Harry Chandler on Running, Retail, and Representation

and coming out feeling pretty healthy, I was like, you know what? I kind of running these events when I go to them, if I can.

just not cool. We're not cool to each other, especially. And something that really stuck out to me in Japan is, even when there's a huge race on, even when it's as busy as Tokyo is as a metropolis, people are kind and patient to one another. The subway system you will see is organized and calm, even though there are more people probably than in New York riding it. And I really did take on board with me that

Japanese way of just... We all get frustrated. Someone pushes in front of you when you're in the line for the bathroom at a race, and you're cursing them out on your mind, but you take a deep breath, because you're like, " You know what? We're all going to get there. We're going to get there." So I'm so happy you're going to go and experience

this amazing, amazing city, and run 26.2. Because what better than, I love saying it when I feel like having a workout, especially if it's a sixty- minute class that I teach and there's members in the room, I'm like, " I'm going to do this with you, because there is nothing better than experiencing what your people are experiencing. And

here we go." Here he goes, the CEO of New York Road Runners, off to experience another World Marathon major.

obviously my first ever spring marathon. I have never trained- ... for a marathon in the winter months before. And it

Berlin. I was doing speed workouts, and tempo workouts.

the darkness, for sure. Especially for women too. But I do like that, the tread start, if it's a super early morning start, especially if you want to turn over the legs, and maybe do some faster work. And then head out and finish off the easy miles outside, bundle up, obviously change out of your sweaty stuff, bundle up for the cold, and get it done that way. And

I think vice versa. If you've got a long run and it's icy out, get your easy part of the long run done. If you've got a combo, I like to get people running a bit of faster times in the long runs nearer the race, just to turn the legs over. Pop that onto the tread, so you're not risking slipping on the ice and snow if it is

on the ground, but it's patience. And I've got to tell you, as much as it's awful on the tread for a long time, and I say that with love as a Peloton instructor who instructs very long classes, our classes, it's different. There's distraction. We're entertaining you whilst you're doing it.

But if you are just on a simple tread with no screen and no Peloton instructor, it tasks your brain almost as much as your body to stay on it for X number of miles that you have to do. But when those races are boring, or those races are not going well, or if you listen to music, your headphones died, or your phone died, I'm sorry, but you're

going to have to get through that mental battle. So sometimes I do prescribe longer treadmill work in order to train the brain, because you might need that as much as the body training on race day, if all went wrong. You don't want to bail on a race, because your headphones died. That's lame.

cannot do this this morning." So I put my headphones in the charger, and I'm going to run later this afternoon outside. I have a little window I can run today, but it's literally, the idea of being on the treadmill without the- ... the music, without the news or whatever the show I was going to watch. I was like, " No,

on these cold nights. Our staff, our folks based in Manhattan, we've got a whole staff based at the warehouse that we have out in the Bronx, who come to these races early and start setting things up. They are heroes on days like that. So I want to thank them, I want to thank our volunteers of course, for being out there. And I want to thank the runners, because I thought we'd have maybe kind of a high no- show

rate. It was a beautiful day. The sun was out, it wasn't too windy, and that was enough for 7, 858 runners to cross the finish line in the Manhattan 10K. This, by the way, was a big year for this race, because it's now joined the Five- Borough Series. It's the first race of the Five- Borough Series this year,

first time it's ever been in that position. So this was a really big race, and we were thrilled to see such an amazing turnout for that race on Sunday morning. The winners were familiar names, the non- binary winner, Elijah Taylor, 35:47 third race in a row, Elijah has won their division for the women. Former Set the Pace Member Moment guest, Khia Kurtenbach was first, with a time

of 34:18. I saw Khia at the finish line, had a chance to congratulate her. And on the men's side it was an El Jazouli, but not Jaouad, who we've been talking about a lot. His brother, Issam El Jazouli won, with a blazing time of 31:15. Becs, there was no one close to Issam El Jazouli brother as he crossed the finish line. On Sunday, I had a chance to chat with him

a little bit. He runs for a garden state track club or running club out of New Jersey, and did a phenomenal job. So congratulations to Issam. His brother Jaouad won the Joe K and the Fred Lebow. So those brothers are hot right now, and they're doing really well.

