WEBVTT - Updates to NYRR Membership and 9+1: Members’ Questions Answered 0:00:00.300 --> 0:00:03.150 Peloton has got something for whatever running mood you're in. 0:00:03.600 --> 0:00:06.240 Try instructor- led runs and walks that are built to 0:00:06.240 --> 0:00:09.210 fit into your routine with classes that help you stay 0:00:09.210 --> 0:00:13.140 consistent, build speed, and be in the moment. Track your 0:00:13.140 --> 0:00:17.190 metrics, see your progress, and train smarter. We've got it 0:00:17.190 --> 0:00:19.709 all to help you reach your goals and stay on 0:00:19.710 --> 0:00:23.820 track. Peloton, the official digital fitness partner of New York 0:00:23.820 --> 0:00:24.360 Road Runners. 0:00:28.530 --> 0:00:31.950 Hi everybody, and welcome to a special episode of the 0:00:31.950 --> 0:00:36.690 Set the Pace podcast presented by Peloton. If you're here 0:00:36.720 --> 0:00:39.330 joining us live or maybe you're listening later, you know 0:00:39.330 --> 0:00:43.290 that today New York Road Runners announced some pretty big 0:00:43.320 --> 0:00:46.860 changes and updates to our membership program as well as 0:00:47.100 --> 0:00:51.030 the 9+ 1 program. So joining me to talk about 0:00:51.030 --> 0:00:53.340 all this, to break it down and explain what we 0:00:53.340 --> 0:00:55.770 did and why we did it, New York Road Runners 0:00:55.770 --> 0:01:00.029 vice president of strategy, planning, and analytics, Matthew Forys, joins 0:01:00.030 --> 0:01:01.020 me. Welcome, Matthew. 0:01:01.140 --> 0:01:02.400 Thank you so much for having me. 0:01:02.430 --> 0:01:02.970 Yeah. 0:01:02.970 --> 0:01:04.289 My big debut on the pod. 0:01:04.319 --> 0:01:07.440 That's right. It's been an interesting day at New York 0:01:07.440 --> 0:01:08.520 Road Runners. We've been- 0:01:09.000 --> 0:01:09.002 (inaudible) . 0:01:09.002 --> 0:01:13.259 Yeah, we've been working very hard on these changes for 0:01:13.260 --> 0:01:16.530 a long time, and so we're thrilled to have all of 0:01:16.530 --> 0:01:19.110 you join us to explain what we did and why 0:01:19.110 --> 0:01:21.479 we did it today. And we want to start before 0:01:21.480 --> 0:01:24.630 we get into all the details with four things that 0:01:24.630 --> 0:01:27.420 we want to make really clear because we know these are 0:01:27.420 --> 0:01:30.209 common questions that we're seeing come across and we want 0:01:30.209 --> 0:01:31.530 to just get these out of the way right at 0:01:31.530 --> 0:01:34.590 the top. First of all, if you are doing 9+ 0:01:34.920 --> 0:01:39.900 1 this year in 2026 to get into the 2027 0:01:40.200 --> 0:01:44.580 TCS New York City Marathon, nothing that happened today affects 0:01:44.580 --> 0:01:47.550 you at all. You still can finish your 9+ 1 0:01:47.820 --> 0:01:50.820 if you haven't already and get guaranteed entry into the 0:01:50.820 --> 0:01:55.500 2027 TCS New York City Marathon. So that's clear, number 0:01:55.500 --> 0:01:58.500 one. What we talked about, what we did today only affects 0:01:58.500 --> 0:02:02.700 next year's 9+ 1 to get into the 2028 TCS 0:02:02.700 --> 0:02:05.940 New York City Marathon. Number two, the changes that we announced 0:02:05.940 --> 0:02:09.030 today do not affect the 4 Out of 6 program. 0:02:09.030 --> 0:02:11.760 So if you are hoping to run the United Airlines 0:02:11.760 --> 0:02:14.790 NYC half through the 4 Out of 6 program, this 0:02:14.790 --> 0:02:18.330 is unaffected. This year, next year, we're not making any 0:02:18.330 --> 0:02:22.019 changes to the 4 Out of 6 program. For most 0:02:22.020 --> 0:02:26.550 people, number three, membership just got simpler and more equitable 0:02:26.550 --> 0:02:30.810 for everyone. So Member Plus and Family Plus is going 0:02:30.870 --> 0:02:34.500 away. We are terminating that level of membership. If you 0:02:34.500 --> 0:02:38.160 are a regular member, your membership status does not change. 