Rob Simmelkjaer: There is a big new thing for the RBC Brooklyn
Rob Simmelkjaer: Half this year, which is the location of the expo,
Rob Simmelkjaer: formerly known as the pre- party.
Ted Metellus: Well, we took all of that, the energy and the
Ted Metellus: vibe and that uniqueness and venue and space and moved
Ted Metellus: it to a new spot.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Hey everybody, and welcome to Set the Pace, the official
Rob Simmelkjaer: podcast of New York Road Runners presented by Peloton. I'm
Rob Simmelkjaer: your host, Rob Simmelkjaer, the CEO of New York Roadrunners,
Rob Simmelkjaer: and with me my co- host Peloton instructor, Becs Gentry.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Hello, Becs. How are you?
Becs Gentry: Hello. I'm good, thank you. How are you?
Rob Simmelkjaer: I'm good. It's nice to see you. I'm sorry we
Rob Simmelkjaer: didn't get to see each other in Boston thanks to
Rob Simmelkjaer: some flight issues you had.
Becs Gentry: I was so angry. I really was cursing my luck with
Becs Gentry: the airplanes. After having said to Austin, " I really should
Becs Gentry: just get the train. I don't know why I'm flying other than
Becs Gentry: to maintain my status."
Rob Simmelkjaer: Oh, the lure of the airline status. I get it.
Becs Gentry: The lure of the airline status and paying for flights
Becs Gentry: with points. Anyway, it wasn't the most fun because I
Becs Gentry: didn't get to see all the people I was so
Becs Gentry: excited to see because there were some incredible people at the
Becs Gentry: track on Saturday in Boston. It looked like so much
Becs Gentry: fun. The podcast sounded incredible.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Ah, thank you.
Becs Gentry: But here we are and what a weekend, Rob. I mean, it was
Becs Gentry: really cold up in Boston, which was quite shocking to
Becs Gentry: the system. But that race had perfect running conditions for
Becs Gentry: a point to point, slight tailwind. Temperature was amazing, which
Becs Gentry: is why we saw some, well, not just some, a
Becs Gentry: lot of absolutely insane times-
Rob Simmelkjaer: So many.
Becs Gentry: - coming out of this race. Not just professional, not
Becs Gentry: just from the elite and professional field. Most people I've
Becs Gentry: spoken to found themselves with either a PR or had
Becs Gentry: one of the most enjoyable runs, marathon distance of their whole life.
Rob Simmelkjaer: 100%. I was so happy for the runners. It was
Rob Simmelkjaer: an absolutely perfect day for them. And you're right, my
Rob Simmelkjaer: Instagram feed is just filled with PRs. I mean, up
Rob Simmelkjaer: and down the scroll is nothing but PR after PR.
Rob Simmelkjaer: And that says a lot because this is the Boston Marathon.
Rob Simmelkjaer: This is not Chicago. This is not Berlin. It's not even London
Rob Simmelkjaer: where you expect a lot of PRs. We're not talking about
Rob Simmelkjaer: Boston PRs. We're talking about best marathon time ever. And
Rob Simmelkjaer: a course that is not known for that. But I think it
Rob Simmelkjaer: was just that perfect combination of weather, a bit of
Rob Simmelkjaer: wind, cool temperatures, and people just had themselves some days
Rob Simmelkjaer: out there. So congrats to everybody. Whether you're a New
Rob Simmelkjaer: York Reuters member or someone who's listening to this podcast
Rob Simmelkjaer: for the very first time, congrats to everybody who finished
Rob Simmelkjaer: Boston and hopefully you had a great day. Even if
Rob Simmelkjaer: you didn't get that PR, if you finished and you
Rob Simmelkjaer: had that experience of running 130 runnings of the Boston
Rob Simmelkjaer: Marathon and you had a chance to be a part of one
Rob Simmelkjaer: of them. So it's a very, very special thing and
Rob Simmelkjaer: kind of the dream of so many runners to have that opportunity.
Becs Gentry: Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. Really, really. Congratulations.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Yeah. And the elite side of things, Becs was incredibly inspiring.
Becs Gentry: Yeah. It's so funny because I always think the first half
Becs Gentry: of Boston is quite boring. As a runner, I've run it
Becs Gentry: and the first half of Boston... It's not boring actually
Becs Gentry: as a normal runner. It's quite nice. It's net downhill.
Becs Gentry: It's rolling hills. It feels good on the legs. But
Becs Gentry: when you're watching the elite field, it is quite boring
Becs Gentry: for the first half because they hold back so much.
Becs Gentry: You saw it in both the men's and women's on both
Becs Gentry: the wheelchair and the elite pro runners. I'd say for
Becs Gentry: the first 18 to 20 miles even on Monday, it was
Becs Gentry: a different race than the last few miles. But the
Becs Gentry: men, the men's elite race, Rob, all three of them, the
Becs Gentry: one, two, and three broke the previous course record, correct?
Rob Simmelkjaer: That's right. Incredible. That's right. All three of the men
Rob Simmelkjaer: who finished on the podium, John Korir, the winner, a
Rob Simmelkjaer: course record, 2: 01: 52. Alphonce Simbu from Tanzania would have had
Rob Simmelkjaer: a course record had he been the winner at 2:
Rob Simmelkjaer: 02:47. And then our good friend, Benson Kipruto from Kenya, 2: 02:50.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Blazing times. Congratulations to John Korir. His entire team on
Rob Simmelkjaer: a really tremendous race. And he just knew. He knew
Rob Simmelkjaer: that he had it and put the hammer down.
Becs Gentry: For the day before.
Rob Simmelkjaer: That's right.
Becs Gentry: For the day before, he said the day before, he was going to
Becs Gentry: win Boston Marathon again. And he did.
Rob Simmelkjaer: He knew he had it and he had it. And a tremendous effort by all three
Rob Simmelkjaer: of them, but it was just John Korir's day. He
Rob Simmelkjaer: continues an incredibly successful career and winning in some of
Rob Simmelkjaer: the biggest places in the world. Now he's a course
Rob Simmelkjaer: record holder and Boston Marathon champion. So congratulations to John
Rob Simmelkjaer: Korir. On the women's side, we have to talk about
Rob Simmelkjaer: our friend Sharon Lokedi. Now, it was interesting seeing Sharon
Rob Simmelkjaer: take this race on without Hellen Obiri there. And so to
Rob Simmelkjaer: me, that was always a question.