to that position. He's also the president of the Running Industry Association. So he's made a great impact on running, and we can't wait to talk to Harry about his journey, and everything he sees as vital to running a diverse, equitable and inclusive space for everybody, both the runners and the people who want to make it their living

as well. And then Becs, our Member Moment today we'll be with Team for Kids runner, Annabella Espina, who's training for Tokyo as well. That's right. I'll be seeing Annabella over there. And then Meb will be here for today's Meb Minute. And Meb's going to give us pointers about what shoes you should be running in when your marathon training requires a lot of long runs in icy conditions. Okay, I need to listen to that.

your power at onepeloton. com/ race- training. Peloton, the official digital fitness partner for New York Road Runners.

the industry, he also loves running. And he's got a real vision for a more diverse and equitable running community. Harry was recently appointed the president of the Running Industry Association. Beyond his professional roles, Harry is deeply committed to advocating for underrepresented communities, emphasizing social responsibility in everything he does.

And Harry, I've had a chance to hang out with you a couple of times in the New York Road Runners offices and seeing you around the industry, doing the amazing things you do. It's great to have you on Set the Pace. Welcome.

Harry." And I knew exactly what he meant, because he wanted half a pint of black velvet. And he would run to the, and he would grab his Mountain Dew. Then he'd come to the front and he'd go, "Harry, you're better than this place. We've got to get you out of here. Come work with me." I'm like, " Tony, I don't want to work with you if you're drinking after

every shift. What is this job?" He finally wore me down, and I ended up at the semi- annual sidewalk sale at Playmakers in Okemos, Michigan where I grew up. My first introduction to a specialty run shop, I'd never been inside the door of one. And I walked in, and it was otherworldly. It was 15, 000 square feet of a waterfall, and saltwater fish tanks, and stairs on either side.

And I'm like, what is this place? So I head to the back. There is a huge sign that says, " Head upstairs, take your name tag, take your binder and have a seat." So I did that. And then someone walks up the stairs behind me, and they neglected to do that/ but I said, you know what? That's none of my business. And we start having a conversation. And then the next person walks up, and they do the

same, and then the next and the same. So I'm like, wait a second. So I grab a handful of binders and name tags, and start walking around to people, asking them what their name is and then hand them their binders. And then John Benedict, who you may know, JB, owner of Playmakers at the time, walks up behind me and taps me on the shoulder and goes, " Hey, do you work here?" I was like, " Not at all. This

is my first day. I should probably sit down." And I did. He walked away from me and headed over to his business partner, Tom Keenoy. And I found out later that he told him that if I made it

through that he would hire me. So made it through the sidewalk sale, got a call from a Marty Novicki, who's still working at Playmakers now, was offered an interview, came back and sat down with Karen Haley, who is no longer with Playmakers, but she was a huge part of my grooming in the specialty run industry. And I was hired. JB was a mentor. It took some warming up, a slow burn, so I was younger at that

time. So it was a lot of late for shifts, a lot of missing shifts, and he was the first person to challenge me, because my parents were the cheerleaders, right? My mom and dad are from Mississippi, my dad's French Creole, my mom's from the South. Their son can't do any wrong. So that was a new opportunity to grow for me. So JB probably fired me, and hired me back like 17 times. It's like, " Hey, get out-"

staff, and then I moved on to the next one. It wasn't fulfilling for me, but it was a great opportunity to learn in practice. So from there I went back to Playmakers, of course, worked for JB a little bit as a sales associate, then went to footlocker. com and did sales forecasting. So my background is quantitative methods and statistics

So I did forecasting. How many Pegasus should you buy next year, based on how many you sold this year?

