WEBVTT - Mind Your Space, Mind Your Pace: Ted Metellus Gives Us the 411 on All Things RBC Brooklyn Half 0:00:03.960 --> 0:00:08.309 Thank you, New York. Today we're reminded of the power 0:00:08.309 --> 0:00:13.169 of community and the power of coming together. Athletes, on 0:00:13.170 --> 0:00:13.739 your mark. 0:00:15.870 --> 0:00:19.799 The first woman to finish for the second straight year here 0:00:19.799 --> 0:00:22.470 in the New York City Marathon is Miki Gorman, a 0:00:22.470 --> 0:00:27.002 smiling Miki Gorman, and why not? 2- 29-30, the time for (inaudible) . 0:00:27.809 --> 0:00:30.450 Look at the emotion of Shalane Flanagan as she comes 0:00:30.450 --> 0:00:33.779 to the line. Pointing to his chest, pointed to the 0:00:33.779 --> 0:00:37.859 USA he so proudly wears across his chest. A great day 0:00:37.859 --> 0:00:38.999 for Matt McCluskey. 0:00:44.460 --> 0:00:47.729 Hey, everybody, and welcome back To Set the Pace presented 0:00:47.729 --> 0:00:51.569 by Peloton, the official podcast of New York Roadrunners. I'm 0:00:51.570 --> 0:00:55.080 your host and New York Roadrunners CEO Rob Simmelkjaer, and 0:00:55.080 --> 0:00:58.530 joining me for the second week as co- host from 0:00:58.530 --> 0:01:02.340 Peloton, Becs Gentry. Becks, great to have you back. We 0:01:02.340 --> 0:01:04.679 didn't scare you away week one. You decided to come 0:01:04.679 --> 0:01:06.630 back for a second week. Great to have you back. 0:01:07.500 --> 0:01:09.630 Thank you so much. Absolutely. You know it's going to 0:01:09.630 --> 0:01:11.519 take a lot more to scare me away. 0:01:12.900 --> 0:01:15.149 We know it. We know it. Becs, we got a really 0:01:15.150 --> 0:01:19.920 fun show today. So many people getting excited for the 0:01:19.920 --> 0:01:22.679 big race in Brooklyn in just a week and change, 0:01:22.679 --> 0:01:27.089 the RBC Brooklyn Half. Our race director, Ted Metellus, will 0:01:27.089 --> 0:01:29.579 be here in just a minute to give us all 0:01:29.580 --> 0:01:33.360 the details, the ins and outs of the experience and 0:01:33.360 --> 0:01:36.270 the race. Can't wait for Brooklyn. Hopefully we get a beautiful 0:01:36.270 --> 0:01:39.688 day. It's such a fun race. So many people love 0:01:39.690 --> 0:01:43.830 it. It's pretty flat. It finishes at Coney Island. It 0:01:43.830 --> 0:01:46.709 is just a treat. And so Becs, I know a ton of people 0:01:46.709 --> 0:01:47.820 are fired up for Brooklyn. 0:01:48.059 --> 0:01:50.160 Oh, my gosh, and so they should be. It is 0:01:50.160 --> 0:01:53.760 one of my favorite races in the city. It was 0:01:53.820 --> 0:01:57.510 my first New York Roadrunners race I ever did. So 0:01:57.510 --> 0:01:59.639 it holds a very special place in my heart. And 0:01:59.639 --> 0:02:02.039 what's better than finishing at Coney Island? 0:02:02.039 --> 0:02:04.230 You can run right to Nathan's for a hot dog. 0:02:04.230 --> 0:02:07.800 I mean there's just so much you can do. I'm still so 0:02:07.800 --> 0:02:11.160 upset with myself for never having run this race, Becs, and 0:02:11.490 --> 0:02:13.950 it's going to be hard for me in this job 0:02:14.160 --> 0:02:16.590 to run this race. I'm too busy, there's too much 0:02:16.590 --> 0:02:20.879 going on, so it's a tough one. But maybe someday 0:02:20.880 --> 0:02:23.729 when I retire from this particular job, I'll run it 0:02:23.730 --> 0:02:25.291 then. Maybe that'll be the time because I feel jealous. 