Thank you, New York. Today we're reminded of the power of community and the power of coming together. Athletes, on your mark.
The first woman to finish for the second straight year here in the New York City Marathon is Miki Gorman, a smiling Miki Gorman, and why not? 2- 29-30, the time for (inaudible) .
Look at the emotion of Shalane Flanagan as she comes to the line. Pointing to his chest, pointed to the USA he so proudly wears across his chest. A great day for Matt McCluskey.
Hey, everybody, and welcome back To Set the Pace presented by Peloton, the official podcast of New York Roadrunners. I'm your host and New York Roadrunners CEO Rob Simmelkjaer, and joining me for the second week as co- host from Peloton, Becs Gentry. Becks, great to have you back. We didn't scare you away week one. You decided to come back for a second week. Great to have you back.
Thank you so much. Absolutely. You know it's going to take a lot more to scare me away.
We know it. We know it. Becs, we got a really fun show today. So many people getting excited for the big race in Brooklyn in just a week and change, the RBC Brooklyn Half. Our race director, Ted Metellus, will be here in just a minute to give us all the details, the ins and outs of the experience and the race. Can't wait for Brooklyn. Hopefully we get a beautiful day. It's such a fun race. So many people love
it. It's pretty flat. It finishes at Coney Island. It is just a treat. And so Becs, I know a ton of people are fired up for Brooklyn.
Oh, my gosh, and so they should be. It is one of my favorite races in the city. It was my first New York Roadrunners race I ever did. So it holds a very special place in my heart. And what's better than finishing at Coney Island?
You can run right to Nathan's for a hot dog. I mean there's just so much you can do. I'm still so upset with myself for never having run this race, Becs, and it's going to be hard for me in this job to run this race. I'm too busy, there's too much going on, so it's a tough one. But maybe someday when I retire from this particular job, I'll run it then. Maybe that'll be the time because I feel jealous.
I mean, I'm sure there's some people who can fill in for you. We could pretend to be Rob and you can do that park to beach run that we all are so excited to do.
Maybe Ted can help me. I'll ask him when he comes on the show in a little bit, but we had such a great weekend this past weekend, Bec's here in New York. Our first ever New York runners Mindful 5K was out in Flushing Meadows Park in Queens. This was an event to really kick off mental health Awareness month and it was such a great day out there, Becs.
We had meditation going on. Your partner's actually from Peloton, Kristen McGee and Mariana Fernandez did a great job with the meditation before the race. We had a meditation tent brought to us by our friends at NAMI as well, and I think people really enjoyed the chance to take running in this different way and think about the impact that
it has on our mental health. It was a great day, Becs, so I think we'll be doing it for many years to come.
Great. It is so, so important. I mean we had this in our podcast last week with Mariana, how important mental health and exercise is. So for me personally, I find that running frees my mind. It gives my mind the space that it needs in this chaotic world that we all live in right now, but this past weekend looked stunning. The weather was, in a runner's world, perfect. I feel like there was so many PRs all over
the social media. There was PR after PR, people were pushing themselves. The meditation probably got everybody in the right zone and off they went for this beautiful 5K.
It was beautiful. Of course, that's interesting. It's very flat, which makes it great to run, but there are a lot of turns. It's very technical and so for folks who know how to run those tangents, it paid off because they were able to run some fast times out in Queens. And Becs, you had a pretty cool weekend as well, having a chance to spend it down in Miami at the Formula One event down there. That is a huge
event now on the American sports calendar. What were you doing down there?
I was down there with a couple of partners that I'm working with to have a really strong fan experience. But I will tell you, Rob, my 5K was a little different to the New York Runner's Mindful 5K. Mine was around the Miami Autodrome track, 5K of 48 degree heat and me pretending that I'm a Formula One race car. When I saw DRS, I was like, dude, that's your
time to accelerate. Let's go. So it was mindful in a very different way.
