This week, Runner’s World News Editor Theo Kahler joins the show to share how he spends his weekdays writing about running and then lines up on the weekends to hold his own with some of the best runners in the world. Theo ran this year’s TCS New York City Marathon for the first time, placing an impressive 40th overall and finishing as the 15th American in the men’s field. A former collegiate track standout from South Carolina, he now covers the sport’s biggest events as a journalist. But even while holding down a full-time job, Theo hasn’t given up his running dreams—he recently wrote an article for Runner’s World titled “I Finished 40th at the NYC Marathon With a Full-Time Job. You Don’t Need to Be a Pro to Dream Big.” Also joining the show for our Member Moment is Queens resident Raymond Choy, who completed the marathon for the 27th time this year. He’s talks to Meb about why he keeps coming back.

Theo's Last Mile TikTok!  https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTrYR7xxb/

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Joining Rob this week is Relly Ladner, a member of this year’s Team Inspire, a diverse group of 26 TCS New York City Marathon runners whose stories capture the power of running to change lives. Growing up in Vienna, Relly played soccer, and as a freshman in high school she secured a Division I offer to play at Dartmouth College. But after being diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome she was told she’d never walk again. Through grit and determination, Relly fought her way back to health, went on to play soccer at Dartmouth, and never took a single day on the field for granted. After college, Relly turned to marathon running and completed this year’s TCS New York City Marathon with a time of 3:32, running in support of the adolescent health organization Grassroot Soccer. Plus, for this week’s Member Moment, Meb talks to Felicia Pasadyn, a full-time medical student at NYU Grossman School of Medicine who finished 14th among all women at the marathon, crossing the finish line with a time that qualifies her for the 2028 US Olympic Trials. 

Donate to Relly's 2025 TCS NYC Marathon Fundraiser for Grassroot Soccer

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This week, Becs is joined by some of the top finishers from the TCS New York City Marathon—the top American woman, Fiona O’Keeffe; the top American man, Joel Reichow; and the top nonbinary runner, Daniel Mata. They share personal recaps of their incredible performances and how they balance the demands of everyday life while continuing to excel in the sport. Fiona’s astounding 2:22:49 finish broke the American course record in New York and reaffirmed her status as a true marathon star. Joel’s impressive rise into running elite during the 2025 season includes winning Grandma’s Marathon this past summer and finishing sixth in New York with a 2:09:56 negative‑split run. Daniel’s talent was on full display, winning the nonbinary category and running a personal best of 2:41:39 to claim their first marathon victory. These rising marathon stars talk about what it takes to be at the top of their game.

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oining Set the Pace this week is actor Anthony Ramos, best known for his breakout role on Broadway in “Hamilton” as well as on the big screen in Kathryn Bigelow’s A House of Dynamite (and coming in 2026, Ryan Murphy’s The Beauty.) This past Sunday, the Brooklyn native ran his first-ever race at the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon with his former high school guidance counselor Jason Jacobs, who was one of the first people to encourage Anthony to pursue a career in the arts. Rounding out the experience was a very special pacer—Olympian and Boston Marathon champion Des Linden. Anthony opens up about how the course was like a microcosm of his life as friends and family cheered him on at critical moments. Also joining the show is Sandra Garcia, whose connection to New York Road Runners started in 1998 with the launch of NYRR’s free youth running programs in New York City schools. As a Harlem kid in that program, she raced city courses and became pen pals with New York City Marathon legend Grete Waitz.

Check out our interview with the champions of the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon

And listen to our episode with Susannah Sullivan that Becs' mentions in the show!


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Hear from the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon champions—Hellen Obiri, Susannah Scaroni, Benson Kipruto and Marcel Hug, about what it took to crush the competition on this iconic course. With focus, determination, and a whole lot of heart, these athletes gave it their all on the best day of the year, in the best city in the world.