0:02:25.291 --> 0:02:29.910 I mean, I'm sure there's some people who can fill in for you. We could 0:02:29.910 --> 0:02:34.469 pretend to be Rob and you can do that park 0:02:34.469 --> 0:02:37.439 to beach run that we all are so excited to do. 0:02:37.889 --> 0:02:39.508 Maybe Ted can help me. I'll ask him when he 0:02:39.508 --> 0:02:41.430 comes on the show in a little bit, but we 0:02:41.430 --> 0:02:43.830 had such a great weekend this past weekend, Bec's here 0:02:43.830 --> 0:02:48.720 in New York. Our first ever New York runners Mindful 5K 0:02:48.990 --> 0:02:52.260 was out in Flushing Meadows Park in Queens. This was 0:02:52.260 --> 0:02:55.980 an event to really kick off mental health Awareness month 0:02:55.980 --> 0:02:58.290 and it was such a great day out there, Becs. 0:02:58.619 --> 0:03:03.960 We had meditation going on. Your partner's actually from Peloton, 0:03:03.990 --> 0:03:07.290 Kristen McGee and Mariana Fernandez did a great job with 0:03:07.290 --> 0:03:10.739 the meditation before the race. We had a meditation tent 0:03:11.010 --> 0:03:14.399 brought to us by our friends at NAMI as well, and 0:03:14.429 --> 0:03:18.179 I think people really enjoyed the chance to take running 0:03:18.180 --> 0:03:21.600 in this different way and think about the impact that 0:03:21.600 --> 0:03:23.730 it has on our mental health. It was a great 0:03:23.730 --> 0:03:26.489 day, Becs, so I think we'll be doing it for many 0:03:26.490 --> 0:03:27.060 years to come. 0:03:27.389 --> 0:03:30.809 Great. It is so, so important. I mean we had 0:03:30.809 --> 0:03:34.920 this in our podcast last week with Mariana, how important 0:03:35.219 --> 0:03:42.030 mental health and exercise is. So for me personally, I 0:03:42.030 --> 0:03:45.060 find that running frees my mind. It gives my mind 0:03:45.360 --> 0:03:48.779 the space that it needs in this chaotic world that 0:03:48.780 --> 0:03:53.009 we all live in right now, but this past weekend 0:03:53.070 --> 0:03:58.620 looked stunning. The weather was, in a runner's world, perfect. 0:03:58.680 --> 0:04:02.190 I feel like there was so many PRs all over 0:04:02.250 --> 0:04:04.710 the social media. There was PR after PR, people were 0:04:04.710 --> 0:04:08.129 pushing themselves. The meditation probably got everybody in the right 0:04:08.130 --> 0:04:11.970 zone and off they went for this beautiful 5K. 0:04:12.540 --> 0:04:16.920 It was beautiful. Of course, that's interesting. It's very flat, 0:04:16.950 --> 0:04:19.320 which makes it great to run, but there are a lot 0:04:19.320 --> 0:04:22.079 of turns. It's very technical and so for folks who 0:04:22.260 --> 0:04:25.200 know how to run those tangents, it paid off because 0:04:25.410 --> 0:04:27.750 they were able to run some fast times out in 0:04:27.750 --> 0:04:31.320 Queens. And Becs, you had a pretty cool weekend as well, 0:04:31.320 --> 0:04:34.469 having a chance to spend it down in Miami at 0:04:34.470 --> 0:04:37.589 the Formula One event down there. That is a huge 0:04:37.589 --> 0:04:40.200 event now on the American sports calendar. What were you doing down there? 0:04:40.200 --> 0:04:44.549 I was down there with a couple of partners that I'm 0:04:44.549 --> 0:04:49.800 working with to have a really strong fan experience. But 0:04:50.040 --> 0:04:53.010 I will tell you, Rob, my 5K was a little 0:04:53.010 --> 0:04:56.488 different to the New York Runner's Mindful 5K. Mine was 0:04:56.490 --> 0:05:03.329 around the Miami Autodrome track, 5K of 48 degree heat 0:05:03.599 --> 0:05:06.238 and me pretending that I'm a Formula One race car. 0:05:06.240 --> 0:05:08.550 When I saw DRS, I was like, dude, that's your 0:05:08.550 --> 0:05:12.750 time to accelerate. Let's go. So it was mindful in 0:05:12.750 --> 0:05:13.950 a very different way. 0:05:14.550 --> 0:05:17.789 Absolutely. Sounds like a lot of fun. That's an event 0:05:17.790 --> 0:05:20.730 I'd love to get to one year, the F1 in Miami. 0:05:20.969 --> 0:05:24.089 What could be better than fancy cars and South Beach? 0:05:24.089 --> 0:05:27.000 Sounds like a great combination, Becs. I'm sure you had a 0:05:27.000 --> 0:05:30.510 really good time. Becs, before we get to our guest, 0:05:30.510 --> 0:05:33.570 it is so beautiful outside today and spring is my 0:05:33.570 --> 0:05:36.300 favorite time of year to start a new workout routine. 0:05:36.839 --> 0:05:39.599 Totally agree, Rob. With the weather warming up, it just 0:05:39.599 --> 0:05:42.029 feels like so much easier to get into the rhythm 0:05:42.029 --> 0:05:42.630 of things. 