25 people. And at one point, I get a call back from him that says, " Look, stop reaching out to my friends. Pick a place." So I took a call with Donnie Forsyth and Charlotte where I am today, call on Monday. He sounded so much like JB. Everything he had to save was just reminiscent of JB. So I took the job on that Monday, found an apartment on Tuesday, and was in Charlotte on Wednesday.

talked in his living room. Scott founded Charlotte Running Company, and he's actually my partner, co- owner of Charlotte running company as well, and said, I don't want to go. But I understand, it's a small business and you can't necessarily give me this. It's your retirement plan. There is no backup. You put everything you have into these businesses, and secession says a rock star will buy it and your

family will be able to retire. So he created the position of general manager. So I didn't leave. Thank God. And then another conversation with Fleet Feet, back on Scott's couch, crying again, because that's what I do. I'm like, " I don't want to go. We've got to figure something out, so give me a month." He and I went to Beef 'n Bottle in Charlotte. It's a steakhouse. Well, I

like the ones in New York. That's what it reminds me of. It's dark, it's moody. You can hear the conversation of the table next to you. And the quote was, " Harry, you care, and sometimes I think you care too much, but that's what matters to me." And he slid a Manila envelope across the folder for me. This is in 2020. And it was at that point that he asked me to

be his partner at Charlotte Running Company, Incorporated. So that's when my ownership started with CRC.

I'm like, " Do you guys need some new teachers in this country? Because in the UK they're not that cruel." Anyway, let's rewind past that. But you've said that you went out for a 100 degree heat run.

if anything is going on, she is very aware. So I head out of the house, it's high nineties, almost a hundred at that point, and I just head for a run. So I go down Hollow Brook, I turn onto (inaudible) , and I'm running down there, and I end up at a park. And then I come back. And of course she's coming out of the house and she's like, " Harry, come over here. What is wrong with you?" I'm like, " What

did I do?" You know what I mean? I'm stunned and shocked. And she was like, "Get in here. Do you know it's a hundred degrees outside?" So she shoves me in her house, and gives me a bottle of water and has me drink it. And she's just talking to me and telling me, " You're crazy," and all this other stuff, but she's doing it in love, of course. " Your parents wouldn't want you out here

like that." And then had a conversation with her that lasted maybe 15, 20 minutes, and it ended with, I'm in love with running. I like the chance to go out and get out of my head, to challenge my body, to push the limits, which I've done too many times with my stints with rhabdo that I've had staying at a hospital because of it, but I fell in love with running then.

where you are today. And I had a little look on your LinkedIn. I like to have a little look about how people work, especially in a professional manner. And the amount of people, Harry, who have written on your achievements, " Congratulations, but no surprise," because you get these incredible awards and you get recognition. But everybody is so loving towards you. You deserve it for all the work you've done. And you are somebody

who has always run. There's a lot of people in this industry who don't really run, but they can do business, but you've done both. So let's talk a little bit about DEI in the running world, as well as in the professional space, but in the running world. I don't want to say it's a hot topic, because it always should be a topic of conversation, but in the current climate we live in right now, it's icy. It's like, "

Whoo, what are we talking about here? Let's dig into this a little bit." So because you started in high school, because you started as this young kid in such an incredibly tight community, what do you think your first experiences of racial equity and inclusion? How do you think that shaped where you've come?

was something that I was learning. You know what I mean? I was loved on by so many different people of so many different ethnicities, and so many different sexual orientations, and so many different physical abilities. So I would say that in that bubble or ethos is kind of where my grooming took place, and where I grew in the industry. From a racial standpoint, I don't think I experienced any

negative contention until I got to Charlotte. And at that point, I had lived experiences, and I had mentorship, and I had people to help me navigate that in a way that I was almost fully proud of. And then in some instances, where I feel like I could have done a little bit better there.

black? People want to talk about DEI and hold you as an example, but does it matter? Why does it matter?

them are minorities or underrepresented people. And if those underrepresented, or those minorities can't see a person like me achieving, and working towards things, and doing things for the positive and better of our community, they don't know that as an option for themselves. We we did a really cool charity here, called Bad Prom, and it's exactly what you

think it is. You dress terribly. And then prom king and queen or whoever raised the most for this organization. And one of the subsidiaries was the Wesley Ministry. And what we were to do was to pick some kids up, take them and get some clothes for their mock interviews. So I asked one of the parents, or I asked one of the students to take a permission slip, go get his parents to sign it, so that we

could take him to a local mall. And when I named the mall, he said he didn't know what that was. Is that an amusement park? And that's here in Charlotte, and it's 20 minutes from where he lives. So that's why it's important for me to be black, and be co- owning a business, and to be speaking on platforms when they're available, and to be talking to you all today.

