctica to Miami. From heading to Antarctica a day early to avoid an impending storm to running loops on a track in Australia and back-and-forth repeats in Istanbul while dodging fishing lines to fighting humidity and near-triple-digit temps, Becs learned so much about her...
Dec 12, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 82
This week, Becs and Rob are joined by Phoebe Robinson, the writer, comedian, and actor who folks may know from the show 2 Dope Queens. Phoebe is also a two-time marathoner, finishing the Boston Marathon and the TCS New York City Marathon within a year and a half. Find out how she got her start doing standup in NYC and how taking a run/walk class led her to train for a marathon. And Meb talks with Scottie Nelson, who ran his first marathon in 2023 and four months later competed in the 2024 U.S. O...
Dec 05, 2024•56 min•Ep. 81
Joining us for this special Thanksgiving week episode is Kathleen Wright, the director of production operations at Macy’s and the woman responsible for orchestrating the magic behind the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Since 1924, the parade has delighted New Yorkers and folks across the country and will be celebrating 100 years in 2026; the parade was canceled for three years during World War 2. Kathleen is a marathon runner too, having run the TCS New York City Marathon multiple times, and not...
Nov 28, 2024•46 min•Ep. 80
This week Rob is joined by Sara Vaughn, the top American woman finisher at this year's TCS New York City Marathon where she delivered an impressive performance with a time of 2:26:56. She was a late addition to the race after being sidelined by Covid in the lead up to the Chicago Marathon. Sara transitioned from being a middle-distance runner to the marathon and won the 2021 California International Marathon in her marathon debut. She’s crushing it while balancing life as a mother of four and a ...
Nov 21, 2024•55 min•Ep. 79
Rob hosts solo this week as Becs heads to Cape Town, South Africa to embark on The Great World Race where she’ll run 7 marathons on 7 continents in 7 days. We'll start off with a special message from Becs, direct from Cape Town as she embarks on her great adventure. Then, joining the show this week is David Jones, who walked 17 miles through the wreckage of Hurricane Helene because he was determined to make it to his daughter's wedding. He talks about his harrowing experience walking in the midd...
Nov 13, 2024•51 min•Ep. 78
This week Becs is joined by Ted Metellus, the TCS New York City Marathon race director, for a roundup of this year’s marathon, including highlights of the day and record-breaking numbers. Also on the show is comedic actor Randall Park. This multifaceted talent is known for his unforgettable roles in both TV and film, including Louis Huang in Fresh Off the Boat and Jimmy Woo in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This past weekend, Randall took on a different challenge by completing the TCS New York C...
Nov 07, 2024•55 min•Ep. 77
In this special marathon-day edition of Set the Pace, Rob interviews 2024 TCS New York City Marathon champions Sheila Chepkirui, Abdi Nageeye, Daniel Romanchuck and Susannah Scaroni 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 . DISCLAIMER See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Nov 04, 2024•34 min•Ep. 76
In this special TCS New York City Marathon–weekend edition of Set the Pace, guest-host and Olympian Carrie Tollefson interviews the 2024 USATF 5K champions, Annie Rodenfels and Ahmed Muhumed, and three-time youth girls champ, Zariel Macchia, at the finish line of the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K, which hosted the race in New York City this morning! FOLLOW NYRR: Instagram | Facebook | X | TikTok SUPPORT: Support the Set the Pace podcast! If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave a ra...
Nov 02, 2024•13 min•Ep. 75
Five-time Olympian and TCS New York City Marathon Grand Marshal Gabby Thomas joins Rob and Becs on part two of this week's episode of Set the Pace, recorded live from the Citizens Stage at the TCS New York City Marathon Expo presented by New Balance. Both Rob and Becs were at Stade de France to see Gabby's epic gold medal run this past summer, and Gabby shares with them everything she was thinking out on the track that magical night, and everything she did for the three years leading up to that ...
Oct 31, 2024•43 min•Ep. 74
Join us live from the Citizens Stage at the TCS New York City Marathon Expo, presented by New Balance, for this interview with the incomparable George Hirsch, one of the founders of the Five-Borough Marathon. No one can talk about the history of running like George. He has the best stories about how running has grown from a niche sport into a worldwide phenomenon, how Fred Lebow managed the start lines way back when, and about some of the superstars of world running in their youth. Also, he has ...
Oct 31, 2024•49 min•Ep. 73
Get ready for a full day of Set The Pace! We’re starting off with a mini-episode featuring the final 2024 Team Inspire Member Moment with Courtney Knights, followed by words of wisdom from the great Meb Keflezighi as we conclude our 16-week marathon training Meb Minute series. Then, stay tuned all day as we drop two more episodes, recorded live from the Citizens Stage at the TCS New York City Marathon Expo presented by New Balance, including interviews with George Hirsch and Gabby Thomas. FOLLOW...
Oct 31, 2024•13 min•Ep. 72
On the show this week is Peloton Instructor Kirsten Ferguson. Once entrenched in the NFL's corporate world, Kirsten turned to fitness during a challenging journey to motherhood. Today, she's both a mother and a popular Peloton tread instructor, drawing on both her personal struggles and her passion for fitness. She’s inspired so many athletes to go farther than they ever thought they could and is running her very first marathon when she toes the starting line at the TCS New York City Marathon on...
Oct 24, 2024•56 min•Ep. 71
This week, Rob and Becs are joined by Matt James. Known for his unforgettable season on The Bachelor, Matt has traded roses for running shoes as he gears up for his fourth (in a row) TCS New York City Marathon. He played Division 1 NCAA football at Wake Forest University and now has turned into an endurance sports athlete. His move to marathons has proved successful, shaving two hours off his marathon time in two years! Matt shares his running journey on this week’s episode as he tries to chase ...
Oct 17, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 70
A year and a half ago, Peloton Producer Jessie Malone’s life took a dramatic turn when her Apple Watch alerted her that she was going into AFib (Atrial fibrillation) and needed to go to the emergency room right away. The shock of that moment and subsequent hospital stay led her to make profound changes in her life, including running her first marathon on the anniversary of her hospitalization. Now, Jessie is preparing to run the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon as part of her continued journey to...
Oct 10, 2024•55 min•Ep. 69
With the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon just over 30 days away, Rob invites Race Director and NYRR SVP of Events Ted Metellus onto Set the Pace. Ted provides his behind-the-scenes guidance to runners on everything they need to know to get ready for Sunday, November 3, whether they’re traveling to the marathon from around the world or across the five boroughs of NYC. From visiting the expo and attending the Opening Ceremony, to crossing the finish line and getting your medal engraved on Marathon...
Oct 03, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 68
We are LIVE from the 50th anniversary of the BMW Berlin Marathon! And you know what they say about live events—anything can happen! In this case... it did! An audio equipment failure caused us to lose about 8 minutes of our live recording, including Catherine Debrunner's intro, so bear with us for the glitch! We promise, this show is worth it! In this bonus episode, Rob records live from the New Balance Center for Modern Running in Berlin less than 48 hours before the start of the 2024 BMW Berli...
Sep 28, 2024•42 min•Ep. 67