Becs Gentry: Or her mama.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Yeah. Or her mom. I was always wondering, how is she going
Rob Simmelkjaer: to handle this? Being out there, not having Hellen, they
Rob Simmelkjaer: are such great foils against one another. And so watching
Rob Simmelkjaer: how Sharon took this race on to me was so
Rob Simmelkjaer: fascinating. I mean, she-
Becs Gentry: It was.
Rob Simmelkjaer: - stayed in that pack with lots of Americans, by
Rob Simmelkjaer: the way, who had a great run. We'll talk about,
Rob Simmelkjaer: as well as the other podium finishers, Loice Chemnung and Mary...
Rob Simmelkjaer: I'm going to have trouble with this name. Ngugi-Cooper.
Becs Gentry: Ngugi-Cooper.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Exactly. Around it at the podium. But they stayed in a
Rob Simmelkjaer: pack together along with a bunch of Americans for quite
Rob Simmelkjaer: a long time.
Becs Gentry: It looked fun.
Rob Simmelkjaer: It looked like a fun race.
Becs Gentry: They were having some chats.
Rob Simmelkjaer: A lot of familiar faces for us in that group. Jess McClain, Annie Frisbie,
Rob Simmelkjaer: Emily Sisson, lots of familiar faces.
Becs Gentry: Dakotah.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Dakotah was there. And so they're all just having a nice run and Sharon looked
Rob Simmelkjaer: comfortable. I just enjoyed watching Sharon's face during that. She
Rob Simmelkjaer: looked comfortable, just didn't look-
Becs Gentry: So comfortable.
Rob Simmelkjaer: - like she was experiencing a lot of stress at all.
Becs Gentry: Nope.
Rob Simmelkjaer: And then she said-
Becs Gentry: None of them did. Let's be honest, none of those
Becs Gentry: women did. There was a fantastic, and it was documented,
Becs Gentry: I think it was on Dakotah's or Annie's Instagram, where
Becs Gentry: they were just sharing a moment of fun. I think
Becs Gentry: maybe it was Kodi Kleven was in between them, and
Becs Gentry: don't quote me on that, but Dakotah's turning around to
Becs Gentry: say something to Annie. They're both laughing. And then, yeah,
Becs Gentry: Sharon just stayed right in the middle of all of
Becs Gentry: the women there, just cruising along. But it was, as
Becs Gentry: I said earlier, there was a certain point in the
Becs Gentry: race for the men and the women. The men, the
Becs Gentry: hats came off. The women, the arm sleeves came off,
Becs Gentry: and they were thrown. And I think Carrie said in
Becs Gentry: the commentary at one point, " I hope somebody picks that
Becs Gentry: up because it is going to go into a hall
Becs Gentry: of fame. Oh, those arm sleeves." And she just decided
Becs Gentry: that, okay, we're getting this done. Now's the time. We're
Becs Gentry: done. We're going for that finish line. Goodbye, everybody. I'll
Becs Gentry: see you later. And she won. Oh, her smile at
Becs Gentry: the end though, I was in tears at home. Tallulah
Becs Gentry: had just come home from, I don't know, dance class
Becs Gentry: or something in the morning and she came running and, "
Becs Gentry: Mommy, are you okay?" And I'm like, " Yes, my friend.
Becs Gentry: I love her. She's just won the Boston Marathon." And
Becs Gentry: she teased just screaming for Sharon, just like, " We love
Becs Gentry: Sharon's pink shoes." And it was elation. There was just
Becs Gentry: so much joy and elation for everyone that day, including
Becs Gentry: all of the women who came in after her.
Rob Simmelkjaer: It was amazing to see. Just what can you say
Rob Simmelkjaer: other than she was obviously the talent of that field and she
Rob Simmelkjaer: did a phenomenal job. She did. So we're very proud of
Rob Simmelkjaer: her. We love it. Congratulations to Sharon. Congratulations to so many of
Rob Simmelkjaer: these professional women who had PRs who had this great,
Rob Simmelkjaer: great day in Boston. On the wheelchair side, no surprise.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Marcel, who continuing to dominate a six- minute margin of
Rob Simmelkjaer: victory for him over Daniel Romanchuk. Marcel, no doubt from
Rob Simmelkjaer: mile one, he had this thing on lockdown and continues.
Becs Gentry: He knows it. It was his ninth Boston. He knows
Becs Gentry: this course so, so well. His fitness level just continues
Becs Gentry: to improve so much. I mean, he just looked flawless,
Becs Gentry: absolutely flawless all the way. And then on the women's
Becs Gentry: side, proud, proud British-
Rob Simmelkjaer: You're a country woman.
Becs Gentry: - person over here.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Yeah.
Becs Gentry: Eden Rainbow- Cooper. Coming in again, and we spoke about
Becs Gentry: this at the United Airlines NYC Half earlier this year. She
Becs Gentry: changed her mentality. She decided that she needed to step
Becs Gentry: it up. She wanted to work harder. She wanted to
Becs Gentry: be faster, and she made a conscious decision to make
Becs Gentry: those changes. And it is flourishing. Right now, we saw
Becs Gentry: her performance in New York, on the streets of New
Becs Gentry: York, and she has just taken another win, another moment
Becs Gentry: to say, " Yeah, I'm here. I'm here and watch out."
Becs Gentry: And I'm sure Susannah Scaroni, who's currently pregnant, was on
Becs Gentry: the sidelines. I actually saw her in Boston. She was
Becs Gentry: around. I'm sure she was there.
Rob Simmelkjaer: She was. I saw her in the hotel at the Fairmont.
Becs Gentry: Just cheering and celebrating Eden for her incredible performance as well.
Becs Gentry: I mean, Catherine Debrunner was, she was the one people
Becs Gentry: were watching here to win and take it because it's
Becs Gentry: the one place she hasn't had a champion win here.
Becs Gentry: But yep, nope. The Brits came in. It's that cold weather.
Becs Gentry: We know it.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Exactly. They're used to that. You're right though. Eden Rainbow- Cooper really has taken
Rob Simmelkjaer: her game to another level. So congrats to her. We
Rob Simmelkjaer: mentioned some of the Americans on the women's side. So many
Rob Simmelkjaer: great days. Jess McClain, so great to see her have
Rob Simmelkjaer: a great day. Fifth place. Overall, tremendous effort. Annie Frisbie.