I adore her. We happen to always end up in the same restaurants together. It's so weird. And we always end up sitting and having food and a chat. But can you just talk to me a little bit about those organizations, and some of the things that you are super proud of, that you've championed whilst being in the roles there?

and elevators, and wheelchair ramps. DEI is nursing rooms for mothers. DEI is clinical psychology, and therapy for veterans. It's so much more than what the three of us look like. And it's meant to make us a community, and it's meant to make space for everyone else. So that's

what we're working on now. So we decided to get an advisor to offer us perspective and lens for the RIA that would be coming in, looking at our events and programming, looking at our education, looking at our marketing, making sure that we are moving forward in the correct definition of what DEI is. And I'm very proud of that. We are hiring a member manager who has accepted. So that's

a new role for us we didn't have before. And with the RIDC, they know I don't play about them. I love them, 10 toes down for the RIDC all the time. Kiera is a dear friend of mine. Abigail, Betsy, Sông now as the new president. I love them all. And Sông's here in Charlotte with us, because she's with features too.

easily 250 people coming through the shop. We had a speaker come in, Hailey Mangrum. She's a colleague of mine, went to Western Michigan with me. And she spoke on community, and innovation versus collaboration, and what that looks like. And she talked about leadership, and our burdens as leaders. And we had some really good conversations. And we did a group run, which was great. Black Men Run Charlotte

led that. We had food trucks, we had music. Kids were playing. We had the street block. It was an old time block party, and it was great.

the board? And if you're out there as a runner, why go to a specialty running store like yours, versus going to a much bigger sporting goods chain, or something like that?

Community is a requirement for us. I say it all the time, that we're a reflection of our community, the people that poured into us, the people that are working with us, and the people that we're serving and pouring into. That's what you get in a specialty run shop. It opened my eyes to an entire different life, and changed my trajectory by just listening to Tony Thomas and

stopping by a specialty run shop. Introducing me to John Benedict, who's one of my best friends to this day, and was a mentor then, and poured into me. You don't get those opportunities, unless you come into a shop. You don't get to connect with people that love the sport. You don't get to connect with the people that

love the community. You don't get to collaborate with the people that care about your journey in health, and in fitness, and what that could honestly do for your life. Last Friday... I am going to cry. I am.

make it. It's around the corner." And I start walking towards the door, and this lady and her son walk in. And I start talking to them, asking them all the qualifying questions, what brings you in? Any injuries? How'd you hear about us? What are you going to do? And I'm just

biding my time. I'm like, at some point somebody else is going to come over here and I'm going to be able to say, " This is ( insert name), and they're going to finish this up with you." And nobody came. And I'm like, " All right, we've got to get to work." So I sit down with her. Her name is Ashley, and she actually is a trainer at the gym I go to, and I had no idea. And her son, Jackson, is sitting

down with me. And we're just laughing, having conversations. And I asked him, " What are you going to be doing in these shoes?" He said, " Well, I lift some, I cross train, but I'm also going to be doing some running. It's the only thing that makes me happy." And he said that. And I was like, " I haven't heard

that in so long." Kids coming in, their parents are dragging them in, because they need spikes for cross country. And this young man is running, because it makes him happy, and it changes his physical and mental state. And I said out loud to him, I was like, " You're going to make me cry, man." And his mom said the same thing, " I'm going to cry too." So she started up, and then I started up. And then we

finished up the process, and then they left. And I called Jen. And I said, " Jen, I'm going to make your day right now. One of your trainer's sons came in and got some shoes from us, and he said that running's the only thing that makes him happy." Before I could get it out, she said, " Harry, I know exactly who you're talking about." And out of their privacy, I won't go too far into the conversation, but that young man

is living in, and overcome a very dark time. And because of running, he was able to dig himself out of it.

of the way that we run? And what kind of shoes, or orthotics, or other things we might need to help us run with longevity and health, as well as of course, whatever speed we're trying to achieve. So running is such a personal thing. There's so many ways to

run out there. You go to a race, and you look at ten people go by, they're all going to have something a little different going on, stride length, what their arms are going to be doing, how their leg falls, how their foot hits the ground. It's just so personal, Harry. And there's no right way or wrong way. There's ways coaches might tell you to do things, but at the end of the day, what gets you from

point A to point B is the right way. But there's so much personalization that runners really need to be healthy and successful.