0:02:38.160 --> 0:02:40.560 You will still be a regular member. If you are 0:02:40.560 --> 0:02:44.730 a Member Plus member, you will be automatically downgraded from 0:02:44.730 --> 0:02:47.940 Member Plus to member and you will be receiving a 0:02:47.940 --> 0:02:51.750 refund of the difference. The difference between those two tiers 0:02:51.750 --> 0:02:57.060 of membership is $ 60. You'll receive a prorated refund based 0:02:57.060 --> 0:03:00.240 on how far along the membership year you are. And 0:03:00.240 --> 0:03:02.760 so you'll be getting that automatically to the method of 0:03:02.760 --> 0:03:05.460 payment that you used to pay for the membership. And 0:03:05.460 --> 0:03:07.710 the fourth thing that I want to point out is 0:03:07.889 --> 0:03:10.530 we're seeing a lot of people on social saying, " Oh, 0:03:10.530 --> 0:03:12.510 this is going to make it so much harder now 0:03:12.690 --> 0:03:16.799 to do the marathon." We think, Matthew, that for this 0:03:17.040 --> 0:03:20.880 drawing, this 9+ 1 eligibility drawing that we announced today, 0:03:20.880 --> 0:03:23.040 and we'll talk about more in a second, the chances 0:03:23.040 --> 0:03:26.160 of getting in through this drawing will be pretty high. 0:03:26.160 --> 0:03:29.040 In fact, based on the historical numbers that we've seen 0:03:29.370 --> 0:03:31.380 of how many people have been trying to do 9+ 0:03:31.620 --> 0:03:35.100 1 and completed 9+ 1, we think it'll be 50% 0:03:35.130 --> 0:03:39.270 or more of people will get selected in this 9+ 0:03:39.540 --> 0:03:43.020 1 eligibility drawing. So don't feel like, " Oh my gosh, 0:03:43.020 --> 0:03:45.300 it's another drawing. I'm never going to be able to 0:03:45.300 --> 0:03:50.610 do 9+ 1." We're accepting more than 15,000 people in 0:03:50.610 --> 0:03:54.210 this 9+ 1 eligibility drawing. That will be fewer than the 0:03:54.210 --> 0:03:57.150 number of people who've done 9+ 1 the last couple 0:03:57.150 --> 0:03:59.730 of years. But, Matthew, if you go back even to 0:03:59.790 --> 0:04:06.330 2019 before the pandemic, we only had 10,000, 11,000, 12, 000 people getting 0:04:06.330 --> 0:04:09.540 9+ 1. So this is just bringing it closer to 0:04:09.540 --> 0:04:12.840 historical levels because we've seen this huge increase over the 0:04:12.840 --> 0:04:13.441 last few years. 0:04:13.440 --> 0:04:18.299 Yeah, it's been really incredible. The demand with the TCS New 0:04:18.300 --> 0:04:22.050 York City Marathon and the 9+1 program specifically really have been fueling 0:04:22.650 --> 0:04:24.810 a lot of the demand that you see for weekly 0:04:24.810 --> 0:04:27.839 races. People are trying to get those nine races, volunteer 0:04:27.839 --> 0:04:31.200 once, and it really has pushed our race capacities to 0:04:31.200 --> 0:04:33.720 its limit. So it's gotten to the point where it's 0:04:33.720 --> 0:04:35.849 a little bit unsustainable and that's what's kind of brought 0:04:35.850 --> 0:04:37.350 us to today to have this conversation. 0:04:37.410 --> 0:04:40.920 That's exactly right. So that's the beginning of the conversation 0:04:40.920 --> 0:04:43.500 about why we're doing what we're doing. And the fact 0:04:43.500 --> 0:04:46.980 of the matter is, Matthew said it, we've seen how 0:04:46.980 --> 0:04:51.360 hard it has been to get into races. It used to 0:04:51.360 --> 0:04:55.200 take days, weeks sometimes for races to sell out. And 0:04:55.200 --> 0:04:57.779 over the last couple of years, Matthew, we've been saying 0:04:57.779 --> 0:05:01.290 it's been about two days, but really it's been minutes 0:05:01.320 --> 0:05:03.810 or hours at best that it's taken for races to 0:05:03.810 --> 0:05:06.750 sell out because of the two- day period between Member 0:05:06.750 --> 0:05:09.390 Plus and membership. So we saw that, we heard how 0:05:09.390 --> 0:05:12.810 frustrating that was. We want as many people as possible 0:05:12.810 --> 0:05:15.210 to be able to run our races, even if they're 0:05:15.210 --> 0:05:19.020 not trying to do 9+1. And that was really what we've 0:05:19.020 --> 0:05:20.820 been working on a