Set the Pace

In this special race-day episode of Set the Pace, hosts Olympian Carrie Tollefson and CITIUS MAG's Kyle Merber interview the 2026 United Airlines NYC Half champions—Eden Rainbow-Cooper, Daniel Romanchuk, Hellen Obiri, Adriaan Wildschutt, and Daniel Mata—who led more than 30,000 athletes from the start in Prospect Park, across the Brooklyn Bridge, through Manhattan, and to the finish in Central Park.
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Joining Rob and Becs this week are Liz Cho and Mike Marza, anchors for ABC7 Eyewitness News. Together, they report on the events that shape daily life across the five boroughs. There will be more than 30,000 stories at this weekend’s United Airlines NYC Half—the kind of stories today’s guests usually spend their days telling. But this weekend, instead of covering the stories, they’ll be part of the action as they step away from the newsroom to take on 13.1 miles. Liz was part of the ABC relay at the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon, which she followed up with running the NYRR Midnight Run, and Mike ran the TCS New York City Marathon for the first time in 2025. They talk about the excitement of running in New York City and what they’re most looking forward to on race day.

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New York Road Runners’ Chief Event Production Officer and Race Director, Ted Metellus, joins Becs to talk all things United Airlines NYC Half. This year’s race is set for Sunday, March 15, and Ted has all the answers to questions about race week and race day. Learn the deets about bib pickup at the Expo (in a new location at the Javits Center!), getting to the start, navigating the iconic course from the Brooklyn Museum to Central Park—including crossing the Brooklyn Bridge again this year—managing post-race reunion, and more. Whether you’re running, spectating, or tuning in, you’ll be well-prepared.


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This episode discusses sexual violence, which may be triggering or distressing for some listeners.
In this episode, New York Road Runners leaders Christine Burke and Erica Edwards-O’Neal explore runner safety—particularly for women—through global and local lenses. Reflecting on a recent trip to Kenya, they share their experience meeting with Tirop’s Angels, an organization that combats gender-based violence. Christine and Erica then interview Jean Knaack, CEO of the Road Runners Club of America, who discusses the need for a systemic approach to safety in running clubs, emphasizing proactive leadership, clear codes of conduct, and shared responsibility—particularly encouraging men to understand the distinct safety concerns women face. A second conversation spotlights Ashley Raymond and Meagan Doyle, co-founders of Safely, a company that makes safety products including the Sidekick, a compact, five-in-one self-defense tool designed with runners in mind. While acknowledging women shouldn’t bear the burden of protection, they advocate preparedness, education, and practical tools to help women feel confident and secure.


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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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In this special episode of Set the Pace Rob sits down with Sharon Lokedi, TCS New York City Marathon champion, at her mother’s home in Eldoret, Kenya. Lokedi reflects on her journey from training on Kenya’s red clay roads to winning major marathons, and what it means to inspire other Kenyan runners. She shares how Kenya’s deep-rooted running culture fuels her motivation as she prepares to defend her titles at the United Airlines NYC Half in March and the Boston Marathon in April. Lokedi also speaks candidly about competition, pressure, and using her platform to support organizations addressing gender-based violence, including Tirop’s Angels, an organization created by friends and family of Agnes Tirop, who was killed in Kenya just weeks after breaking the 10K road running world record in 2021.

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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.