Absolutely. Sounds like a lot of fun. That's an event I'd love to get to one year, the F1 in Miami. What could be better than fancy cars and South Beach? Sounds like a great combination, Becs. I'm sure you had a really good time. Becs, before we get to our guest, it is so beautiful outside today and spring is my favorite time of year to start a new workout routine.
Totally agree, Rob. With the weather warming up, it just feels like so much easier to get into the rhythm of things.
One of the things that works so well for me, Becs, about Peloton is whether I've got 20 minutes to kill or a full hour for a Pilates class or maybe an outdoor guided walk, Peloton has everything I need to help get me going.
It certainly does. It is such a great way to get a head start on summer with Peloton. You can find it at OnePeloton. com.
Well this week's episode, Becs, is going to focus on the RBC Brooklyn Half and as we mentioned coming up, we're going to have our senior vice president of events and race director Ted Metellus giving us an overview of all things RBC Brooklyn Half. And then after that we're going to get to hear from our friend Meb with
our member moment as well as our Meb Minute. We're going to focus on having a strong finish and Brooklyn is a good race for a strong finish. It is flat. Then you make that turn onto the boardwalk and you see the ocean and the crowds are there. So a great day for a strong finish, and Meb will
take us through how to make that happen. But without any further ado, let's turn our focus to Brooklyn and bring in our very own Ted Metellus, the race director of the RBC Brooklyn Half and all other races at New York Roadrunners. Mr. Metellus, thanks for coming back.
Thank you, Rob. Hey, Becs. Good to see you both. Good to hear you both. Good to connect and chat a little bit about this upcoming half.
Absolutely, and Ted, we've had you on a few times. People love to get the inside scoop from you on all things, especially for our biggest races. So Ted, what do you love about this race? People just seem to have a special feeling about the RBC Brooklyn Half. Why do you think that is?
I think Becs started it off right by saying in many cases it's their first half- marathon with New York Roadrunners. It's our big spring race. It kicks off summer, it kicks off summer training and preparation for the TCS New York City Marathon. It's one of our largest local races. So a lot of folks in the New York Tri- State area
get out and run. This is the race that they mark on their calendar and say, Hey, you know what? We've had a great winter, the fall's been nice, spring's been kicking, but let's get out and do some miles here. Let's train for this race.
Ted, if I've got this right, it's around 25, 000 people heading in this weekend?
Yeah. It is one of the largest half- marathons in North America with over 25,000 participants.
Wow. Okay. So let's talk about the history of this race. What can you tell us about the history?
So a couple of pieces here to share with y'all. Let me talk about size and scope. To this date, there's been over 305,000 finishers of this event. So this event used to actually start in Coney Island and make its way up to Prospect Park, and then we made some changes and that course ran from 96 to 08 and then
we reversed the course. So we created some really cool elements to it and watched the running community grow and the race grow with it. Race starts right by the Brooklyn Museum and it makes its way down through Prospect Park, down Ocean Parkway, finishing Strong in Coney Island as Rob mentioned, and it's been amazing. We have entertainment all
on the route. You finish, you get yourself a hot dog when you complete and have a good time there. But this event has really, really grown over the years and we've watched it grow with the community that's grown with it.
Ted, we know that lots of runners are out there working to get ready. A lot of them are probably already tapering a little bit as they hear this podcast, but they've been putting in the work and the miles over the last month, maybe more getting ready for this.
And what they don't know is that you and your team have been very similarly putting in the work and working hard to get ready for this event from the operation side and the logistics side, and I think people are always really interested to know what that process is like to get ready for an event like this.
So it's a great way to say it, Rob. We parallel the work that our participants put in. So first and foremost we look at the route, we examine the course work with the Department of Transportation, DOT, to see the
road conditions and seeing what's going on there. We work closely with our partners from the MTA to see transportation to get to the start line and then from the finish line itself, over hauling the event and seeing what elements may need to get enhanced and advance aid stations along the course, medical stations along the course, those types of things that we go in, similar to runners that are
getting themselves prepped and seeing, okay, what is this course going to lay itself at? Starting on Washington, heading down to Eastern Parkway, making that turn on Flatbush, which is an out and back. We need to make sure that those roads are clear. That's in a climb up Flatbush Avenue and down Flatbush Avenue as you make a way around Prospect Park and into the park for a climb.