fix for now for quite a 0:05:20.820 --> 0:05:21.300 long time. 0:05:21.450 --> 0:05:24.810 Yeah. I mean, if you go back to 2019, the average days to 0:05:24.810 --> 0:05:27.900 sell out about 121 days, and we actually had four races 0:05:27.900 --> 0:05:30.479 that never sold out that year. So take that to 0:05:30.480 --> 0:05:34.860 now, hours, minutes, not days to sell out. So it's 0:05:34.860 --> 0:05:37.980 really been a pretty stark change. And what we've also 0:05:37.980 --> 0:05:40.529 seen in terms of trends is that because a lot 0:05:40.529 --> 0:05:43.860 of folks are going for 9+ 1, Q1 and Q2 races, so 0:05:43.860 --> 0:05:47.460 our January through June races, they sell out even quicker 0:05:47.490 --> 0:05:50.130 because people are really trying to get their program set done. 0:05:50.130 --> 0:05:54.120 So the trend, you probably have all have experienced it 0:05:54.120 --> 0:05:58.710 during race launches. And for a little bit more context, 0:05:58.710 --> 0:06:01.470 the 9+ 1 program specifically, we'd seen growth of about 0:06:01.470 --> 0:06:05.849 29% since 2019, which is huge year over year from 0:06:05.850 --> 0:06:09.000 '24 to '25, we saw a 7% growth just in that year, 0:06:09.540 --> 0:06:12.839 and we expect even more coming into end of 2026. 0:06:12.870 --> 0:06:16.650 So the trends are continuing to go exponentially higher, and 0:06:17.190 --> 0:06:19.320 that's why we're looking at some change. 0:06:19.440 --> 0:06:23.310 Yeah. And, Matthew, we've been talking about this for quite 0:06:23.310 --> 0:06:26.130 some time. Matthew unfortunately has been the recipient of more 0:06:26.130 --> 0:06:29.430 than a few late night Teams messages from me or 0:06:29.700 --> 0:06:32.099 weekend messages. " What are we going to do about this? 0:06:32.100 --> 0:06:33.900 How are we going to fix this?" So this has 0:06:33.900 --> 0:06:35.640 been a topic we've talked about for quite a long 0:06:35.640 --> 0:06:39.150 time. And over the last year, we have definitely been 0:06:39.150 --> 0:06:43.170 testing a few things to try to figure out how 0:06:43.170 --> 0:06:46.289 we could improve accessibility of races. Can you talk about 0:06:46.290 --> 0:06:48.419 some of the things we tried this year and how 0:06:48.420 --> 0:06:49.080 those worked out? 0:06:49.170 --> 0:06:51.659 Yeah, for sure. So you guys have probably all seen 0:06:51.660 --> 0:06:54.089 some of the changes we've made. We started with our 0:06:54.089 --> 0:06:56.370 first pilot, which was changing the Manhattan 10K to a 0:06:56.370 --> 0:06:58.710 drawing. We saw great success, there are a lot of people 0:06:58.710 --> 0:07:01.260 interested, and it became a more accessible race because it 0:07:01.260 --> 0:07:04.650 wasn't raced to the keyboard to get in. We then 0:07:04.650 --> 0:07:08.250 changed the advanced registration access for members, so they got 0:07:08.250 --> 0:07:11.520 access to more races earlier in the advanced registration period, 0:07:11.970 --> 0:07:15.450 and then we put registration caps on the advanced period 0:07:15.450 --> 0:07:18.060 so that there actually would be entries still available during 0:07:18.060 --> 0:07:22.080 general registration. So we tried all those things, still needed to 0:07:22.140 --> 0:07:25.590 attempt some new pilots to solve this problem. So most 0:07:25.590 --> 0:07:28.350 recently we did two buckets of entries for every race. 0:07:28.350 --> 0:07:30.720 We had 9+ 1 eligible entries and a non 9+ 0:07:30.840 --> 0:07:34.590 1 eligible entries. Both of those sold out in record 0:07:34.590 --> 0:07:37.050 time, so it really shows that there's a lot of 0:07:37.050 --> 0:07:38.790 people out there trying to do 9+ 1, but there's 0:07:38.790 --> 0:07:41.130 a lot of folks that aren't. And I think those 0:07:41.130 --> 0:07:43.110 are the two communities we're trying to work with, and 0:07:43.110 --> 0:07:44.700 we want both to be able to run our races 0:07:44.700 --> 0:07:46.530 and to be part of our running community. 