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 having to drop out of the Paris Olympic Marathon after receiving sad news about her mother’s cancer diagnosis and her decision to run the Berlin Marathon seven weeks later, finishing with a PB of 2:21:24! Tune in to this episode for the details, including why Calli, a world traveler, worked in Australia as a lumberjack. Plus, this week’s member spotlight features Danielle Grimley, a first-time marathoner who crossed the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon finish line on crutches after a mid-race injury.

Rob and Becs talk JoeK 10K (2:00)
Callie Hauger-Thackey joins Set The Pace. (11:52)
NYRR Member Danielle Grimley's Final Finisher Story (46:30)
Today's Meb Minute (57:29)

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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, and launching the new NYRR Team for Climate to expand on sustainability goals. And looking ahead to 2025, Rob says technology is a big focus as NYRR including updates to our registration platform and app. Tune in to hear this special NYRR state of the union episode.

LINKS:
Ted Corbitt 50K
NYRR Membership: https://www.nyrr.org/getinvolved/membership
Dr. Leo Murillo on Set The Pace

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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. Also joining this week is NYRR member and Open Run volunteer captain Rose-Gaelle Belinga, a software engineer originally from Cameroon who shares her remarkable story about coming to the U.S. and getting involved with the NYC running community. Plus, next week’s show will be dedicated to answering listeners’ questions, so if you have a question for Rob or anyone at NYRR, send it to [email protected], add it to the review section of the Apple podcast app or Spotify, or DM us on social.

Learn more about Runna's personalized and adaptable training plans here: https://www.nyrr.org/train/classes/runna

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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 Paralympians finding joy in training young athletes and celebrities taking on the TCS New York City Marathon for the first time. Don’t miss this special episode filled with inspiring stories from our running community!

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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 chapters, cross the finish line. Hear about how his recovery went and when and why he decided to run the marathon after having such a traumatic experience. Also joining the show is NYRR member and volunteer Dietmar Stork who has run 159 NYRR races. He’s also a volunteer leader at critical race events, including unloading buses at the marathon starting line.

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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 herself and the power of resilience. Tune in to find out how she was able to push through even while struggling with a foot injury, GI issues, and major doubts. Also, hear from Hillary Kupish who secured the top overall finisher spot at The Great World Race (with Becs a close second) after having run the TCS New York City Marathon just 10 days before. 

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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. Olympic marathon trials. Scottie was the top Front Runners NY finisher at the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon. Meb also provides some tips for dealing with the post-marathon blues. Plus, don’t forget to tune in next week when Becs talks about her amazing marathon journey taking on 7 marathons on 7 continents in 7 days.

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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 notices the similarities between the parade and the marathon when it comes to bringing community together, including thousands of volunteers who turn out to help. Many are Macy’s employees and their families who return each year as part of their Thanksgiving traditions. And for our Member Moment, Meb talks with the winner of the Every Woman’s Marathon in Savannah, Khia Kurtenbach. Khia reflects on how her mother, an avid marathoner herself, inspired her to run the distance.

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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 full-time real estate agent in Boulder, Colorado. Tune in to hear her race-day strategy and how she was able to stay with the lead pack even while not looking at her watch. Also joining the podcast is NYRR member Maryann Gong, the top woman finisher from the Central Park Track Club and a 15-time NCAA Division III All-American runner.

LINKS:
Find your push. Find your power at onepeloton.com/race-training

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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 middle of night with just his cell phone flashlight guiding the way. That journey became a viral sensation, and NYRR first noticed his story because he did that walk wearing a TCS New York City Marathon jacket. We invited him to run this year’s marathon, which he did while fundraising for TCS New York Marathon Charity partner, the American Red Cross. Plus, Meb’s Member Moment features Sofia Camacho Ferral, the winner of this year’s non-binary division at the marathon and what it’s like being an accomplished marathoner and drag performer.

LINKS:
Donate to David's Red Cross Fundraising page HERE!

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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.

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