0:05:43.020 --> 0:05:45.599 One of the things that works so well for me, 0:05:45.660 --> 0:05:48.360 Becs, about Peloton is whether I've got 20 minutes to 0:05:48.360 --> 0:05:51.299 kill or a full hour for a Pilates class or 0:05:51.300 --> 0:05:55.260 maybe an outdoor guided walk, Peloton has everything I need 0:05:55.440 --> 0:05:56.339 to help get me going. 0:05:56.700 --> 0:05:59.399 It certainly does. It is such a great way to 0:05:59.400 --> 0:06:02.070 get a head start on summer with Peloton. You can 0:06:02.070 --> 0:06:04.230 find it at OnePeloton. com. 0:06:04.650 --> 0:06:07.529 Well this week's episode, Becs, is going to focus on 0:06:07.620 --> 0:06:10.289 the RBC Brooklyn Half and as we mentioned coming up, 0:06:10.290 --> 0:06:12.750 we're going to have our senior vice president of events 0:06:12.750 --> 0:06:15.328 and race director Ted Metellus giving us an overview of 0:06:15.330 --> 0:06:18.448 all things RBC Brooklyn Half. And then after that we're 0:06:18.450 --> 0:06:21.330 going to get to hear from our friend Meb with 0:06:21.330 --> 0:06:24.150 our member moment as well as our Meb Minute. We're 0:06:24.150 --> 0:06:28.050 going to focus on having a strong finish and Brooklyn 0:06:28.050 --> 0:06:30.419 is a good race for a strong finish. It is 0:06:30.420 --> 0:06:33.330 flat. Then you make that turn onto the boardwalk and 0:06:34.139 --> 0:06:36.690 you see the ocean and the crowds are there. So 0:06:36.930 --> 0:06:39.029 a great day for a strong finish, and Meb will 0:06:39.029 --> 0:06:42.390 take us through how to make that happen. But without 0:06:42.390 --> 0:06:45.660 any further ado, let's turn our focus to Brooklyn and 0:06:45.660 --> 0:06:49.560 bring in our very own Ted Metellus, the race director 0:06:49.620 --> 0:06:53.190 of the RBC Brooklyn Half and all other races at New 0:06:53.190 --> 0:06:55.830 York Roadrunners. Mr. Metellus, thanks for coming back. 0:06:56.339 --> 0:06:58.919 Thank you, Rob. Hey, Becs. Good to see you both. 0:06:58.920 --> 0:07:01.560 Good to hear you both. Good to connect and chat 0:07:01.560 --> 0:07:03.450 a little bit about this upcoming half. 0:07:04.050 --> 0:07:06.628 Absolutely, and Ted, we've had you on a few times. 0:07:06.630 --> 0:07:10.260 People love to get the inside scoop from you on 0:07:10.260 --> 0:07:14.040 all things, especially for our biggest races. So Ted, what 0:07:14.040 --> 0:07:17.100 do you love about this race? People just seem to 0:07:17.100 --> 0:07:20.578 have a special feeling about the RBC Brooklyn Half. Why 0:07:20.580 --> 0:07:21.509 do you think that is? 0:07:21.689 --> 0:07:24.809 I think Becs started it off right by saying in many cases 0:07:24.809 --> 0:07:29.580 it's their first half- marathon with New York Roadrunners. It's 0:07:29.580 --> 0:07:32.130 our big spring race. It kicks off summer, it kicks 0:07:32.130 --> 0:07:34.620 off summer training and preparation for the TCS New York 0:07:34.620 --> 0:07:38.220 City Marathon. It's one of our largest local races. So 0:07:38.220 --> 0:07:40.290 a lot of folks in the New York Tri- State area 0:07:40.290 --> 0:07:42.239 get out and run. This is the race that they 0:07:42.240 --> 0:07:44.759 mark on their calendar and say, Hey, you know what? 0:07:44.759 --> 0:07:48.029 We've had a great winter, the fall's been nice, spring's 0:07:48.029 --> 0:07:50.280 been kicking, but let's get out and do some miles 0:07:50.280 --> 0:07:51.720 here. Let's train for this race. 0:07:52.440 --> 0:07:56.580 Ted, if I've got this right, it's around 25, 000 0:07:56.850 --> 0:07:59.130 people heading in this weekend? 0:07:59.580 --> 0:08:03.270 Yeah. It is one of the largest half- marathons in North America with over 0:08:03.270 --> 0:08:05.549 25,000 participants. 0:08:05.940 --> 0:08:09.480 Wow. Okay. So let's talk about the history of this race. 0:08:09.480 --> 0:08:11.220 What can you tell us about the history? 