0:07:46.950 --> 0:07:48.645 The other thing I'll say about some of those things 0:07:48.645 --> 0:07:52.230 we tried out, all of those things were further complicated 0:07:52.230 --> 0:07:54.540 by the fact that we had the Member Plus level 0:07:54.540 --> 0:07:56.850 of membership. So everything we did, there had to be 0:07:56.850 --> 0:07:59.790 a two- day advanced window for Member Plus before it 0:07:59.790 --> 0:08:02.730 got to members. It was just a very complicated and 0:08:02.730 --> 0:08:07.110 not egalitarian ecosystem, which is why we've changed some of 0:08:07.110 --> 0:08:09.810 the membership tiers and eliminated Member Plus as I mentioned. 0:08:09.810 --> 0:08:11.880 We'll talk about that more in just a moment. But 0:08:11.880 --> 0:08:15.540 let's start with the first headline here, which is this 0:08:15.870 --> 0:08:20.490 9+ 1 eligibility drawing that will take place on October 0:08:20.490 --> 0:08:24.600 1st for the very first time. And let's just talk 0:08:24.630 --> 0:08:27.750 about how this is going to work. So, Matthew, who 0:08:27.750 --> 0:08:30.420 is this drawing going to be for? How do people 0:08:30.420 --> 0:08:32.730 get in, and what does it mean if you're selected? 0:08:32.790 --> 0:08:36.210 Yeah. So this drawing, as 9+ 1 has always been, 0:08:36.210 --> 0:08:38.940 it's a member program. You have to be an NYRR member to be 0:08:38.940 --> 0:08:41.610 part of this drawing, and you have to be a 0:08:41.610 --> 0:08:45.990 member as of September 16th, as of 11: 59 PM. You 0:08:45.990 --> 0:08:47.820 have to remain a member through drawing day, which will 0:08:47.820 --> 0:08:50.700 be on October 1st. The application window, which you will 0:08:50.700 --> 0:08:54.540 need to apply, is September 17th through 29th. Similar to 0:08:54.540 --> 0:08:57.630 how we run other drawings, you apply during the registration 0:08:57.630 --> 0:09:00.630 period on October 1st, we'll run the drawing. As long 0:09:00.630 --> 0:09:03.120 as you meet those eligibility criteria, you'll be part of 0:09:03.120 --> 0:09:05.880 that drawing. As Rob mentioned, we're going to be accepting 0:09:05.880 --> 0:09:10.170 about 15,000 people through that drawing. And once you're in 0:09:10.170 --> 0:09:13.290 the program, once you're selected, you will become a 9+ 0:09:13.410 --> 0:09:17.309 1 Passholder. And the Passholder process is really our way of 0:09:17.309 --> 0:09:21.929 helping to clear a pathway for you to your 9+1. We 0:09:21.929 --> 0:09:24.329 know that over the past few years, it's been hard 0:09:24.330 --> 0:09:26.400 to get those nine races. It's a battle at the 0:09:26.400 --> 0:09:29.910 keyboard. And what we're trying to do with our Passholders 0:09:29.970 --> 0:09:32.520 is make sure that we create a pathway for them to 0:09:32.520 --> 0:09:36.689 get those nine races. So there's been some information sent 0:09:36.690 --> 0:09:40.320 out today about details about that program, and we're really 0:09:40.320 --> 0:09:42.870 excited, and we think people are really going to feel 0:09:42.870 --> 0:09:44.580 a little less stressed getting their nine races. 0:09:44.670 --> 0:09:47.309 That's right. So the Passholder program we'll talk about how it's 0:09:47.309 --> 0:09:48.870 going to work in a bit, but it will really 0:09:48.870 --> 0:09:51.450 be a glide path for people to be able to 0:09:51.450 --> 0:09:54.660 get the nine races and the one volunteer opportunity that 0:09:54.660 --> 0:09:58.290 they need to complete their 9+ 1 versus this super high- 0:09:58.290 --> 0:10:01.319 stress situation that we've seen people go through. Now, I 0:10:01.320 --> 0:10:03.179 want to talk about the price of that for a 0:10:03.179 --> 0:10:07.140 second and the economic reality of this. So we announced 0:10:07.140 --> 0:10:10.500 that if you are selected in the 9+ 1 eligibility 0:10:10.500 --> 0:10:15.479 drawing, you will be automatically charged $ 99 to become a 0:10:15.510 --> 0:10:20.550 Passholder in this 9+ 1 Passholder program. Your credit card 0:10:20.550 --> 0:10:22.710 will have to be put on file just as it 0:10:22.710 --> 0:10:26.040 is for our other drawings, and you'll be charged automatically. 