Set the Pace

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From Marathon Champion to Mortal : Meb Keflezighi Trains for the 2024 Boston Marathon in support of the MEB Foundation Apr 11, 2024

Show notes

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 run to empower kids to achieve their running dreams, and how the MEB Foundation works provide them with scholarships, shoes, and more. He also shares what his 2014 Boston win meant to him, the challenges he’s faced this year in balancing training with a busy schedule of work and family obligations, and what will inspire him throughout his 26.2 miles to the finish line.

LINKS:

https://www.mebfoundation.org/

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Advocating for Women’s Rights and Maternal Health: Olympian Alysia Montaño Talks About Her Nonprofit &mother Apr 04, 2024

Show notes

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 Airlines NYC Half, and the RBC Brooklyn Half. Alysia made international headlines when she ran the 800 meters nearly eight months pregnant at the 2014 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships and sparked conversation about policy changes for pregnancy and athletes. During the race she wore the signature hibiscus flower in her hair which she says is representative of her family’s Jamaican roots.

LINKS:

https://www.andmother.org/

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An unexpected Run with a Lil Nas X: NYRR Coach Roberto Mandje Recounts Running the United Airlines NYC Half with Rapper Lil Nas X Mar 28, 2024

Show notes

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 admits, knowing “literally zero” about Lil Nas X. He shares his race-day experiences, from Lil Nas X revealing that he hadn’t trained but was eager to chat during their 13.1 miles, to their steady progress through the Brooklyn-to-Manhattan course, to crossing the finish line together in 2 hours, 32 minutes, and 53 seconds. And yes, you’ll also hear all about those Coach high-top basketball shoes.

LINKS:

Lil Nas X and Robeto on IG

Jersey Women Strong

Kayleigh Williamson Finishing the UANYC Half

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Major Talk: Discussing all things Boston Marathon and London Marathon with race directors Jack Flemming and Hugh Brasher Mar 21, 2024

Show notes

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 the history of the “grandfather” of marathons, the Boston Marathon, and the costumes that add excitement along the TCS London Marathon course. Hugh and Jack discuss the special collaboration that happens between all the Abbott World Marathon Majors and how each of them welcomes runners from across the globe in “a glorious idea of running 26.2 miles” along with the greatest athletes in the world.

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2024 United Airlines NYC Half: Interviews with the Champions Mar 17, 2024

Show notes

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.

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Running and Cooking as a Team Sport: Chatting with Chef Daniel Humm Mar 14, 2024

Show notes

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 he turned to cooking full time. He said cooking is like a team sport and that you can have the most beautiful restaurant in the world, but it means nothing without an incredible team. He and Meb reminisce about Meb pacing him during the 2018 TCS New York City Marathon and giving him the motivation he needed to push through the difficult climb up Fifth Avenue.
LINKS:
2024 United Airlines NYC Half
Rethink Food
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In the Command Center and on the Pavement: Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh Joins Set the Pace Mar 07, 2024

Show notes

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 runner, Commissioner Kavanagh has completed two New York City Marathons and says it’s really special running through the different neighborhoods. Even when she’s not running, she’s tracking her friends and making her way around the city to cheer them on with handmade signs.

LINKS:
https://www.fdnyfoundation.org/
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Emily Sisson and Dinée Dorame Join us for A Special Episode Dedicated to Women’s History Month Feb 29, 2024

Show notes

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 summer in Paris. And Dinée Dorame, a citizen of the Navajo nation and a lifelong runner, talks about how running is baked into the traditional way of life for Navajo women and girls. She’s also the host of the Grounded Podcast which explores the intersection of running, community, land, and culture and is a member of NYRR’s Contributors Circle.
LINKS:
The MEB Foundation
The Grounded Podcast with Dinée Dorame
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A Surprise Announcement From Connor Mantz and Clayton Young: Teammates, Competitors, 2024 Olympians Feb 22, 2024

Show notes

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 most of all friends, who motivate one another to be the best they can be.
This episode is full of surprises. On today’s show, Conner and Clayton will make an exciting announcement, so you'll want to stay tuned. And it turns out they got a surprise of their own last week. We'll let Meb tell you all about that one!
LINK:
Al Gordon Kept Moving for Over a Century
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Keep Your Head Up: Ted Metellus Talks All Things United Airlines NYC Half Feb 15, 2024

Show notes

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 head up!), and why this race is truly The One to Run. Fun fact: this year’s running is the 10th anniversary of the professional wheelchair division. Ted talks about how the sport has grown and continues to evolve to support athletes of all abilities and how even the youngest athletes will get the chance to run in Times Square.
SHOW LINKS:
https://www.beyourpossible.com/
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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.

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