When we talk about parks, we're working with our partners from the Parks department and making sure that the park is clear of any debris and any trash there and putting up notices and information for the community at large to know that there'll be a big vet coming through big, and of course making sure that those roads are ready to go for all our runners and making sure
that boardwalk at Coney Island is ready and set for us.
Wow, that is a lot of work and I can't imagine putting on a race in a city as big as New York. I think you've probably just scratched the surface on what you actually all really do. But we've talked about the need to knows of the other side, the working side of New York Road owners and teams to put on this race. Let's talk about what the runners need to know. Ted, I want you to go through
every aspect of race week as it happens. So let's kick off with where am I going to go to get my BIP?
All right, Becs. So what you want to do here is treat race day, race weekend like it would be if you were traveling, if you were taking a trip with your family or taking a solo trip someplace. The more prepared you are going into that trip, the better the overall experience is going to be, the smoother the overall experience is going to be. So there is no BIP pickup at the run center for our locals here. This
is a heavily local race. Yes, we have family and friends and homies that are traveling from here and there to come and run, but for those of us that run every week, the BIP pickup is not at the run center. So bib pickup for the RBC Brooklyn Half pre- party presented by New Balance will take place at Pier two at Brooklyn Bridge Park. BIP pickup is from 11 A.M.
to 9: 30 Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. That's the 15th, 16th and 17th. At the pre- party, it is all you can get as far ... I would say all you can eat because there is food there, but it's all the experience that you would want. There's music, there's entertainment, there are partners
that are there. You can get your pre- race gear and equipment, get some fly- ass gear from New Balance, get yourself prepped and ready to go, but the coolest thing that I love about the pre- party is it is a nice way to start off the weekend. You see friends, you see colleagues, you see run partners and people in your community that come together there. I love the way the pre- party is, great sights of downtown,
Manhattan overlooking the river there. You're right by the Brooklyn Bridge. So walk around and check out some of the sights that are in that area. Brooklyn Bridge Park is incredible and the partners there have done an amazing job,
Ted, it is a party. I had a great time going to it last year. So I recommend people go and give yourself some time to hang out and enjoy it. It's not show up, grab your bib and leave. It's hang out, experience, enjoy. It's a really fun time. Hopefully we get some beautiful weather out there on the pier because it's really a good time. Okay, so Ted, I'm a runner. I've now got my bib. I've partied at
the pre- party. Now it's race morning, transportation always on the mind and this race starts early as well. So how do I get to the starting line on time, ready to run on Saturday morning?
So two things that you'll note when you are picking up your bib. There are two waves for this event. So we have a 7 A. M. wave, which is wave one and an 8 A. M. wave, which is wave two. So you want to identify your time for
that. You want to, as I mentioned before, plan your travel prior to where your landmarks are going to be, either the Grand Army Plaza or Brooklyn museum as where you want to make your way down to for the start line. Public transportation is the way to go. So definitely plan ahead if there's any service disruptions or any changes because it's a Saturday morning. I want to stress
that to folks. It's a Saturday race, not a Sunday race. So you want to plan that accordingly as well.
I feel like there must be people every year who show up on Sunday and go, oh my gosh, this thing is on Saturday? What happened?
Unfortunately, if you've gone to the pre- party Wednesday and Thursday and Friday, you're going to get that information over and over again that it's Saturday, Saturday, Saturday. So public transportation is the way to go to make your way down there. We will have pre- race fluids, restrooms for the athletes as well as backdrop for those that need backdrop.
Everything that you'll need post- finish will be there and available to you, post- race food amenities, heat sheets if the weather calls for it. So we'll be prepped and ready for you.