0:10:26.070 --> 0:10:29.730 Now, why are we charging $ 99 for this? Well, first 0:10:29.730 --> 0:10:32.910 and foremost, as I mentioned earlier, because of this change, 0:10:33.090 --> 0:10:36.300 it was necessary for us and the right thing to 0:10:36.300 --> 0:10:40.020 do to eliminate the Member Plus tier of membership. So, 0:10:40.260 --> 0:10:44.400 now, since most people who have been able to accomplish 0:10:44.400 --> 0:10:47.400 9+ 1 over the last couple of years have pretty 0:10:47.400 --> 0:10:49.410 much had to be Member Plus in order to do 0:10:49.410 --> 0:10:54.300 that, those people are going from $ 120 membership fee down 0:10:54.300 --> 0:10:57.300 to $ 60, which is the base membership fee. So that's 0:10:57.300 --> 0:11:00.660 a $ 60 refund that all those people are getting over 0:11:00.660 --> 0:11:03.030 the course of a year. They will then be charged $ 0:11:03.059 --> 0:11:07.650 99 for this pass program. So for those people, they're 0:11:07.650 --> 0:11:12.270 paying an additional $ 39 per year if they're selected in 0:11:12.270 --> 0:11:15.390 the drawing to do 9+ 1. They will still have 0:11:15.390 --> 0:11:18.000 to pay the race fees, whatever races it is that 0:11:18.000 --> 0:11:19.980 they're doing. They will still have to pay, of course, 0:11:19.980 --> 0:11:22.230 the fee to run the TCS New York City Marathon 0:11:22.500 --> 0:11:26.250 in 2028. But it is a net increase for most 0:11:26.250 --> 0:11:31.050 people of $ 39 for the entire year to do this. And 0:11:31.290 --> 0:11:34.770 as we talked about, the amount of convenience that one gets 0:11:34.770 --> 0:11:37.140 from being able to do it this way versus having 0:11:37.140 --> 0:11:39.839 to scramble every time races go on sale to get 0:11:39.840 --> 0:11:43.140 in, we think is more than worth that price. And 0:11:43.410 --> 0:11:47.280 realistically speaking, we want to make something clear. We have, 0:11:47.309 --> 0:11:51.570 at this point, about 20, 000 Member Plus members at New 0:11:51.570 --> 0:11:54.240 York Road Runners, and we are eliminating that class of 0:11:54.240 --> 0:11:59.130 membership and going back to $ 60. So that is 20,000 0:11:59.130 --> 0:12:04.320 times 60, which is $1. 2 million of lost revenue to 0:12:04.320 --> 0:12:07.679 New York Road Runners. This $ 99 pass program is in 0:12:07.679 --> 0:12:11.219 part helping us recover some of that lost revenue so 0:12:11.220 --> 0:12:14.610 we can continue to provide the experiences that people are 0:12:14.610 --> 0:12:16.980 used to receiving from New York Road Runners. So want 0:12:16.980 --> 0:12:20.220 to make that really clear why this is being charged, 0:12:20.400 --> 0:12:22.620 what the math is, and why we're doing it the 0:12:22.620 --> 0:12:25.590 way we're doing it. So let's talk more about how 0:12:25.770 --> 0:12:29.189 people who have this 9+ 1 pass are going to 0:12:29.190 --> 0:12:31.440 be able to get into races to make it easy 0:12:31.440 --> 0:12:33.510 for them to qualify for 9+ 1. 0:12:33.510 --> 0:12:36.750 Sure, sure. So if you are selected on Drawing Day 0:12:36.750 --> 0:12:39.570 on October 1st, you'll be receiving a survey in that 0:12:39.570 --> 0:12:45.870 acceptance, which will ask you to confirm at minimum three 0:12:45.870 --> 0:12:48.870 races for quarter one, so January through March races that 0:12:48.870 --> 0:12:51.780 you'd be available for. We will then do a matching 0:12:51.780 --> 0:12:55.170 process on our side to ensure that each runner that 0:12:55.170 --> 0:12:59.309 submits that survey on time and correctly gets matched to 0:12:59.309 --> 0:13:02.820 a race for that quarter. So they don't need to 0:13:02.820 --> 0:13:04.860 rush to the keyboard. The day we launch, you're going 0:13:04.860 --> 0:13:06.929 to have up to a week to just claim that 0:13:06.929 --> 0:13:10.200 entry