Joining the show this week is Vanessa Peralta-Mitchell, the founder of Game Changers, a program that aims to encourage and support more women of color to become certified run coaches. Launched in 2020, the program was born out of Vanessa’s realization that very few running coaches and experts in the industry looked like her—and her desire to change that. 

Since then, the program has guided  nationwide across 29 states in addition to Washington, D.C.

A wife, mother of three, and daughter of Ecuadorian immigrants, she credits her mother for being her ultimate inspiration to reach for her dreams and build her own business. 

Interested in joining? Applications are now open for this year’s Game Changers cohort. This marks the second year that Game Changers is partnering with New York Road Runners, which includes a coaching apprenticeship with NYRR Group Training in NYC. 

Apply to Game Changers NY Cohort here:  bit.ly/VCPMGameChangersNYC2026 
Sign up for the Game Changers Q&A here: bit.ly/GCNYC26QArsvp

Follow GameChangers: @GameChangersRun

www.vcpm.com/game-changers 

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For our first episode of the year, Rob speaks with ABC sports anchor Sam Ryan, who has helped tell the stories of NYRR races and the running community. A runner herself, Sam has lived those stories too—completing 13 marathons, including four New York City Marathons, and serving as an NYRR Team for Kids ambassador. The last time Sam was on the show, it was just two days before the Boston Marathon. Since then, she’s added Chicago to her marathon list and, this week, ran the NYRR Midnight Run, 10 years after her last New Year’s Eve race. She talks about how focusing on strength training and overall fitness has helped her continue to chase her goals. Also joining the show for the Member Moment is Christina Gibbons, a New York Road Runners member who, four years ago, wasn’t sure she could run a full mile. Since then, she has completed four half marathons. Christina tells Meb how slowing down her pace helped her go the distance.

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Your winter gift from Set the Pace.

Head out for a run as Rob and Becs revisit some of the most powerful words shared on Set the Pace this year. These are the moments our guests return to when things get hard. The phrases they repeat when they need to keep going. The mantras that carry them FORWARD.

You’ll hear from teachers and Olympians, Peloton instructors and physical therapists, CEOs, run-club founders, and members of the Set the Pace community — each offering a simple truth that helped them through, mile after mile after mile.

Take these 26 running mantras with you for a run over the holidays and let them lead you into a 2026 that brings you a healthier life and a stronger community, through the transformative power of running. 

CHAPTER GUIDE (timecodes)

0:00 — Intro
02:54 — Mantra 1: Rob Simmelkjaer
03:25 — Mantra 2: Vinnie Guadagnino
06:42 — Mantra 3: Martinus Evans
05:23 — Mantra 4: Randi Zuckerberg
07:40 — Mantra 5: Corey Wharton-Malcolm
08:39 — Mantra 6: Dr. Melissa Melkonian
09:47 — Mantra 7: Jeffrey McEachern
11:08 — Mantra 8: Vinnie Guadagnino
11:59 — Mantra 9: Nenna Lynch
13:06 — Mantra 10: Mallory Kilmer
13:48 — Mantra 11: Kenneth Rooks
14:40 — Mantra 12: Ali Truwit
16:22 — Mantra 13: Kirra Michel
17:43 — Mantra 14: Nick Thompson
19:23 — Mantra 15: Mohammed Saad
20:48 — Mantra 16: Ali Truwit
22:05 — Mantra 17: Sharon Lokedi
26:51 — Mantra 18: Susannah Sullivan
28:56 — Mantra 19: Tiki Barber
30:38 — Mantra 20: Mike the Curican
31:52 — Mantra 21: Alison Mariella Désir
34:38 — Mantra 22: Nikki Hiltz
36:16 — Mantra 23: Jenny Simpson
37:29 — Mantra 24: Ted Metellus
38:46 — Mantra 25: Becs Gentry
39:00 — Mantra 26: Meb Keflezighi

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Red Sox manager Alex Cora joins Rob and Becs for this week’s Set the Pace. One of the most recognizable figures in sports, Alex is a World Series–winning manager, a regular presence in Boston headlines, and someone whose every decision is analyzed by millions of Red Sox fans. Recently, Alex has also become a runner—starting with short races then progressing to a half marathon and ultimately to the start line of the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon this past November 2. He opens up about the thrill of getting his bib only four weeks before race day and how meaningful it was to run the entire marathon course alongside his partner. They crossed the finish line to cheers from his sons holding a sign that read, “Will you marry, Dad?” Plus, Meb speaks with Simone Swink, Senior Executive Producer of the “Good Morning America” (GMA) franchise. On November 2, Simone and 27 fellow ABC News colleagues participated in a special “Good Morning America” TCS New York City Marathon relay, raising funds for NYRR Team for Kids.

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This week’s guest is Caitlin Phillips, a 43-year-old runner who ran a 2:36 at Sunday’s California International Marathon (CIM), qualifying for the 2028 U.S. Olympic Trials. Caitlin shares with Rob and Becs what it took to achieve this amazing feat while working full-time and returning to competition postpartum after giving birth in 2023. She breaks down what makes the CIM course ideal for sub-elite athletes and reflects on the strong sense of community she felt racing alongside runners she’s connected with over the years. Also joining the podcast for the Member Moment is Dr. Melissa Melkonian, founder of The American Dream School in the Bronx, a dual-language charter school created to help students and families pursue their own version of the American Dream. She’s inspired dozens of teachers, parents, and staff to take on their first marathon, using running as a tool for empowerment and community building.

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Joining Rob and Becs this week is Phil Keoghan, host of “The Amazing Race.” He recently completed the TCS New York City Marathon while raising money for Back on My Feet, an organization that empowers people to achieve economic independence. The New Zealand-born adventurer isn’t just a marathoner, he’s also cycled across America, set a world record in bungee jumping, and retraced a 1928 Tour de France route on an 85-year-old bicycle. Phil dedicated his race to his father, who passed away last week after a lengthy illness, and he opens up about drawing strength from his dad’s grit and determination during the final miles of the marathon. And for this week’s Member Moment, Meb speaks with Michael Ring, who completed the TCS New York City Marathon 26 times, the last seven after recovering from a devastating case of Guillain-Barré syndrome. Michael is one of the stars of East 89th St Productions and Tribeca Studios’ documentary film “Final Finishers.”

Phil ran the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon in support of Back On My Feet - Donate Here

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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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