0:08:11.850 --> 0:08:14.790 So a couple of pieces here to share with y'all. 0:08:14.790 --> 0:08:18.060 Let me talk about size and scope. To this date, 0:08:18.300 --> 0:08:24.810 there's been over 305,000 finishers of this event. So this 0:08:24.810 --> 0:08:28.350 event used to actually start in Coney Island and make 0:08:28.350 --> 0:08:31.440 its way up to Prospect Park, and then we made 0:08:31.440 --> 0:08:36.000 some changes and that course ran from 96 to 08 and then 0:08:36.000 --> 0:08:39.120 we reversed the course. So we created some really cool 0:08:39.120 --> 0:08:42.569 elements to it and watched the running community grow and 0:08:42.570 --> 0:08:47.010 the race grow with it. Race starts right by the 0:08:47.429 --> 0:08:51.150 Brooklyn Museum and it makes its way down through Prospect 0:08:51.150 --> 0:08:54.509 Park, down Ocean Parkway, finishing Strong in Coney Island as 0:08:54.509 --> 0:08:58.619 Rob mentioned, and it's been amazing. We have entertainment all 0:08:58.619 --> 0:09:01.320 on the route. You finish, you get yourself a hot 0:09:01.320 --> 0:09:03.300 dog when you complete and have a good time there. 0:09:03.480 --> 0:09:06.328 But this event has really, really grown over the years and we've watched 0:09:06.330 --> 0:09:08.340 it grow with the community that's grown with it. 0:09:09.360 --> 0:09:12.540 Ted, we know that lots of runners are out there 0:09:12.540 --> 0:09:14.909 working to get ready. A lot of them are probably 0:09:14.910 --> 0:09:18.119 already tapering a little bit as they hear this podcast, 0:09:18.450 --> 0:09:20.820 but they've been putting in the work and the miles 0:09:20.820 --> 0:09:24.000 over the last month, maybe more getting ready for this. 0:09:24.420 --> 0:09:27.000 And what they don't know is that you and your 0:09:27.000 --> 0:09:31.499 team have been very similarly putting in the work and 0:09:31.559 --> 0:09:33.959 working hard to get ready for this event from the 0:09:33.960 --> 0:09:37.080 operation side and the logistics side, and I think people 0:09:37.080 --> 0:09:41.069 are always really interested to know what that process is 0:09:41.070 --> 0:09:43.380 like to get ready for an event like this. 0:09:43.440 --> 0:09:46.110 So it's a great way to say it, Rob. We 0:09:46.110 --> 0:09:49.380 parallel the work that our participants put in. So first 0:09:49.380 --> 0:09:53.848 and foremost we look at the route, we examine the 0:09:53.850 --> 0:09:56.580 course work with the Department of Transportation, DOT, to see the 0:09:56.580 --> 0:09:59.550 road conditions and seeing what's going on there. We work 0:09:59.550 --> 0:10:02.488 closely with our partners from the MTA to see transportation to 0:10:02.490 --> 0:10:04.769 get to the start line and then from the finish 0:10:04.770 --> 0:10:09.360 line itself, over hauling the event and seeing what elements 0:10:09.360 --> 0:10:12.450 may need to get enhanced and advance aid stations along 0:10:12.450 --> 0:10:14.760 the course, medical stations along the course, those types of 0:10:14.760 --> 0:10:17.010 things that we go in, similar to runners that are 0:10:17.010 --> 0:10:19.650 getting themselves prepped and seeing, okay, what is this course 0:10:19.650 --> 0:10:22.529 going to lay itself at? Starting on Washington, heading down 0:10:22.530 --> 0:10:25.468 to Eastern Parkway, making that turn on Flatbush, which is 0:10:25.469 --> 0:10:27.030 an out and back. We need to make sure that 0:10:27.030 --> 0:10:30.809 those roads are clear. That's in a climb up Flatbush 0:10:30.809 --> 0:10:32.790 Avenue and down Flatbush Avenue as you make a way 0:10:32.790 --> 0:10:35.250 around Prospect Park and into the park for a climb. 