in the system so there's not a rush. For 0:13:10.200 --> 0:13:12.690 the first quarter of races, we're doing one race. For 0:13:12.990 --> 0:13:16.230 the second quarter, we're doing another race. Third quarter and 0:13:16.230 --> 0:13:19.079 fourth quarter, we'll do two each. So we're creating a in- 0:13:19.080 --> 0:13:23.040 person race pathway for every 9+ 1 Passholder for six 0:13:23.040 --> 0:13:26.730 races. We also then have the three virtual races, which 0:13:26.730 --> 0:13:29.219 we're encouraging people to sign up for. They don't have 0:13:29.220 --> 0:13:31.350 to do three virtual. They can sign up for three in- 0:13:31.350 --> 0:13:33.540 person races on their own and finish 9+ 1 with 0:13:33.540 --> 0:13:36.540 all in- person races if they'd like. But the virtual 0:13:36.540 --> 0:13:40.080 races, there's not a rush to the keyboard. We're communicating 0:13:40.080 --> 0:13:43.710 out when those will be available for registration. And so 0:13:43.710 --> 0:13:46.290 it's an easy way to get your other three in. 0:13:46.500 --> 0:13:49.170 That's right. So to be clear, we're creating a very 0:13:49.170 --> 0:13:52.650 easy way for you to get six in- person races. 0:13:52.950 --> 0:13:56.340 The three virtual races are available to everyone, and that 0:13:56.340 --> 0:13:59.670 gets you to your nine races. As Matthew said, you 0:13:59.670 --> 0:14:01.650 don't have to do the virtual races. If you want 0:14:01.650 --> 0:14:04.620 to do nine in- person races, that's great. You're only 0:14:04.620 --> 0:14:07.380 going to get six through this program that we've mentioned, 0:14:07.559 --> 0:14:09.900 but if you get three on your own through the 0:14:09.900 --> 0:14:14.069 usual signup process, then fantastic, you've got your nine races 0:14:14.070 --> 0:14:16.590 that way. So that is a way to do it. 0:14:16.740 --> 0:14:20.700 And then as far as the volunteer assignment goes, that's 0:14:20.700 --> 0:14:22.740 going to go through the normal means that we've had 0:14:22.740 --> 0:14:25.350 over the years. But we know, Matthew, that it's going 0:14:25.350 --> 0:14:29.250 to be much easier to get that volunteer assignment than 0:14:29.250 --> 0:14:30.630 it's been over the last few years. 0:14:30.660 --> 0:14:33.930 Yeah, absolutely. I mean, by trimming back the 9+ 1, 0:14:34.080 --> 0:14:36.900 people trying to achieve it automatically, we have plenty of 0:14:36.900 --> 0:14:40.530 volunteer spots. Now, depending on time of year on which you want 0:14:40.530 --> 0:14:42.330 to volunteer, there may be some times where there is still 0:14:42.330 --> 0:14:44.370 a lot of demand, but it's a full year where you can 0:14:44.370 --> 0:14:47.550 get that plus one opportunity and there will be plenty 0:14:47.550 --> 0:14:49.920 across the whole year, so there's not a rush to 0:14:49.920 --> 0:14:52.170 get it done right away. There will be an opportunity 0:14:52.170 --> 0:14:54.840 for you to volunteer for your plus one credit during 0:14:54.840 --> 0:14:54.931 the year. 0:14:54.931 --> 0:14:57.240 All right. And again, as I said at the top of 0:14:57.240 --> 0:15:00.240 this podcast, if you're in the middle of 9+ 1 0:15:00.240 --> 0:15:02.940 this year to do the marathon next year, this does 0:15:02.940 --> 0:15:06.570 not affect you at all. All right. Now, we mentioned 0:15:06.570 --> 0:15:09.570 earlier that we are changing membership. As I mentioned a 0:15:09.570 --> 0:15:12.510 couple of times, we're eliminating Member Plus and Family Plus. 0:15:12.750 --> 0:15:15.780 Matthew, can you talk about why, given this change that 0:15:15.780 --> 0:15:19.425 we're making and introducing this 9+ 1 eligibility drawing, we 0:15:19.425 --> 0:15:22.620 really had to eliminate the Member Plus and Family Plus 0:15:22.620 --> 0:15:23.550 tiers of membership? 