Becs Gentry: Fastest American woman owned the Boston course as well for
Becs Gentry: Jess McClain's (inaudible) .
Rob Simmelkjaer: Yes. Yes. Very well done. Very special record there. Annie Frisbie,
Rob Simmelkjaer: not far behind in eighth place. Emily Sisson, ninth place.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Carrie Ellwood, 10th place. So four Americans getting into that
Rob Simmelkjaer: top 10 in Boston.
Becs Gentry: And Dakotah was right there in 12th. So it carried on.
Rob Simmelkjaer: That's right. She was right there. On the men's side, Zouhair
Rob Simmelkjaer: Talbi, 2: 03: 45, fifth place overall. Charles Hicks, seventh
Rob Simmelkjaer: place. Clayton Young, congrats to Clayton on an 11th place finish.
Becs Gentry: With nine weeks of training.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Exactly.
Becs Gentry: Nine weeks of training.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Right. I mean, didn't have a lot of time, made a
Rob Simmelkjaer: late decision. I saw Clayton in the lobby of the
Rob Simmelkjaer: hotel and we talked about how excited he was. And
Rob Simmelkjaer: you're right, how he wasn't really sure what he would
Rob Simmelkjaer: have with not that much training behind him. He had
Rob Simmelkjaer: a lot. He had a great, great day.
Becs Gentry: He did.
Rob Simmelkjaer: It was funny, Becs, there were so many runners there.
Rob Simmelkjaer: To your point about Susannah Scaroni not competing because she's
Rob Simmelkjaer: expecting a baby and we're so excited for her. But
Rob Simmelkjaer: there are others. Viola Cheptoo from our friend from Kenya,
Rob Simmelkjaer: who we spent time with who finished six in the
Rob Simmelkjaer: Tokyo Marathon. I get out of the Uber at the Fairmont
Rob Simmelkjaer: Hotel and I look up and Viola's there and I'm like, "
Rob Simmelkjaer: Viola, what are you doing here? You're not running this.
Rob Simmelkjaer: And congrats on Tokyo." She's there to support Sharon. They
Rob Simmelkjaer: are so close.
Becs Gentry: Such good friends and training partners.
Rob Simmelkjaer: That she (inaudible) they were going out on a training run together. And
Rob Simmelkjaer: you see these pro runners, there's so many bonds between
Rob Simmelkjaer: them and they'll come to Boston just to support one
Rob Simmelkjaer: another, which is amazing. You don't see that in every sport.
Becs Gentry: No. Absolutely not. No, it was beautiful. And I think
Becs Gentry: they shared an embrace not long after Sharon came over
Becs Gentry: the line. So it's just been a really, really, truly long day.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Conner Mantz was there to support Clayton.
Becs Gentry: To support Clayton.
Rob Simmelkjaer: I saw Conner in the lobby as well. He had
Rob Simmelkjaer: to unfortunately pull out.
Becs Gentry: Hardcore training.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Exactly.
Becs Gentry: Hardcore training buddies.
Rob Simmelkjaer: It's just great. Listen, it's a special sport. It's a special
Rob Simmelkjaer: community. And you just see it from the pros all
Rob Simmelkjaer: the way on down. So it's a lot of fun.
Rob Simmelkjaer: There's just something very special about Boston. I think it's
Rob Simmelkjaer: a smaller event, smaller number of finishers, smaller footprint. Everything
Rob Simmelkjaer: is so close to everything. You just see everyone. You go
Rob Simmelkjaer: to Boston for a couple days and you see everyone
Rob Simmelkjaer: in the running community and it's a lot of fun. So
Rob Simmelkjaer: I know you really enjoy it as well. All right. Well, coming
Rob Simmelkjaer: up in just a moment, Becs, it's going to be,
Rob Simmelkjaer: before we know it, time for the RBC Brooklyn Half.
Becs Gentry: Crazy.
Rob Simmelkjaer: I know. It's right on the heels of Boston. Here
Rob Simmelkjaer: we go. We're three and a half weeks out from
Rob Simmelkjaer: Brooklyn for those who are taking that on. And so
Rob Simmelkjaer: we will bring in our one and only race director,
Rob Simmelkjaer: the chief event production officer of New York Road Runners,
Rob Simmelkjaer: Ted Metellus, for our everything you need to know about
Rob Simmelkjaer: the RBC Brooklyn Half episode. And we'll take you through
Rob Simmelkjaer: from the transportation to the expo to the course to
Rob Simmelkjaer: the finish and the after party, all the things that you
Rob Simmelkjaer: need to know to get ready for Brooklyn. So Ted,
Rob Simmelkjaer: coming up in just a minute.
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Rob Simmelkjaer: Today we welcome back to the show, New York Road
Rob Simmelkjaer: Runners Chief Event Production Officer and race director, Ted Metellus.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Ted's going to drop by as he does before all
Rob Simmelkjaer: of our marquee races to give our runners an unmissable
Rob Simmelkjaer: preview of what they can expect on race week for
Rob Simmelkjaer: our biggest races. Of course, the RBC Brooklyn Half is
Rob Simmelkjaer: one of those big races coming up. Ted and I and Becs are
Rob Simmelkjaer: all just back as we record on Tuesday from a
Rob Simmelkjaer: big weekend in Boston. Ted did not just lend support
Rob Simmelkjaer: to all the New York Road Runners runners taking on
Rob Simmelkjaer: the Boston Marathon. He and I also ran the Boston
Rob Simmelkjaer: 5K on Saturday. And then Ted later in the day
Rob Simmelkjaer: actually joined team NYRR for the New Balance Marathon Relay,
Rob Simmelkjaer: which we recorded Set the Pace from. So Ted, you
Rob Simmelkjaer: had a busy weekend in Boston. How you feeling on Tuesday?
Ted Metellus: I'm feeling really, really, really, really good. It was a
Ted Metellus: busy weekend of activities. The Boston Marathon is tremendous because it's
Ted Metellus: the first North American major, the (inaudible) marathon major.
Ted Metellus: So everybody is in Boston. If you stand in one
Ted Metellus: intersection, you're guaranteed to run into six different people at
Ted Metellus: any given time. But it was a fun filled weekend
Ted Metellus: and a weekend full of running. I was representing team
Ted Metellus: NYRR as part of the relay, which was fun after
Ted Metellus: doing the 5K with you and a bunch of other friends
Ted Metellus: and colleagues.