Ted, you touched on it there, but okay, when I ran it, I definitely was preparing myself for some fun at Coney Island. It was a hot, hot day back in 2018 I think it was. What should I put in my bag to prepare and how is the baggage going to be getting all the way to Coney Island and waiting for me? What's the plan?
So a couple of quick things. You want to at base have a change of clothes if need be and maybe some snacks, but we'll provide everything for you. We'll have fluids for you, we'll have electrolytes for you, we'll have snacks for you. And oh by the way, we'll get to this in a moment, there's an amazing post- race party as well. So if you need something to eat and drink, that'll be there and available for you
as well. We will be transporting all gear for the participants via our UPS. They'll be transporting out. So again, planning early. Similar to flying airlines, you don't get to the airline 10 minutes before your flight thinking that they're going to check your bag. Get there early enough to drop off your bag, have the essential items that you need for your race day, any gels, any pre- race
fluid that you need. We will have 10 aid stations in the course. We'll have gel stations on the course so all the aid and services that you need will be there. But if you need an extra little something, something,
please have that with you in hand. And then when you get to the finish line, post- finish, cross the line, get your medal, take your photo, cruise on down, thank a volunteer, and then you'll make your way over to the lot where all your gear will be waiting for you.
And pack enough to hang out for a while on Coney Island because there's a lot going on. There's the post- race party. I think it's one of the best post- race environments around. So pack to hang out, right? Don't just take off. I think it's a fun place to stay.
100%. I mean the cool thing too is we have a
recovery zone for our partners at HSS. There'll be goodies that you'll have, as I mentioned before, in your post- race bag and then the post- party, the after party as we like to say, that'll be there for folks at Maimonides Park where we'll have an open field, photo activations that'll be there, music that'll be there, area for you to stretch and recover and chill out, food and
drink that'll be there as well that you can purchase.
All right, so let's talk about the course and what people should know a little bit. Ted, you already gave a preview of the course. For those who have run it before, are there any things that they should know are different? Maybe they ran it two or three years ago that know where they went, they know what it's like, but what's changed over the last couple of years about this actual course and where people show up?
Well, I think two things that have changed on the route that has been in line with the audience that is running. You'll see so many more of the clubs and crews out there cheering on the runners, not only in Prospect Park, but also down along Ocean Parkway. So that's one of the key things that are there that I think that folks will see from an experience side.
Finish line, athletes will see a slight adjustment to how they get onto the boardwalk, so it'll be very minor instead of the path that we've been running up before. There's a little bit of a wider path that folks will make too, and then all the post- race recoveries and goodies will be there for you. So those are
the two minor adjustments that they'll see there. But again, I stress the importance of making sure that you see the time that you're running and the wave that you're running in.
That sounds amazing. Okay, now let's get us into the actual on the course, in the moment. So we know it starts in Prospect Park, twisty, turny, there's some hills. Then we get out of Prospect Park and all I remember someone telling me was, " Don't look at the letters," And I was like, what? It was so cryptic. And then as I was running I was like, oh, no, I
looked at the letters and the roads. Oh my goodness, that threw me, but then you see the ocean and there you are, you see it sparkling and you're running towards it. So give us a preview of the major points along the way, Ted.
So this course is beautiful as you are starting by the Brooklyn Museum. That's where your start line is, so iconic shot there. So for those of you that run with phones and have phones handy, great pre- race morning photo, right by that location. You'll be heading down Washington. You'll be making a right turn on Eastern Parkway and then there's an
out and back on Flatbush Avenue. I love that section of the course because you get to see participants going down as you're making your way up, cheering each other on, and then you're making your way out and around Prospect Park before entering into the park itself and doing a full loop of the park. There will be some climbs as you're making your way up and around the park
there, so be prepared for that. Once you exit out of the park, it's showtime go time as you make your way down to Ocean Parkway. As you stated before, don't read those letters as you go down. You have the width of the road, so
cruise out there. And I remember when I ran this race years ago, the coolest thing about it was being able to look to your left and to your right and see your fellow runner out there and cheering each other and supporting each other on while you're there. That was always the coolest thing. You have this wide road, which is a major thoroughfare that is completely taken over by runners.