0:15:23.730 --> 0:15:27.000 Yeah. I mean, from what we've seen, majority of the folks 0:15:27.000 --> 0:15:28.740 that are part of the Member Plus and Family Plus 0:15:28.740 --> 0:15:32.160 programs were doing it to complete 9+ 1. They were 0:15:32.160 --> 0:15:36.060 paying the extra to get the advanced registration to complete 0:15:36.060 --> 0:15:38.880 their 9+ 1 program. So by creating this drawing, it's 0:15:39.000 --> 0:15:43.740 devaluating that benefit. And we realized that and we're like, " This 0:15:43.740 --> 0:15:47.430 is the right thing to do, is to even out 0:15:47.430 --> 0:15:50.820 the playing field and create access for all members." What 0:15:50.820 --> 0:15:54.240 this also does is all members now have advanced registration. 0:15:54.600 --> 0:15:57.660 So the first day we launched, two days before general 0:15:57.660 --> 0:16:00.060 public has access, every member level will be able to 0:16:00.060 --> 0:16:04.050 register for races. So it really creates a more accessible, 0:16:04.050 --> 0:16:08.280 equitable space for entry, and I think it just was 0:16:08.280 --> 0:16:10.830 the common sense kind of solution once we decided the 0:16:10.830 --> 0:16:11.850 drawing was the right way to go. 0:16:12.000 --> 0:16:13.950 That's right. So, again, I want to make sure people 0:16:13.950 --> 0:16:15.990 understand that because that's a big change and it's a big 0:16:15.990 --> 0:16:20.910 headline. For the races that will launch for the January 0:16:20.910 --> 0:16:25.140 to March 2027 set of races, that launch will be 0:16:25.140 --> 0:16:29.340 on October 14th, 2026 after the drawing has taken place, 0:16:29.670 --> 0:16:31.920 after people know whether they were selected in that drawing 0:16:31.920 --> 0:16:35.910 or not. All members will have two days of advanced 0:16:35.910 --> 0:16:39.840 registration for that set of races, and there will be no longer 0:16:39.840 --> 0:16:43.170 a tiering of members. All members will get that two 0:16:43.170 --> 0:16:47.460 days exclusive advanced registration before those races go on sale 0:16:47.640 --> 0:16:51.420 to the general public. Advanced registration, as has been the 0:16:51.420 --> 0:16:55.170 case, doesn't apply to certain races like New York Runners 0:16:55.170 --> 0:16:59.400 Team Championships, Team Champs, the Start Line Series, any of 0:16:59.400 --> 0:17:01.290 the races that are part of the drawing, to be 0:17:01.290 --> 0:17:04.439 clear, those races still are subject to drawing like the 0:17:04.440 --> 0:17:07.770 United Airlines, NYC Half, the RBC Brooklyn Half, and of 0:17:07.770 --> 0:17:10.500 course the TCS New York City Marathon. By the way, 0:17:10.710 --> 0:17:14.910 those drawing races will still give you 9+ 1 credit. 0:17:15.150 --> 0:17:17.730 So if you already are planning to run one of 0:17:17.730 --> 0:17:19.650 those races, you know you're going to run the Half, 0:17:19.650 --> 0:17:22.560 maybe you already completed 4 Out of 6, that is 0:17:22.560 --> 0:17:25.890 a race you'll get 9+ 1 credit for if you 0:17:25.890 --> 0:17:31.830 are selected in the 9+ 1 eligibility drawing. And again, 0:17:31.859 --> 0:17:36.030 a lot of this, Matthew, is philosophically, we have been 0:17:36.030 --> 0:17:40.770 concerned at the value of the base membership at New 0:17:40.770 --> 0:17:44.220 York Road Runners. And we've seen people asking the question, " What 0:17:44.220 --> 0:17:46.530 is the benefit of having this membership if I can't 0:17:46.530 --> 0:17:49.290 get into any races?" So that is a key part 0:17:49.290 --> 0:17:52.619 of this is bringing the value back to the base 0:17:52.619 --> 0:17:54.150 level of membership at New York Road Runners. 