And it's so easy online to just go onto whatever big brand is of the moment and think, oh, I saw my favorite musical artist wearing that brand, so I'm going to buy those running shoes, but they don't suit you. And then the punishment, and the pain and everything just gets worse, and the running love dissipates. But you come into a store like yours, and you get to actually

have those conversations. You get somebody who is going to show you even deeper care for you and your running, to find something that fits. It may not be the coolest of shoes, but I think that it's really important for us to keep going, that coolness and fashion isn't always comfort. Anyone who's ever worn high heels can tell you

that. But it's definitely that personal interaction where again, you are going to look at that young man and help him on this journey to even more passion. And it's like a running glow up for him. He loves it already, and you've just got him these new kicks that

are going to excel for him. And that's just so cool, because he's going to remember his mom obviously, every time he looks at those shoes, because she got them for him and went with him. But he's going to remember you as well, which that's heartfelt. And to me from having read a lot about you, that's how I feel your journey is. People are going to have these little nuanced moments of, "

Wow. Yeah, that was Harry, and Harry did that for me, with me, to inspire me and better me." It's so beautiful, but oh, my goodness.

would be anything past tying shoes on people's feet. You know what I mean? And once you fully set into what it is that you're supposed to do, and achieve some type of self- awareness in that and start working towards it, everything just falls into line where it's supposed to.

ed, for sure. So any opportunity you have to connect with someone who has the capacity, and you can spend some time in a shop, I would 1000% say, start there. Yeah.

hear what's hot right now, what people are buying. I'll probably learn something myself about what's going on in the industry, just based on what people are buying.

to it? Be specific about what it is, the messaging that you want out there, because once it's on social, it's there forever, regardless of if you hit delete or not. And just have intention, right? What are your goals? What are your values? Who is your community? Again, I circled back and I've probably said it 32 times, but there's an audience that I'll have that Rob won't. And

there's an audience that Rob has that I'll never get. And the same thing for you, Becs, and so on and so forth. And in those different audiences are the communities that we were talking about, the people before you, the people with you, the people coming after you. So you have to consider them, and consider them with care when you're doing it. Integrity and consistency goes such a long way.

Kindness goes such a long way. And if you carry just those, that base value with you, as you're making your journey towards whatever it is and you're emerging as a leader, and a speaker, and an influencer, you won't miss. You can't.

3000 square feet. So it is beautiful. There's a bar in there, and Brooks poured like a lacquer over the top of the bar. Customers dropped off all their medals, so they can come in and get a beer, and see their medals. We're right on the Catawba River. But for us, honestly, I would love to see new stores. I would love the opportunity to offer and/ or provide what JB did to me, and what Scott did to me.

For example, being Armani McDonald. He manages our Dilworth store. And should he choose, and his family choose to stay with us, there's every intention of making sure that he has that opportunity. So those are my goals for us. I have been talking about, praying about, writing about a fitness foundation, forever. We talked earlier about the disparity in

economics and wealth here in Charlotte. And a lot of private schools, even our public schools are all pay to play. And I don't know if I believe that you should have to pay to experience fitness. Far be it for us to gate keep running, and you can't join the team if you don't pay $1, 200, or you can't play football if you don't pay $ 2, 400 and buy all the

equipment, because you can't afford travel. So I want to find some way to work with the city of Charlotte school system, Charlotte Running Company, any other network of friends that I have here, so that we can bring that to use, and so that they can get the opportunity to have what I'm sure we've all felt at some point about the sport of running, or any other sport or activity that they want to be involved in.

making the sport a more inclusive place. So we appreciate everything you're doing, appreciate everything you do for New York Road Runners as well, because you do a lot with us and for us, helping us to keep ourselves on

message. You work a lot with Erica Edwards- O'Neal, our chief diversity officer, who has done such a phenomenal job, and by the way, who just won an award this week at Running USA for her incredible work, and impact in the sport of running. So congratulations to Erica. And Harry, congratulations to you for everything you've done. Thanks for coming on today, and we can't wait to see what happens next.