Yeah, it's so cool that I remember all the crews being there once you get on and it was just full ... It was like a party zone getting closer and closer to the ocean. The crews got bigger and bigger and louder and louder. Wow.
Absolutely, absolutely. Quick points to mention because we've talked about weather a couple of times, fun fact, we have no control over it, we just have to navigate around it. If you didn't notice that, now you know. So this event, it could be hit or miss on what the weather can be. We've had dry days, we've had wet
days, we've had cool days, we've had warm days. Prepare accordingly, obviously paying attention to what the weather forecast is going to be leading into the event. Know that there'll be 10, eight stations on the course, water and Gatorade that'll be available, SIS on the course as well for (inaudible) recovery, and there'll be medical stations along the route as
well if need be. We'll also, if the weather recalls for it, have misting stations on the route as well. So you can say keep yourself cool as you're going down. Listen to your body.
And Ted, we get the questions a lot about fluids. You mentioned the eight stations on the course, but what can people bring in terms of their own fluids to the race?
Yes, I'm a runner that brings their own fluids, brings a bottle with you as long as it's under a liter of fluid, so hydration bottles, handheld bottles. We do not require athletes to bring bladders with you. Do not bring a bladder, but bottles-
We don't allow it. We don't allow it. Exactly.
Correct, no bladders, but bring bottles. I know there's a lot of folks that are wearing now these cool little slick vests with their little bottles on it, so you can bring those with you. We will have pre- race fluid for athletes to fill up their bottles if need be or if they like to fill up at the aid stations, they'll be able to do that as well.
All right, and so we talked about the after a little bit, and obviously the medals are going to be handed out, there's medical tents, all the good stuff happening, and then the after party as well, correct?
Correct. You'll be at Maimonides Park, big field, open space there, hanging out, stretch, cool down, meet your colleagues and friends there, track athletes on the app while you're making your way over, great place. And then again, as you stated, enjoy Coney Island, get on a ride, have a hot dog, hang out for a little bit there. Cheer the other runners on as they're making their way over.
Head over to check out the youth that are running our (inaudible) in New York Roadrunners that will be participating in the Boardwalk Run and cheer them on as well. So there's so much that's happening in that community and it's great to be able to contribute to that local economy.
And Becs, you're going to have a little something going on after the race as well I hear.
Yeah, that is correct, Rob. So this race is really special for me and for everybody. We've got a little something going on at the after party and that is a live recording of set the pace starting at 11 A. M. I am thrilled that we are going to have a special interview with Ali Feller, host of Ali on the Run Show podcast, running commentator, and soon to be eight- time RBC Brooklyn
Half finisher, but that's not it. In addition, we'll be providing some recovery tips and we'll have a special member moment interview with the Bachelorette's Zac Clark, founder of Release Recovery.
That's going to be amazing. Obviously people are always fired up to see Ali, and Zac Clark who is just incredible by the way. His organization does amazing things, helping people recover from addiction and running a big part of that, so what a great show that's going to be. I'll be listening. I won't be there for this one, but it's going to be phenomenal, Becs, and thank you so
much for doing that. So make sure everybody shows up to check out that live edition of Set the Pace.
Absolutely. We're going to be bringing everybody in and touching on that. We are not presuming that everybody out there listening to this is going to be running the race, okay? So some of you folks may be making their way down to be a spectator, coming with family and friends from in the city, out of the city or even another country. Who
knows? So Ted, let's give our spectators, the people who energize the runners, the people who make us smile when we're in those dark moments, let's give them some love. Where should they be heading this weekend?