Rob Simmelkjaer: I got that medal. That medal's back there. That medal's back there hanging. I already put it up there.
Rob Simmelkjaer: You can probably see it. Got a couple of those.
Rob Simmelkjaer: It's a great 5K they put on in Boston.
Ted Metellus: Yes. Beautiful course, great engagement. Love finishing at the marathon
Ted Metellus: finish, which is very similar to our Abbott Dash to
Ted Metellus: the Finish 5K. But yeah, the energy was amazing. And
Ted Metellus: listen, we'll talk in a second about that weather, which
Ted Metellus: lend itself for a very, very fast and amazing race.
Becs Gentry: Absolutely.
Rob Simmelkjaer: A lot of PRs.
Becs Gentry: Very sad to miss it, but I watched vicariously through
Becs Gentry: everyone's Instagram and watched you all thriving, whether it was
Becs Gentry: on the roads or on the track. It was a
Becs Gentry: weekend of strong New York Roadrunners presence in Boston. I
Becs Gentry: was very proud.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Yeah, it was a great weekend. Congrats again to all
Rob Simmelkjaer: of the finishers in Boston. And for a lot of
Rob Simmelkjaer: folks who didn't run Boston, perhaps the reason they weren't
Rob Simmelkjaer: running or weren't even thinking about Boston is because their
Rob Simmelkjaer: minds are focused on the RBC Brooklyn Half, which is
Rob Simmelkjaer: coming up before we know it in the middle of
Rob Simmelkjaer: May, and we're all excited for that. So let's turn
Rob Simmelkjaer: our attention to the RBC Brooklyn Half coming up in
Rob Simmelkjaer: just under a month. And Ted, let's start focusing on
Rob Simmelkjaer: what is new this year. And there is a big
Rob Simmelkjaer: new thing for the RBC Brooklyn Half this year, which
Rob Simmelkjaer: is the location of the expo, formerly known as the pre-
Rob Simmelkjaer: party. And Ted, this has been a topic of... We
Rob Simmelkjaer: can give people a little peek behind the curtain a
Rob Simmelkjaer: little bit here because this has been a topic of
Rob Simmelkjaer: conversation for a while at New York Roadrunners. You and
Rob Simmelkjaer: I had this conversation many times regarding the situation with
Rob Simmelkjaer: the pre- party at Brooklyn Bridge Park. Brooklyn Bridge Park
Rob Simmelkjaer: was a spectacular venue. It was an amazing place to
Rob Simmelkjaer: be. It was beautiful. The views, the vibes were incredible.
Rob Simmelkjaer: And that all lended itself to the pre- party kind
Rob Simmelkjaer: of vibe. The issue was getting there. It was hard
Rob Simmelkjaer: for folks to get there combined with the fact that
Rob Simmelkjaer: the race is on a Saturday, which meant you didn't
Rob Simmelkjaer: quite have the time maybe to hang out because people
Rob Simmelkjaer: were working on the Wednesday, the Thursday, the Friday. So
Rob Simmelkjaer: all that led to lots of conversation, which ultimately has
Rob Simmelkjaer: landed us in a new location for the RBC Brooklyn
Rob Simmelkjaer: Half Expo.
Becs Gentry: Yes.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Tell everybody about that.
Ted Metellus: Rob is literally the best boss ever. And you know
Ted Metellus: he's got phenomenal broadcast skills as he referenced it conversations.
Ted Metellus: Some would call it debates.
Becs Gentry: He was being calm and kind, right?
Ted Metellus: So called full on battles.
Becs Gentry: Rob's like, " It looks really good and it's amazing." And Ted's like, "
Becs Gentry: Yeah, but the people can't get there."
Rob Simmelkjaer: Actually, the other way around, Becs. It was actually the other
Rob Simmelkjaer: way around. Yes.
Becs Gentry: Ted, tell us, that shocks me.
Ted Metellus: Yeah. Well, I'll give you a quick scoop and dive
Ted Metellus: into things because evolution is a beautiful thing and change
Ted Metellus: is inevitable. This race in particular, the RBC Brooklyn Half
Ted Metellus: Marathon has had so many changes over the years. Some
Ted Metellus: small, some big. I remember back many, many, many, many
Ted Metellus: years ago, and you've heard this on our other pods
Ted Metellus: where the race used to start in Coney Island and
Ted Metellus: finish in Prospect Park. And that went on for quite
Ted Metellus: some time until we turned and changed and modified this
Ted Metellus: race to what the course is today, the (inaudible)
Ted Metellus: course that we have today. The pre- party, which was
Ted Metellus: one of a kind in its industry. And having an
Ted Metellus: outdoor expo, which is not that foreign, but something in
Ted Metellus: an incredibly unique and iconic location like Brooklyn Bridge Park
Ted Metellus: was really, really cool and different with the entertainment and the music and
Ted Metellus: everything that we have there. Well, we took all of
Ted Metellus: that, the energy and the vibe and that uniqueness and
Ted Metellus: venue and space and moved it to a new spot.
Ted Metellus: And a spot that, to Rob's point, should be a
Ted Metellus: lot easier for people to get to. A location that
Ted Metellus: many of the 27, 000 plus runners will be traversing through,
Ted Metellus: which is in Prospect Park. So we are moving the
Ted Metellus: expo now to the LeFrak Center at Lakeside in Prospect Park.
Ted Metellus: So a great location that will be there for folks
Ted Metellus: that live in the Brooklyn area, they may have taken
Ted Metellus: their kids there to go ice skating or have gone
Ted Metellus: there for events and programs. What is great now is
Ted Metellus: there are east side and west side train access to
Ted Metellus: Prospect Park and follow the signage and directions in our
Ted Metellus: staff that will direct you right to the center of
Ted Metellus: the park there to pick up your bib.
Rob Simmelkjaer: And let's stay on that just-
Becs Gentry: Oh, sorry.
Rob Simmelkjaer: No, go ahead, Becs. Sorry.
Becs Gentry: Well, I was going to say, I was going to
Becs Gentry: add, as a lot of people are running this year's.