Runners, along the way. This year, she's taking on the Tokyo and the TCS New York City marathons, representing not just her passion for running, but her dedication to empowering young people through New York Road Runners programs. Annabella was

with us last year, as she prepared for London. And she's joining us today to share with us how her Tokyo training is going, and what it means to her to be on the verge of earning her sixth star.

organization. And I was lucky enough to get the spot, and I'm now in full mode training. It's been a bit intense starting the year with the training, but I'm very excited for Tokyo.

because it is definitely my favorite marathon. I know this conversation is more about Tokyo, but I think that running New York City Marathon every year, and especially being able to fundraise with Team for Kids for that marathon, it doesn't matter if I have a spot, a lottery, I always up fundraising with Team for Kids, just because that's

what gives purpose to my running. And it makes me smile to know that with my running, I am helping kids become athletes, or better people, and just make them grow personally.

still my family. My best friends are from Team for Kids. So I think when you decide to join Team for Kids, fundraise for Team for Kids, you become part of a community, and you get all the support you need for the fundraising piece. You get webinars, you get mentors. Also mentoring, I've been mentoring with Team for Kids since I think 2014, so it's been over 10 years

as well, I've been a mentor. And it's just such a feeling of satisfaction, being able to help, not just the kids, but the other adult runners who are maybe struggling with their first marathon, or their first fundraising event. And I don't know. I think that whoever is thinking of joining Team for Kids to fundraise for a race

doesn't have to be a marathon, just do it. You will not regret it, because it is really a great community that you'll want to be a part of.

many people. But what do you say to somebody who's starting their running in their thirties? What advice would you give to adults, and who think it is too late to start running?

marathon, I think even almost seventies. So it's never too late to, either if it's a dream of yours, a bucket list, something that you just got inspired with, something you've ever always wanted to do, it doesn't matter. It's never too late to start. And with Team for Kids, you always have that support of the training, especially if you're

in New York, it's easier. But it's never too late to start, as long as you are committed and you have the motivation.

and you make friends along the way. So how do you balance the physical and mental challenges of a marathon training, especially when you're juggling multiple marathons a year?

I train. I'm not a fast runner, and I always try to get better, but I also incorporate a lot of mental well- being activities, such as yoga, stretching, at least once a week, just because my body is, I'm not 20 anymore. We have to add more and more of that. And also, to stay healthy with my running this year, so this training cycle, I wanted to turn

it up a little bit on my health. And I started also strength training, and Pilates classes to do more core, because I realized that yes, running is great, but after you run all these years, all these marathons, you need to build a little bit better on the muscles. And I have to tell you that I've been in strength training for two months. Yesterday, I ran one of my 18 milers. Nothing hurt. Yes, of course I was tired,

because it's 18 miles. You're always going to be tired, but no pain, no soreness. All day, I walked all day. This morning, I woke up, I went to the gym. It's been a big difference. So I think that you have to, yes, running, but also balance it with other types of cross- training, so that your body adjusts a little bit.

snowy and slushy conditions. If you are running on ice, regularly consider adding a removable traction device, like Yaktrax or microspikes. Make sure your shoes are also well padded for comfort, as you will likely be running on harder uneven surface. The right footwear can make all the difference in preventing

injuries, and staying on track with your training. It is very important to wear the right shoes, because you're going to be running on an even surface, and be able to just be comfort. And for me, when I was in Mammoth Lakes, California, I used the Yaktrax to help with the stability, so I'm not slipping away, and for ligament or muscle tears. So be careful. Make a wise decision.

marathons, stay warm, stay safe and enjoy the miles. We'll see you next week.