Yes, the spectators. We power the runners through as we're out there spectating and cheering on our loved ones. So first and foremost, definitely download the apps. You could track your loved ones on the route there, see where they
are along the course. There'll be a couple of points that you can catch them definitely on Flatbush Avenue outside of Prospect Park or within Prospect Park because you can literally catch them, go up and down Prospect Park, then sneak inside and then see them make the loop around, zip out, hop on the subway and head down to Ocean
Parkway and catch them there. And then zip on down on the subway to Coney Island to catch your loved one as they make their way down to finish. So there's a couple of points along the route that you can see, support, cheer and show love,. Hold those signs, wave it loud, make some noise. And not only are you showing love for the runners you know, but you're showing love to all the runners that are out there.
And Ted, you mentioned the app for this one. It's the NYRR Racing app you can find on the app stores or you can head to Liveresults.nyrr. org as well if you want to see how your runners are doing. We do a great job, our timing and scoring team does of tracking everybody and letting you know when your people are going to show up and where on the racecourse. So they all need that support. Hopefully you'll be
out there cheering them on. All right, Ted, this has been an awesome overview of the RBC Brooklyn Half. Anything else you think people should know as they get ready for the big day?
So a couple of quick things. First and foremost, happy birthday, Ali. Ali just celebrated her birthday, so you got to show her some love there. So when you see her, wish her a happy birthday. Preparation for the race starts now. So make sure you're hydrating, stretching, and getting yourself prepped mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally for
what will be an amazing day for you. Pace yourself as you go through, mind your space, mind your pace as I like to save so often to folks as they get ready for the day. Hydrate and get ready, share with your loved ones where you're going to be and how they can track you on long race day. And lastly, see you volunteer, thank a volunteer.
Absolutely love that. That is a really wonderful saying, Ted. I'm going to adopt that. Oh, my goodness, I'm so excited for absolutely everybody running, spectating and all of the people who have worked to bring this incredible race together.
Thank you so much.
Ted Metellus, thank you so much for joining us, always giving us the 411 on all of our big races, the details as well. Ted, thank you. Best of luck to your team. Can't wait for the day and always great to get your insights. Appreciate you.
Thank you so much. See you all soon.
All right, Ted Metellus, senior Vice President of Events and Race director of the RBC Brooklyn Half. All right, if you're listening to this show and someone who's also running, maybe share this episode with them so they can be as prepared as you are for the big day on Saturday of next weekend. For today's member moment, we have
joining us NYRR member Helen Kwong. Helen is a co- founder of the Misty Mountain Running Club, an incredible club that just won the Team Spirit Award at this year's NYRR Club night. She has run 49 races with New York Roadrunners. She's an accomplished marathoner and an ultra marathoner, and in fact, she just returned from the Canyons 100 mile race, coming in second place in her age group. She joins Meb.
Thanks, Rob. Helen, welcome to the Set the Pace. Helen, you are one of the co- founder of the Misty Mountain Runners Run Club. Although your club was only founded in 2015, you already have over 700 members. What makes Misty Mountain Runners so special?
Yeah, MEP, thanks for the question. Yeah, when I was invited by our founder, Wendy Zhou, back in the 2015, I've not even imagined this will happen today, and not only the rapid growing members in Misty Mountain, also the impact in the greater New York metro area and also in North American Chinese learning communities. So what makes the club so special? I would
say its people and its culture. This is a group of people are very passionate about running and committed to become a better runner. And also not only better runner, more important is better person with the purpose in their life. So over the years, Misty Mountain is not only running club, it becomes a tightly knitted community, a big family, some would called home. The welcoming and inclusive culture just
gives people a sense of belonging. One of our member put it in a very humorous way, says there was not who I chose Misty Mountain, there was Misty Mountain that provide me refuge. Yeah. Activities and friendships grow way beyond the running. We also have all the other activities and the positive vibes just keep growing and expanding.
Well, it sounds like a great community. This past February, Misty Mountain Runner received the Team Spirit Award at NYRR's Club Night. At every NYRR race, your flag is waving on the sideline, cheering your members on. Where does your team get that endurance and spirit from?