Becs Gentry: If you are with smaller humans, it is a great
Becs Gentry: way to make a bit of a fun excursion for
Becs Gentry: the day to get your kids involved in movement and
Becs Gentry: get them excited by going to pick up mom, dad,
Becs Gentry: uncle, auntie, friends, bib, but then they get to be
Becs Gentry: in Prospect Park. As I said, there's a lot of activities
Becs Gentry: to do there. There's also a zoo. Most people probably
Becs Gentry: don't know that in Prospect Park, which is actually perfect
Becs Gentry: for smaller humans, like toddlers and above. It's not a
Becs Gentry: big zoo. It's great. And obviously it's a huge and
Becs Gentry: beautiful outdoor space and they can get to see where
Becs Gentry: their favorite human or one of their favorite humans is
Becs Gentry: going to be running the next day. So don't be
Becs Gentry: fearful to bring the family along and make it a
Becs Gentry: family day. And then they can maybe hear about all
Becs Gentry: the other New York Road Runners races for kids that
Becs Gentry: they might want to get involved in at another time
Becs Gentry: and place. So make it fun for everyone. So this is even more
Becs Gentry: fun for everyone.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Yeah, it's going to be awesome. We're excited for the
Rob Simmelkjaer: new location. It's a beautiful venue there. And so far,
Rob Simmelkjaer: what I've been hearing is the Brooklyn people especially are
Rob Simmelkjaer: very happy. A lot of people in Brooklyn area, this
Rob Simmelkjaer: is easier for them to get to. And just a
Rob Simmelkjaer: word to the folks who are not that excited about
Rob Simmelkjaer: going to Brooklyn for the expo, whether it is at
Rob Simmelkjaer: Brooklyn Bridge Park or in Prospect Park. And just so you
Rob Simmelkjaer: all know out there, we hear you, we listen to
Rob Simmelkjaer: you. I see the conversations happening on Reddit and all
Rob Simmelkjaer: the places, so we pay attention. And I want to
Rob Simmelkjaer: just say, and Ted, I know you love to say
Rob Simmelkjaer: this, the RBC Brooklyn Half is in Brooklyn. And so
Rob Simmelkjaer: if you want to run a half- marathon in Brooklyn, then that's why-
Becs Gentry: You got to come to Brooklyn.
Rob Simmelkjaer: - the expo's in Brooklyn. Because we do see a
Rob Simmelkjaer: lot of, and it's kind of funny on Reddit, the Brooklyn
Rob Simmelkjaer: people are all telling the people from Manhattan and other
Rob Simmelkjaer: places like, " Oh, what a shame. You have to come
Rob Simmelkjaer: to Brooklyn." We all go to Manhattan all the time. And that's right.
Rob Simmelkjaer: You want to run the RBC Brooklyn Half, you must
Rob Simmelkjaer: go to Brooklyn, not once, but twice.
Becs Gentry: Cross that (inaudible) baby.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Once to pick up your bib and then once to
Rob Simmelkjaer: run the race. And to be clear, there will be
Rob Simmelkjaer: no race numbers available on race morning at the start.
Rob Simmelkjaer: There will be no race numbers available at the run
Rob Simmelkjaer: center. You must go to Brooklyn. You can send a
Rob Simmelkjaer: friend. We do allow expo pickups or proxy pickup.
Ted Metellus: Proxy pickup.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Yes. So you can send a friend, maybe a club teammate
Rob Simmelkjaer: or whoever you know who's running the race as well.
Rob Simmelkjaer: And that is a way to kind of make things a
Rob Simmelkjaer: little bit easier.
Becs Gentry: But it is the B, Q, and S. There are three lines
Becs Gentry: on the subway that will get you there. There are city
Becs Gentry: bikes, beautiful ride over beautiful bridges. There's a little warmup
Becs Gentry: jog, shakeout run. I don't know, maybe. Maybe do that as well.
Becs Gentry: Plenty of ways to get there, including Uber. They do
Becs Gentry: go to Brooklyn.
Ted Metellus: Becs is speaking like a proud Brooklynite there. And it's great that
Ted Metellus: you note all the different ways that folks can traverse
Ted Metellus: and get their way to that venue. So yes, all
Ted Metellus: things trains, all things buses, taking a quick rundown to
Ted Metellus: the lower part of the park there to that venue
Ted Metellus: is key. There are city bike parking spots on the
Ted Metellus: east side and the west side of the parks is
Ted Metellus: options to get there. Yes, Rob, proxy pickup is available
Ted Metellus: for participants for this event, which is great too. So
Ted Metellus: teammates, partners, friends, please come show up with the appropriate
Ted Metellus: material needed identification of the teammates and their information so
Ted Metellus: the team can scan and provide the bibs there for
Ted Metellus: them as well as their race t- shirts. What is
Ted Metellus: also going to be available for you at the expo
Ted Metellus: is all of the necessary equipment that you'll need leading
Ted Metellus: into the event. So our partners from Fleet Feet, our
Ted Metellus: amazing partners from New Balance will be there where you
Ted Metellus: can get your final gels and supplies that you need
Ted Metellus: prior to race day, but also making sure that you're
Ted Metellus: well styled and looking fresh for your run. One quick
Ted Metellus: point though that we want to make sure that people
Ted Metellus: know is that our runners are asked to submit their
Ted Metellus: times that they want to plan to come in. So
Ted Metellus: look at your calendar, look at your dates, see when
Ted Metellus: it coordinates well and please submit that. So we are
Ted Metellus: best prepared to be able to manage the crowds based
Ted Metellus: on the slots available for entry at the expo. But we'll still
Ted Metellus: have fun. They'll still have merch. We'll still have a
Ted Metellus: good time. There'll be some tunes. The team's trying to
Ted Metellus: figure out if there's a way for me to get
Ted Metellus: out there and DJ for a little bit, so we'll
Ted Metellus: see if that can happen.
Becs Gentry: That will get everyone to Brooklyn.
Ted Metellus: Well, you know. DJing is great because I got a face for radio. So sit back,
Ted Metellus: play some tunes and set the vibes for folks. But
Ted Metellus: we're really, really excited about this new venue and this
Ted Metellus: site. And for those who may have never participated in
Ted Metellus: this event, similar to the TCS New York City Marathon,
Ted Metellus: you get a little bit of a preview of what
Ted Metellus: the venue is when you come into Central Park. And
Ted Metellus: in this case, you'll get an opportunity to see, wow,
Ted Metellus: you know what? We'll be running uphill to exit out
Ted Metellus: of this location or entering in at this location. Take
Ted Metellus: a look at where the entrance points are at on
Ted Metellus: Eastern Parkway. Get a little bit of a lay of
Ted Metellus: land prior to race day.