0:10:35.580 --> 0:10:37.380 When we talk about parks, we're working with our partners 0:10:37.380 --> 0:10:39.300 from the Parks department and making sure that the park 0:10:39.300 --> 0:10:42.059 is clear of any debris and any trash there and 0:10:42.059 --> 0:10:44.789 putting up notices and information for the community at large 0:10:44.790 --> 0:10:46.590 to know that there'll be a big vet coming through 0:10:46.590 --> 0:10:48.840 big, and of course making sure that those roads are 0:10:48.840 --> 0:10:50.939 ready to go for all our runners and making sure 0:10:50.940 --> 0:10:53.760 that boardwalk at Coney Island is ready and set for us. 0:10:54.780 --> 0:10:58.589 Wow, that is a lot of work and I can't 0:10:58.590 --> 0:11:00.839 imagine putting on a race in a city as big as 0:11:00.840 --> 0:11:03.569 New York. I think you've probably just scratched the surface 0:11:03.570 --> 0:11:06.179 on what you actually all really do. But we've talked 0:11:06.179 --> 0:11:10.410 about the need to knows of the other side, the 0:11:10.410 --> 0:11:12.990 working side of New York Road owners and teams to 0:11:12.990 --> 0:11:16.259 put on this race. Let's talk about what the runners 0:11:16.260 --> 0:11:19.380 need to know. Ted, I want you to go through 0:11:19.860 --> 0:11:23.100 every aspect of race week as it happens. So let's 0:11:23.100 --> 0:11:25.319 kick off with where am I going to go to 0:11:25.320 --> 0:11:25.769 get my BIP? 0:11:26.578 --> 0:11:28.890 All right, Becs. So what you want to do here is 0:11:28.890 --> 0:11:31.890 treat race day, race weekend like it would be if 0:11:31.890 --> 0:11:33.719 you were traveling, if you were taking a trip with 0:11:33.719 --> 0:11:35.969 your family or taking a solo trip someplace. The more 0:11:35.969 --> 0:11:39.539 prepared you are going into that trip, the better the 0:11:39.540 --> 0:11:42.088 overall experience is going to be, the smoother the overall 0:11:42.090 --> 0:11:44.670 experience is going to be. So there is no BIP 0:11:44.670 --> 0:11:46.949 pickup at the run center for our locals here. This 0:11:46.950 --> 0:11:49.590 is a heavily local race. Yes, we have family and 0:11:49.590 --> 0:11:51.719 friends and homies that are traveling from here and there 0:11:51.900 --> 0:11:53.670 to come and run, but for those of us that 0:11:53.670 --> 0:11:58.679 run every week, the BIP pickup is not at the 0:11:58.859 --> 0:12:03.059 run center. So bib pickup for the RBC Brooklyn Half pre- 0:12:03.059 --> 0:12:05.880 party presented by New Balance will take place at Pier 0:12:05.880 --> 0:12:09.870 two at Brooklyn Bridge Park. BIP pickup is from 11 A.M. 0:12:09.870 --> 0:12:14.910 to 9: 30 Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. That's the 15th, 16th and 17th. 0:12:15.809 --> 0:12:19.500 At the pre- party, it is all you can get 0:12:19.650 --> 0:12:21.208 as far ... I would say all you can eat because 0:12:21.210 --> 0:12:23.010 there is food there, but it's all the experience that 0:12:23.010 --> 0:12:27.030 you would want. There's music, there's entertainment, there are partners 0:12:27.030 --> 0:12:29.040 that are there. You can get your pre- race gear 0:12:29.040 --> 0:12:31.860 and equipment, get some fly- ass gear from New Balance, 0:12:32.130 --> 0:12:34.379 get yourself prepped and ready to go, but the coolest 0:12:34.379 --> 0:12:36.389 thing that I love about the pre- party is it 0:12:36.389 --> 0:12:39.480 is a nice way to start off the weekend. You 0:12:39.480 --> 0:12:43.080 see friends, you see colleagues, you see run partners and 0:12:43.410 --> 0:12:46.500 people in your community that come together there. I love 0:12:46.500 --> 0:12:49.319 the way the pre- party is, great sights of downtown, 0:12:49.530 --> 0:12:52.889 Manhattan overlooking the river there. You're right by the Brooklyn 0:12:52.889 --> 0:12:54.660 Bridge. So walk around and check out some of the 0:12:54.660 --> 0:12:56.820 sights that are in that area. Brooklyn Bridge Park is 0:12:56.820 --> 0:12:59.280 incredible and the partners there have done an amazing job, 0:13:00.300 --> 0:13:02.790 Ted, it is a party. I had a great time 0:13:02.790 --> 0:13:06.300 going to it last year. So I recommend people go 0:13:06.300 --> 0:13:09.809 and give yourself some time to hang out and enjoy 0:13:09.809 --> 0:13:11.939 it. It's not show up, grab your bib and leave. 