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Check out this special episode as guest hosts Olympian Carrie Tollefson and sports journalist Chris Chavez bring you the very first interviews with the 2025 Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K champions Amon Kemboi and three time champ Annie Rodenfels. Their conversation was livestreamed at a watch party just steps from the finish line in the new Westside Hospitality Tent. Tune in to the excitement of marathon weekend!

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Actor Oliver Phelps aka George Weasley of Harry Potter fame, joins Set the Pace during a live taping from the Citizens Stage at the TCS New York City Marathon Expo Presented by New Balance. Millions grew up watching him on screen as one of the fun-loving red-haired twins of the Wizarding World. These days, you’ll find him co-hosting “Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking” on the Food Network with his brother James and lacing up for his very first marathon right here in New York, running for the Matt Hampson Foundation. Plus, Anil Nandkumar, advanced clinician and board-certified physical therapist at Hospital for Special Surgery, offers advice for what runners should focus on in the final hours leading up to race day.


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Race week is finally here! And just in time for this weekend's 2026 TCS New York City Marathon, Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic, joins Rob and Becs for a conversation about his newly published book “The Running Ground: A Father, a Son, and the Simplest of Sports,”. Exactly the inspiration you need before your weekend run, Thompson's book explores how running shaped his relationship with his father, helped him navigate ambition and aging, and instilled lifelong discipline. He shares insights on the parallels between writing and running, and the lessons he learned from the sport, including training for his first marathon in 2005 and earning the American age-group record in the 50K in 2021. He opens up about how his father’s lack of discipline, which led him to die “a bankrupt tax fugitive running a brothel in Southeast Asia,” motivated him to take the opposite path by finding purpose through structure and focus. This Sunday, Thompson will toe the line for his 12th New York City Marathon and is hopeful that his son will join him at the start line in the future for some healthy father-son competition.

Watch 26.2 on YouTube!

The Ultimate 2026 TCS New York City Marathon Race Entry Sweepstakes!

Apply for TFK for the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon

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With race day just a little over a week away, New York Road Runners’ Chief Event Production Officer and TCS New York City Marathon Race Director Ted Metellus joins Rob and Becs to give runners all the inside information on this year’s TCS New York City Marathon. Ted breaks down key logistics—from picking up your bib at the Expo to getting to the start on Staten Island. He also highlights the many exciting events leading up to race day, including the TCS New York City Marathon Opening Ceremony Presented by United Airlines, the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K, and the TCS New York City Marathon Kids Kickoff. His advice to runners is to plan ahead, stay flexible, trust your training, and enjoy the journey. And for this week’s Member Moment, Meb talks to Michael Alcaide better known as “MTK or “Mike the Korican,” representing his Korean and Puerto Rican roots. He’s the founder of the Global Running Crew and a three-time Abbott World Marathon Majors Six Star finisher.

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See the 2025 TCS NYC Marathon Medal Reveal
New York Roadrunners, Set The Pace Watch Party at the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K

How to change your emergency contact info here: https://help.nyrr.org/s/article/How-do-I-update-my-emergency-contact-information

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An Insider's Guide to the Medical Operation at the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon.

n this episode of Set the Pace, Rob interviews Dr. Matt Friedman, the national medical directory of CrowdRx, the team responsible for the medical operation at the TCS New York City Marathon and other New York Road Runners events. Dr. Friedman talks about the year-round planning that goes into supporting runners on their 26.2-mile journeys; covering everything from medical tents and emergency response teams to hydration, heat safety, and warning signs runners should be aware of. He shares important safety tips for runners taking on the marathon, including what to do if you’re not feeling 100% and why learning hands-only CPR can save lives. Whether you’re running, volunteering, or cheering from the sidelines, this conversation offers essential insights. 

Learn more at www.nyrr.org/marathonrunnersafety 

Details on how to change your emergency contact info here: https://help.nyrr.org/s/article/How-do-I-update-my-emergency-contact-information

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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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