Yeah, the Team's Spirit Award was a big honor for our clubs. So thank NYRR for the recognition, and also our flags are not only along the NYRR races in New York City, they're literally all over the world. Past, the London Marathon few weeks ago, we had the station over there at the (inaudible) 25,. And also when I run my first a hundred- mile back in Lake Tahoe in 2020, David and Wendy, they just flew there to support
me with our flags. Yeah. So we have a phrase in our club always like to say, it's called pay it forward, so pay it forward. I think that's where we get our spirit from because everyone knows how important when you are on the push, the limit in the race, like a shout- out or like in ultra running, a ball of congee
for my Chinese stomach, how important that is. So I got from this race, I want to pass it on to the next race for other people, and also not only for ourselves. Also, the spirit of cheering always like to spread to family members and the friends, (inaudible) Parents like to bring their children also volunteer and the
support. So the joy of giving and also the satisfaction of helping others achieve their goals and the dreams, the courage of paying forward. So that's Misty Mountain Runners, the flag. You always see it everywhere in every race.
Sounds amazing experience. But, well, first tell us about how your running journey started. Why did you start running and how did your running evolve from 10Ks to 100 mile ultra marathon? I just think about it, only down 26.2 miles, but I can only imagine, but tell us about your journey.
Yeah, sure. I've been active all my life, but hiking and the workout in the gym, I always think running is not for me. Until 2013 when a friend coming over from North Carolina to run New York City Marathon, I went to cheer for her at the Central Park South, mile 25. Oh, my God, I was completely overwhelmed by the energy, by the excitement, inspiration. So I said I want to
run New York City Marathon. So the very night I registered to be a NYRR member and registered my very first race, which is the 2014 New Year's Eve four mile (inaudible) run in Central Park. Everything (inaudible) There's no stop sign, maybe around over 20 marathons. Then because I like hiking, I like mountains and the running and hiking, that should become trail racing. So that's why I get into
trail racing, the long distance, the beautiful scenery on the trail. Yeah, before I know, I've been running a couple of 100 miles.
Wow, that's just amazing.
Yeah.
You are running the RBC Brooklyn Half a race. You have run number of times, but not since 2019. How are you feeling about this race?
I'm very excited. I mean, I love your Brooklyn Half because the course circle around the park, then the (inaudible) and the straight Ocean Parkway, then especially the energetic Coney Island because when 2018, I moved from New City to North Island. So that's why I don't do too many NYRR races, just too much travel for early morning, but now I want to get back to the road race and improve my
speed a little bit. So that's why now I registered for the Brooklyn Half and really looking forward to it.
Well, Helen, by running those 100 miles, the Prospect Hill is not going to be much for you, but thanks for joining us on Set the Pace and wish you all the best.
Thank you so much, Meb. It's a real pleasure to talking to you.
Speaking of RBC Brooklyn Half, for this week's Meb Minute, I want to talk to you all about having a strong finish. The course of the RBC Brooklyn Half starts with the Hilly Prospect Park, but then you cruise down Ocean Parkway and get to Coney Island as you run across the boardwalk. Finishing strong means so much in the half- marathon, but you have to be patient at the beginning
and also going up the hills of Prospect Park. You have to be able to engage your pace, your heart rate, and not make foolish mistakes because those mistakes can cost you a lot when you're going down the hill, but you have to be able to just save something, and then with the downhill finish on Ocean Parkway, it's
going to be an amazing experience. Don't be tempted to compete against others so early on that you are done mile eight or seven when the hills are over. Now what are you going to do? So be patient, have fun, use the crowd to your advantage, and then if you can finish strong, it's going to have a great finish, but also it's going to help you even recover faster.
Thank you so much, Meb, and I'm looking forward to seeing so many of you out there as the summer approaches, and thanks again to Ted Metellus for joining me and Becs and giving us the rundown for the RBC Brooklyn Half. And of course, thanks again to Helen Kwong for speaking with us today. That's going to bring us to the finish line of
this episode of Set the Pace. Remember, if you liked the episode, please go ahead, subscribe, rate, leave us a comment so we know you're listening, and it helps other people as well to find the show. Until next time, enjoy the miles. We'll see you next time.