0:13:12.300 --> 0:13:16.199 It's hang out, experience, enjoy. It's a really fun time. 0:13:16.200 --> 0:13:18.870 Hopefully we get some beautiful weather out there on the 0:13:18.870 --> 0:13:22.078 pier because it's really a good time. Okay, so Ted, I'm 0:13:22.080 --> 0:13:25.049 a runner. I've now got my bib. I've partied at 0:13:25.049 --> 0:13:29.519 the pre- party. Now it's race morning, transportation always on 0:13:29.520 --> 0:13:32.610 the mind and this race starts early as well. So 0:13:32.610 --> 0:13:36.090 how do I get to the starting line on time, 0:13:36.210 --> 0:13:37.680 ready to run on Saturday morning? 0:13:38.010 --> 0:13:41.489 So two things that you'll note when you are picking 0:13:41.490 --> 0:13:44.580 up your bib. There are two waves for this event. 0:13:44.940 --> 0:13:46.589 So we have a 7 A. M. wave, which is 0:13:46.590 --> 0:13:48.509 wave one and an 8 A. M. wave, which is 0:13:48.540 --> 0:13:51.420 wave two. So you want to identify your time for 0:13:51.420 --> 0:13:54.570 that. You want to, as I mentioned before, plan your 0:13:54.570 --> 0:13:57.958 travel prior to where your landmarks are going to be, 0:13:57.960 --> 0:14:02.009 either the Grand Army Plaza or Brooklyn museum as where 0:14:02.009 --> 0:14:03.809 you want to make your way down to for the 0:14:03.809 --> 0:14:07.770 start line. Public transportation is the way to go. So 0:14:07.770 --> 0:14:12.059 definitely plan ahead if there's any service disruptions or any 0:14:12.059 --> 0:14:15.030 changes because it's a Saturday morning. I want to stress 0:14:15.030 --> 0:14:17.458 that to folks. It's a Saturday race, not a Sunday 0:14:17.460 --> 0:14:20.970 race. So you want to plan that accordingly as well. 0:14:21.179 --> 0:14:23.160 I feel like there must be people every year who 0:14:23.730 --> 0:14:26.160 show up on Sunday and go, oh my gosh, this thing 0:14:26.160 --> 0:14:27.810 is on Saturday? What happened? 0:14:28.980 --> 0:14:31.710 Unfortunately, if you've gone to the pre- party Wednesday and Thursday 0:14:31.710 --> 0:14:34.139 and Friday, you're going to get that information over and 0:14:34.139 --> 0:14:38.399 over again that it's Saturday, Saturday, Saturday. So public transportation 0:14:38.400 --> 0:14:39.780 is the way to go to make your way down 0:14:39.780 --> 0:14:42.900 there. We will have pre- race fluids, restrooms for the 0:14:42.900 --> 0:14:46.080 athletes as well as backdrop for those that need backdrop. 0:14:46.380 --> 0:14:49.320 Everything that you'll need post- finish will be there and available to 0:14:49.320 --> 0:14:52.440 you, post- race food amenities, heat sheets if the weather calls 0:14:52.920 --> 0:14:54.719 for it. So we'll be prepped and ready for you. 0:14:55.889 --> 0:14:59.190 Ted, you touched on it there, but okay, when I 0:14:59.190 --> 0:15:03.780 ran it, I definitely was preparing myself for some fun 0:15:03.900 --> 0:15:06.390 at Coney Island. It was a hot, hot day back 0:15:06.390 --> 0:15:09.990 in 2018 I think it was. What should I put 0:15:09.990 --> 0:15:14.040 in my bag to prepare and how is the baggage 0:15:14.040 --> 0:15:16.679 going to be getting all the way to Coney Island 0:15:16.740 --> 0:15:18.120 and waiting for me? What's the plan? 0:15:18.690 --> 0:15:22.590 So a couple of quick things. You want to at 0:15:22.590 --> 0:15:25.920 base have a change of clothes if need be and 0:15:25.920 --> 0:15:28.229 maybe some snacks, but we'll provide everything for you. We'll 0:15:28.230 --> 0:15:30.569 have fluids for you, we'll have electrolytes for you, we'll 0:15:30.570 --> 0:15:32.729 have snacks for you. And oh by the way, we'll 0:15:32.730 --> 0:15:34.559 get to this in a moment, there's an amazing post- 0:15:34.559 --> 0:15:36.239 race party as well. So if you need something to 0:15:36.240 --> 0:15:38.310 eat and drink, that'll be there and available for you 0:15:38.310 --> 0:15:40.860 as well. We