Becs Gentry: Amazing. Ted, something you briefly touched on there is something
Becs Gentry: that we've been seeing a lot of questions from runners
Becs Gentry: about is wave and corral placement. And it is the
Becs Gentry: basis of runners who have may well, and amazingly so,
Becs Gentry: have improved their time since they submitted the application for
Becs Gentry: this race. So is there a way, and if so,
Becs Gentry: how would they potentially move their wave and corral position?
Ted Metellus: One of the things that is uniform across all events
Ted Metellus: everywhere, Rob, you and I chatted about this in Boston where we're
Ted Metellus: getting ready to do the 5K. You can't go forward, but you
Ted Metellus: can always go backwards. So if you have a friend,
Ted Metellus: loved one that is running with you and they're moving
Ted Metellus: at a slower pace, you can run with them there.
Becs Gentry: But if it's before the May the 1st, 2026, they
Becs Gentry: can submit online with an official certified half- marathon result,
Becs Gentry: which is from April... What was the date there? January,
Becs Gentry: sorry. January 20th.
Rob Simmelkjaer: January-
Ted Metellus: Yes, January 20th to May 1st. Exactly.
Becs Gentry: So May 1st, 2026. That is only online though, guys. You cannot
Becs Gentry: come on the day when you pick up your bib
Becs Gentry: with that URL, that link or that certificate in your
Becs Gentry: hand, as Ted said, that will not happen on the
Becs Gentry: day. You have to do that prior to May the
Becs Gentry: 1st, essentially, online. Okay? So make sure that's the changes.
Becs Gentry: But yeah, anything on the expedited said, you can move
Becs Gentry: backwards to join other friends perhaps or later in the
Becs Gentry: day to make your morning easier. But yeah, changing otherwise
Becs Gentry: online. That's right.
Ted Metellus: And upon listening to this podcast, you do have time.
Becs Gentry: Yes.
Ted Metellus: So upon the listening of this, when this pops up, if that information
Ted Metellus: has not been supplied, again, as Becs noted, submitting your
Ted Metellus: certified marathon completed time between-
Rob Simmelkjaer: Half marathon.
Ted Metellus: Half- marathon time, I'm sorry, between January 20th, 2026 to May
Ted Metellus: 1st. So if you've done a fast half, plug that
Ted Metellus: in and get out there and hit those miles.
Rob Simmelkjaer: That's right. Absolutely. And you will get an email closer
Rob Simmelkjaer: to race day, which will tell you your final wave
Rob Simmelkjaer: and your final corral assignment. And again, as Ted said,
Rob Simmelkjaer: pay attention to that. Show up at the appropriate time
Rob Simmelkjaer: for your wave and know that you cannot move up,
Rob Simmelkjaer: but you can move back if there's folks you want
Rob Simmelkjaer: to run with.
Becs Gentry: Yes.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Let's talk about transportation. Always an issue, Ted, also something
Rob Simmelkjaer: people are thinking about where when you got close to 30,
Rob Simmelkjaer: 000 people showing up in one place that's not Yankee
Rob Simmelkjaer: Stadium or City Field that's used to having large numbers
Rob Simmelkjaer: of people show up, it's important to leave time, Ted.
Rob Simmelkjaer: And I know this is one of your favorite metaphors is
Rob Simmelkjaer: the airport, right? Yes. And getting there in time for
Rob Simmelkjaer: your flight in this pace you'll race.
Becs Gentry: Especially recently.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Yes.
Ted Metellus: Yes, yes, yes. You hit it on the head there
Ted Metellus: and it's all key in preparation of phase that I'm
Ted Metellus: chuckling because of what Becs commented about, especially recently. Poor
Ted Metellus: Becs had some travel challenges getting home post Boston. Yeah.
Ted Metellus: So it's important that folks plan accordingly as to their
Ted Metellus: train or motor transportation to get to the venue, also
Ted Metellus: as it relates to their wave locations and times. So
Ted Metellus: that's a point that I want to note there. So
Ted Metellus: you so eloquently stated before, all the trains that are
Ted Metellus: available for folks to get through to get down to
Ted Metellus: either Flatbush Avenue or Bedford Avenue there. So those are
Ted Metellus: the two locations that folks will be able to get
Ted Metellus: access into the corral points for the events. Your key
Ted Metellus: landmarks are going to either be the Grand Army Plaza
Ted Metellus: Train Station Stop, the Brooklyn Museum Train Station stops. So
Ted Metellus: you're too closest that are going to get you to
Ted Metellus: our venue and site.
Becs Gentry: Amazing.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Love it.
Becs Gentry: Amazing. And follow the runners.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Leave lots of time.
Ted Metellus: Yes. Well, I'll tell you so much time. So straight
Ted Metellus: from our safety and security team, as well as our
Ted Metellus: baggage operations team screening will open at 6: 30 AM
Ted Metellus: on race morning. And again, the race is on Saturday,
Ted Metellus: not on Sunday, but on Saturday.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Really important fact there. Ted, can we talk about security
Rob Simmelkjaer: for a second because we know that there can be
Rob Simmelkjaer: backups sometimes to get through security screening. What can runners
Rob Simmelkjaer: do to help speed that process along of getting through
Rob Simmelkjaer: these checkpoints quickly? And so not only to get themselves
Rob Simmelkjaer: through, but to help all their fellow runners get it through
Rob Simmelkjaer: quickly into their corrals.
Ted Metellus: Well, this is the thing. We just mentioned it. Treat it
Ted Metellus: like you would if you were flying. If your flight
Ted Metellus: was taken off at seven o'clock, you are not showing
Ted Metellus: up at seven o'clock. That's not going to happen because
Ted Metellus: the doors be closed and that plane is pulling off
Ted Metellus: and taking off. So what we ask folks to do
Ted Metellus: is plan accordingly to get to the venue as early
Ted Metellus: as possible. Our teams are saying anywhere between 30 to 45 minutes
Ted Metellus: to get there, which will allow you enough time to
Ted Metellus: get through the queue lines because with 27, 000 plus participants,
Ted Metellus: you're not the only person showing up. All right? So
Ted Metellus: plan accordingly there. The other things too that I will let folks know
Ted Metellus: is this. If you are showing up with baggage, you
Ted Metellus: need to drop your bags in your appropriate corral area
Ted Metellus: based on your start. If you're running without any baggage,
Ted Metellus: you can enter in on the east side of the
Ted Metellus: west side. So I'll give you a little bit here.