0:17:54.210 --> 0:17:58.590 Absolutely. Yeah. And trimming back the 9+ 1 program slightly 0:17:58.770 --> 0:18:00.720 does help that. There's going to be less people going 0:18:00.720 --> 0:18:04.170 for nine races, which means there's going to be space 0:18:04.290 --> 0:18:08.310 for everyone. And I think it'll be interesting to see 0:18:08.310 --> 0:18:10.919 how the trends go throughout the year. We're really trying 0:18:10.920 --> 0:18:13.020 to emphasize that you don't need to hoard races in 0:18:13.020 --> 0:18:15.240 Q1 to make sure you hit your nine. We have 0:18:15.240 --> 0:18:17.700 a plan, we're working with you to create this pathway 0:18:18.000 --> 0:18:19.379 so that it's a little bit more stretched out and 0:18:19.380 --> 0:18:23.040 people will be able to run throughout the year. And 0:18:23.040 --> 0:18:26.100 what I will add to your last comment there, so 0:18:26.190 --> 0:18:30.000 when we launch races on October 14th, any Passholder will 0:18:30.000 --> 0:18:31.949 know which race they've been matched with through the program. 0:18:31.950 --> 0:18:34.859 So say you're a Passholder, you get matched with Al 0:18:34.859 --> 0:18:38.159 Gordon, you'll know before launch day that you're matched with 0:18:38.160 --> 0:18:40.410 Al Gordon. So when you go to register for another 0:18:40.410 --> 0:18:42.030 race or two, you're going to say, " No, I know 0:18:42.030 --> 0:18:43.290 in my system I'm going to be able to register 0:18:43.290 --> 0:18:46.200 for this. Let me pick Fred Lebow. I'll run Fred 0:18:46.200 --> 0:18:47.700 Lebow as well." And you can just register for that 0:18:47.700 --> 0:18:48.090 at that time. 0:18:48.330 --> 0:18:51.300 Yes. And we're hoping that having the knowledge that you've 0:18:51.300 --> 0:18:53.459 got at least one race in the bank and that 0:18:53.460 --> 0:18:54.990 you're going to get six over the course of the 0:18:54.990 --> 0:18:57.750 year will take away a little bit of the panic 0:18:57.990 --> 0:19:01.020 that people have been having when races launch so that it 0:19:01.020 --> 0:19:04.560 will become a much calmer experience signing up for races. 0:19:04.980 --> 0:19:08.879 Matthew, you mentioned that we know demand will be somewhat 0:19:08.880 --> 0:19:11.790 curtailed for races because we're limiting the size of the 0:19:11.790 --> 0:19:14.219 9+ 1 field. There's a question we're getting a lot is, " 0:19:14.490 --> 0:19:16.889 Okay, how big has the 9+ 1 field been? How 0:19:16.890 --> 0:19:19.679 many people have been trying to do 9+ 1 and 0:19:19.680 --> 0:19:22.080 how much is this going to change this?" So if 0:19:22.080 --> 0:19:26.550 we assume that we're going to select about 15,000 people 0:19:26.790 --> 0:19:30.119 in this 9+ 1 eligibility drawing, that's going to be a 0:19:30.210 --> 0:19:33.810 15% to 20% decrease from the number of people who 0:19:33.810 --> 0:19:37.560 have been successfully achieving 9+ 1 in the last year 0:19:37.560 --> 0:19:41.550 or two, and we believe but don't know exactly how 0:19:41.550 --> 0:19:45.869 many, but we believe between about 22,000 to maybe 25, 000 0:19:45.869 --> 0:19:48.600 people have been trying to do 9+ 1 at least 0:19:48.630 --> 0:19:51.300 from the beginning. So in the first set of races, 0:19:51.300 --> 0:19:53.550 we think that's about the number of people who are 0:19:53.550 --> 0:19:55.980 at least trying at the outset to do 9+ 1. 0:19:56.280 --> 0:19:59.520 So this is going to be a really significant reduction in 0:19:59.940 --> 0:20:02.910 the number of people who are trying to accomplish 9+ 0:20:03.180 --> 0:20:05.399 1, plus the fact that they're already going to have, 0:20:05.790 --> 0:20:08.070 as we've mentioned, this glide path to getting six races. 0:20:08.460 --> 0:20:12.060 Yeah. It should be a change that people feel and 0:20:12.060 --> 0:20:15.240 see during the process, so that was the goal. We 0:20:15.240 --> 0:20:17.820 want to make this registration process smoother for all of 0:20:17.820 --> 0:20:20.250 our runners whether you're on the 9+ 1 path or 0:20:20.730 --> 0:20:22.619 just want to run some 5Ks and 10Ks with us. 0:20:22.680 --> 0:20:25.170 That's right. So those are the headlines. We're doing this 0:20:25.170 --> 0:20:28.260 to ease the demand into races to make it easier 0:20:28.260 --> 0:20:30.840 for both people who are doing 9+ 1 and people 0:20:30.840 --> 0:20:33.810 who are not doing 9+ 1 to get into races. 0:20:33.990 --> 0:20:36.240 We wanted to align the size of the 9+ 1 0:20:36.240 --> 0:20:38.910