will be transporting all gear for the 0:15:40.860 --> 0:15:43.740 participants via our UPS. They'll be transporting out. So again, 0:15:43.740 --> 0:15:47.580 planning early. Similar to flying airlines, you don't get to 0:15:47.580 --> 0:15:49.500 the airline 10 minutes before your flight thinking that they're 0:15:49.500 --> 0:15:51.509 going to check your bag. Get there early enough to 0:15:51.509 --> 0:15:53.910 drop off your bag, have the essential items that you 0:15:53.910 --> 0:15:56.970 need for your race day, any gels, any pre- race 0:15:56.970 --> 0:15:59.520 fluid that you need. We will have 10 aid stations 0:15:59.520 --> 0:16:01.410 in the course. We'll have gel stations on the course 0:16:01.410 --> 0:16:03.480 so all the aid and services that you need will 0:16:03.480 --> 0:16:05.849 be there. But if you need an extra little something, something, 0:16:06.059 --> 0:16:08.009 please have that with you in hand. And then when 0:16:08.009 --> 0:16:10.889 you get to the finish line, post- finish, cross the 0:16:10.889 --> 0:16:13.500 line, get your medal, take your photo, cruise on down, 0:16:13.500 --> 0:16:15.720 thank a volunteer, and then you'll make your way over 0:16:15.720 --> 0:16:17.670 to the lot where all your gear will be waiting 0:16:17.670 --> 0:16:18.090 for you. 0:16:18.780 --> 0:16:21.750 And pack enough to hang out for a while on 0:16:21.750 --> 0:16:25.320 Coney Island because there's a lot going on. There's the post- 0:16:25.320 --> 0:16:29.459 race party. I think it's one of the best post- 0:16:29.459 --> 0:16:34.350 race environments around. So pack to hang out, right? Don't 0:16:34.350 --> 0:16:37.710 just take off. I think it's a fun place to stay. 0:16:37.980 --> 0:16:41.010 100%. I mean the cool thing too is we have a 0:16:41.010 --> 0:16:44.130 recovery zone for our partners at HSS. There'll be goodies 0:16:44.130 --> 0:16:46.770 that you'll have, as I mentioned before, in your post- 0:16:46.770 --> 0:16:49.410 race bag and then the post- party, the after party 0:16:49.410 --> 0:16:51.660 as we like to say, that'll be there for folks 0:16:51.660 --> 0:16:55.410 at Maimonides Park where we'll have an open field, photo 0:16:55.410 --> 0:16:58.410 activations that'll be there, music that'll be there, area for 0:16:58.410 --> 0:17:01.349 you to stretch and recover and chill out, food and 0:17:01.349 --> 0:17:03.509 drink that'll be there as well that you can purchase. 0:17:03.839 --> 0:17:06.959 All right, so let's talk about the course and what 0:17:06.960 --> 0:17:08.850 people should know a little bit. Ted, you already gave 0:17:08.850 --> 0:17:12.150 a preview of the course. For those who have run 0:17:12.150 --> 0:17:14.849 it before, are there any things that they should know 0:17:14.849 --> 0:17:16.980 are different? Maybe they ran it two or three years 0:17:16.980 --> 0:17:19.950 ago that know where they went, they know what it's 0:17:19.950 --> 0:17:22.349 like, but what's changed over the last couple of years 0:17:22.350 --> 0:17:24.660 about this actual course and where people show up? 0:17:25.410 --> 0:17:27.208 Well, I think two things that have changed on the 0:17:27.210 --> 0:17:30.688 route that has been in line with the audience that 0:17:30.690 --> 0:17:33.300 is running. You'll see so many more of the clubs 0:17:33.300 --> 0:17:36.240 and crews out there cheering on the runners, not only 0:17:36.240 --> 0:17:40.319 in Prospect Park, but also down along Ocean Parkway. So 0:17:40.320 --> 0:17:41.939 that's one of the key things that are there that 0:17:41.940 --> 0:17:44.760 I think that folks will see from an experience side. 0:17:45.000 --> 0:17:48.900 Finish line, athletes will see a slight adjustment to how 0:17:48.900 --> 0:17:51.148 they get onto the boardwalk, so it'll be very minor 0:17:51.150 --> 0:17:54.030 instead of the path that we've been running up before. 