Ted Metellus: Bag check will open up at 5: 00 AM. So
Ted Metellus: you'll drop your bag first before making your way over
Ted Metellus: to the screening location, as I mentioned before. So bag
Ted Metellus: check opens up at 5: 00 AM on Eastern Parkway. Waves
Ted Metellus: one and three bag check is on Bedford Avenue and
Ted Metellus: Eastern Parkway. Waves two and four bag check is on
Ted Metellus: Eastern Park Parkway between Plaza Street and Grand Army Plaza.
Ted Metellus: So runners will be allowed one bag and we'll provide
Ted Metellus: those bags for folks. This race tend to be a
Ted Metellus: little bit on the milder side temperature wise, you don't
Ted Metellus: need to bring your giant hoodie or your sweatpants or
Ted Metellus: your jacket. We had that experience with the United Airlines
Ted Metellus: and YCF. We're going to expect some nicer temps here
Ted Metellus: for space.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Yeah, I hope so. So the ways around here, I'm not
Rob Simmelkjaer: sure. It's 30 degrees in April this morning.
Ted Metellus: Exactly.
Becs Gentry: I could see my breath this morning. It was brutal.
Ted Metellus: Yeah, it is a little bit of a crapshoot here.
Ted Metellus: You have 25 days before race day upon recording this
Ted Metellus: tape here. We'll see what happens. We'll see what we got.
Becs Gentry: Last week we were busking in 85 degrees.
Ted Metellus: Correct.
Becs Gentry: What's 60 degree discrepancy?
Ted Metellus: We're leaning on and praying for good temps there.
Becs Gentry: It's normally nice.
Ted Metellus: Exactly. And again, the key point here is taking a
Ted Metellus: look at, you'll see when you receive your bib, your
Ted Metellus: bib will say what wave you're in and what corral
Ted Metellus: you're in. Okay. So looking at that, you'll see what
Ted Metellus: side you need to enter in on from Eastern Parkway.
Ted Metellus: If you don't have any baggage, you can come in from either
Ted Metellus: side based on the trains that you get off on.
Ted Metellus: If you have baggage, you have to drop it off
Ted Metellus: in your appropriate location, whether it's the one and three
Ted Metellus: side or the two and four side. Once that is
Ted Metellus: done, then you'll be making your way through security. Here's
Ted Metellus: the security part here, folks. Again, similar to the airport.
Ted Metellus: Don't show up to the security gate with everything in
Ted Metellus: your pockets and then pulling it out. Be prepared there.
Ted Metellus: What we've done is we've added additional security screening points
Ted Metellus: in partnership with our friends and partners from NYPD. So
Ted Metellus: there'll be more magnetometers and screening locations there, additional infrastructure
Ted Metellus: to queue the participants up accordingly. Additional staff there to
Ted Metellus: inform folks about being prepared upon entry. And we have
Ted Metellus: more of these security baskets that you'll be able to
Ted Metellus: put your phone, your keys, and the items that you
Ted Metellus: have there that you will be running with into those
Ted Metellus: baskets to make the screening process as quick as possible.
Ted Metellus: So come prepared and ready to go with those things
Ted Metellus: there. We've informed and shared with all of the teams
Ted Metellus: that are on the ground, the security personnel, NYPD, and so on and so
Ted Metellus: forth, what the average runner will be showing up with.
Ted Metellus: Gel and fluids and things of that nature, but please
Ted Metellus: adhere to them by being prepared. In some cases, depending
Ted Metellus: on the sensitivity of the magnetometers, your watch may go
Ted Metellus: off. Again, this is not very foreign because some of us
Ted Metellus: have experienced this going through the airports. So they may
Ted Metellus: ask you to put that into those baskets to get
Ted Metellus: that process going through as quickly as possible. So taking
Ted Metellus: those quick tips would be very helpful. Half hour, 45
Ted Metellus: minutes at the most, definitely get there, especially if you
Ted Metellus: need some warm up time, get there a little bit
Ted Metellus: earlier. It's better to be at the, I was going to say
Ted Metellus: at the gate before your flight, but in security and
Ted Metellus: screened prior to your run. So that way it's one
Ted Metellus: less thing to have to stress about. And then you
Ted Metellus: can get yourself race ready. Upon entering into the secure
Ted Metellus: area, pre- race fluids will be available to you and
Ted Metellus: all of the race amenities will be there for you
Ted Metellus: ready to go, instructions and signage to direct our participants to the
Ted Metellus: appropriate ways. And all you need to do is run.
Rob Simmelkjaer: All right. And speaking of running, let's talk about this 13.
Rob Simmelkjaer: 1 mile course that our runners will be taking on
Rob Simmelkjaer: in May. And Ted, I've been here now for four
Rob Simmelkjaer: years. I've never run this race.
Ted Metellus: We need to fix that, Rob. We need to fix that.
Rob Simmelkjaer: I was hoping this might be the year, but as listeners
Rob Simmelkjaer: know, I've really had to shut running down. That 5K
Rob Simmelkjaer: we ran in Boston was my first race of 2026.
Becs Gentry: I didn't want to highlight that earlier, but I was like, "Ooh, there we go."
Rob Simmelkjaer: Yes. Yes, yes, yes. Absolutely. And by the way, it
Rob Simmelkjaer: felt great to be out there. I was thrilled and
Rob Simmelkjaer: I'm excited to get back to running a little bit
Rob Simmelkjaer: here. But as I look at the course and I
Rob Simmelkjaer: hear people talk about this course, I've kind of broken
Rob Simmelkjaer: it down, Ted, almost like three different courses. You've got
Rob Simmelkjaer: the Prospect Park section with the loops in Prospect Park.
Rob Simmelkjaer: And so many of our runners, especially the Brooklyn based
Rob Simmelkjaer: folks, are really familiar with that. They're used to running
Rob Simmelkjaer: those Prospect Park loops. Then you've got the Ocean Parkway
Rob Simmelkjaer: straightaway. I call it the countdown. You're ticking off those
Rob Simmelkjaer: blocks, counting down to getting to the ocean. And then
Rob Simmelkjaer: finally, that third and spectacular part of the race is
Rob Simmelkjaer: that iconic finish on the Coney Island Boardwalk.