0:17:54.030 --> 0:17:55.559 There's a little bit of a wider path that folks 0:17:55.559 --> 0:17:57.809 will make too, and then all the post- race recoveries 0:17:57.809 --> 0:17:59.309 and goodies will be there for you. So those are 0:17:59.309 --> 0:18:02.220 the two minor adjustments that they'll see there. But again, 0:18:02.220 --> 0:18:04.140 I stress the importance of making sure that you see 0:18:04.140 --> 0:18:06.060 the time that you're running and the wave that you're running in. 0:18:07.080 --> 0:18:12.179 That sounds amazing. Okay, now let's get us into the 0:18:12.179 --> 0:18:16.619 actual on the course, in the moment. So we know 0:18:16.619 --> 0:18:20.100 it starts in Prospect Park, twisty, turny, there's some hills. 0:18:20.100 --> 0:18:23.879 Then we get out of Prospect Park and all I 0:18:23.880 --> 0:18:28.560 remember someone telling me was, " Don't look at the letters," 0:18:28.650 --> 0:18:31.589 And I was like, what? It was so cryptic. And then 0:18:31.590 --> 0:18:34.080 as I was running I was like, oh, no, I 0:18:34.080 --> 0:18:38.820 looked at the letters and the roads. Oh my goodness, 0:18:38.820 --> 0:18:41.850 that threw me, but then you see the ocean and 0:18:41.850 --> 0:18:44.340 there you are, you see it sparkling and you're running 0:18:44.340 --> 0:18:48.750 towards it. So give us a preview of the major 0:18:48.750 --> 0:18:50.129 points along the way, Ted. 0:18:50.820 --> 0:18:55.168 So this course is beautiful as you are starting by the Brooklyn 0:18:55.170 --> 0:18:58.080 Museum. That's where your start line is, so iconic shot 0:18:58.080 --> 0:18:59.970 there. So for those of you that run with phones and 0:18:59.970 --> 0:19:03.599 have phones handy, great pre- race morning photo, right by 0:19:03.599 --> 0:19:07.050 that location. You'll be heading down Washington. You'll be making 0:19:07.138 --> 0:19:09.508 a right turn on Eastern Parkway and then there's an 0:19:09.540 --> 0:19:12.240 out and back on Flatbush Avenue. I love that section 0:19:12.240 --> 0:19:14.580 of the course because you get to see participants going 0:19:14.580 --> 0:19:16.890 down as you're making your way up, cheering each other 0:19:16.890 --> 0:19:19.890 on, and then you're making your way out and around Prospect 0:19:19.890 --> 0:19:22.349 Park before entering into the park itself and doing a 0:19:22.349 --> 0:19:25.289 full loop of the park. There will be some climbs 0:19:25.290 --> 0:19:27.029 as you're making your way up and around the park 0:19:27.030 --> 0:19:29.879 there, so be prepared for that. Once you exit out of 0:19:29.879 --> 0:19:32.100 the park, it's showtime go time as you make your 0:19:32.100 --> 0:19:35.160 way down to Ocean Parkway. As you stated before, don't read 0:19:35.160 --> 0:19:38.729 those letters as you go down. You have the width of the road, so 0:19:38.730 --> 0:19:41.638 cruise out there. And I remember when I ran this 0:19:41.638 --> 0:19:43.830 race years ago, the coolest thing about it was being 0:19:43.830 --> 0:19:45.388 able to look to your left and to your right and 0:19:45.388 --> 0:19:47.458 see your fellow runner out there and cheering each other and 0:19:47.459 --> 0:19:50.220 supporting each other on while you're there. That was always 0:19:50.220 --> 0:19:52.020 the coolest thing. You have this wide road, which is a 0:19:52.109 --> 0:19:55.379 major thoroughfare that is completely taken over by runners. 0:19:56.309 --> 0:19:58.710 Yeah, it's so cool that I remember all the crews 0:19:58.710 --> 0:20:01.408 being there once you get on and it was just 0:20:01.410 --> 0:20:03.958 full ... It was like a party zone getting closer and 0:20:03.960 --> 0:20:06.148 closer to the ocean. The crews got bigger and bigger 0:20:06.150 --> 0:20:07.920 and louder and louder. Wow. 0:20:08.400 --> 0:20:11.640 Absolutely, absolutely. Quick points to mention because we've talked about 0:20:11.640 --> 0:20:13.560 weather a couple of times, fun fact, we have no 0:20:13.560 --> 0:20:16.198 control over it, we just have to navigate around it. 0:20:16.200 --> 0:20:19.138