Becs Gentry: Yeah.
Rob Simmelkjaer: That's kind of how I see the course, Ted. What do you
Rob Simmelkjaer: think? Does that add up?
Ted Metellus: You are spot on there. And it's funny. I break
Ted Metellus: it down into the pieces and chunks haven't run this
Ted Metellus: phrase. Becs Gentry, have you run this race?
Becs Gentry: Twice. It is the only race in my repertoire that I have run twice. I
Becs Gentry: have a rule that I only run races once, but I have run the
Becs Gentry: RBC Brooklyn Half twice.
Rob Simmelkjaer: It is so nice she had to run it twice.
Rob Simmelkjaer: I love it.
Becs Gentry: And who knows? Maybe we'll make it hat trick this year.
Ted Metellus: Well, let's see. Well, here's what the thing that I
Ted Metellus: would recommend, and then we'll talk quickly about the route.
Ted Metellus: I'm wishing on the good health gods in the world.
Ted Metellus: Sprinkle some magic juju on your knees so you feel
Ted Metellus: good. So that in 2027, Rob, you can run the RBC Brooklyn Half Marathon and you can
Ted Metellus: run it with Becs.
Becs Gentry: Yeah.
Rob Simmelkjaer: That would be fun.
Becs Gentry: We should run it. Do a live podcast while we run.
Ted Metellus: Exactly. Talk about setting the pace. Hello.
Rob Simmelkjaer: A very out of breath podcast. Yes. No one will
Rob Simmelkjaer: understand a word, at least I say.
Ted Metellus: Yes. Rob has some wheels on him too. He pushes
Ted Metellus: hard. He doesn't know slow. But Rob, you broke down
Ted Metellus: the course really, really well.
Becs Gentry: Yeah, you did.
Ted Metellus: The athletes would be lining up. Once they've gone through the screening
Ted Metellus: process at Eastern Parkway, got there with ample time, got
Ted Metellus: themselves raced ready mentally, physically, and ready to go. Showed
Ted Metellus: some love to the volunteers. Once again, see a volunteer.
Ted Metellus: Thank a volunteer. Volunteer appreciation month. Gang gang. We get
Ted Metellus: over to the start line and then the magic starts
Ted Metellus: there on Washington. So you're making your way down Washington,
Ted Metellus: making the turn on Empire, going up Flatbush Avenue and
Ted Metellus: going around the Grand Army Plaza. It is one of
Ted Metellus: the most beautiful locations to kick off this race as
Ted Metellus: you're making your way around there. I love it out and
Ted Metellus: back because you get to see your fellow runners, you
Ted Metellus: see where the crowd is, you kind of get yourself ready to go. But
Ted Metellus: that Flatbush Avenue is a climb going up, and then they're going
Ted Metellus: down to Empire onto Ocean Parkside to enter into Prospect
Ted Metellus: Park. And again, now you've clicked off with that first
Ted Metellus: section, which is that first out and back. Enter into
Ted Metellus: the park, Rob, you hit it well. You've done the
Ted Metellus: loops there. Prospect Park is sneaky hilly.
Becs Gentry: Very.
Ted Metellus: Okay. So you want to plan that accordingly there and
Ted Metellus: pace yourself accordingly as you're making your way through, navigating
Ted Metellus: the hills as you make your way up around the
Ted Metellus: east side and west side of the park and then
Ted Metellus: exiting out the southern end of the park to then
Ted Metellus: make your way down to Ocean Parkway. Straight away path
Ted Metellus: down Ocean Parkway there. A message to the run clubs, the
Ted Metellus: run crews, the cheer squads. Everybody come down to Ocean
Ted Metellus: Parkway. Park out there and show some love for folks
Ted Metellus: as they're making their way down. Please, please, please, because
Ted Metellus: there is no better way than to see loved ones
Ted Metellus: out there as you're navigating the route at that point there.
Rob Simmelkjaer: And it breaks up that countdown. I mean, the thing is
Rob Simmelkjaer: that's where the runners need the support because it can
Rob Simmelkjaer: be hard to run for a long time, straight as
Rob Simmelkjaer: an arrow. There's no turns. There's no real hills much
Rob Simmelkjaer: going on.
Becs Gentry: You can see the ocean.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Right. You can start to see it toward the end,
Rob Simmelkjaer: but having that knowledge that there's somebody there waiting for
Rob Simmelkjaer: you, that your club, that your friends, family are going
Rob Simmelkjaer: to be there and you got that to look forward
Rob Simmelkjaer: to. It just breaks up that long stretch, Ted. And I know
Rob Simmelkjaer: that is the part of the race that runners do
Rob Simmelkjaer: sometimes struggle.
Becs Gentry: They do.
Ted Metellus: Yes. And I've run the race a number of times
Ted Metellus: and I've had the pleasure... I've run solo and I've
Ted Metellus: run with friends. And that section is actually really cool
Ted Metellus: to run with people because it's so wide. So you
Ted Metellus: don't want to run two or three abreast under normal
Ted Metellus: circumstances because you want to be mindful of the other
Ted Metellus: athletes around you. But in that location, you can kind
Ted Metellus: of space yourself out, get a rhythm, see the folks
Ted Metellus: that are there with you and kind of roll with
Ted Metellus: it. If you're running solo, make a friend as you're
Ted Metellus: making your way down Ocean Parkway.
Becs Gentry: Always.
Ted Metellus: Connect with folks. How you doing? You're looking good. I
Ted Metellus: love doing that when I pass one or two people
Ted Metellus: and mostly getting past when people are running by me.
Ted Metellus: You're looking great, you're looking good, but definitely engaging with
Ted Metellus: the athletes there. We will have some really cool activations
Ted Metellus: on Ocean Parkway as well. Some music that'll be out
Ted Metellus: there, some signs that'll be out there, some flags and
Ted Metellus: engagement components that'll be out there as well. So there's
Ted Metellus: a lot that'll have going on on Ocean Parkway, but that's
Ted Metellus: that stretch that you really want to let loose and
Ted Metellus: really gauge yourself there. If it's a sunnier day, that
Ted Metellus: is probably the location on the route that has the
Ted Metellus: least amount of shape.
Becs Gentry: I was just about to say that hot.
Ted Metellus: We will have 10 aid stations on the course. 10 aid stations on
Ted Metellus: the course with Gatorade, water. We will have a Morton gel
Ted Metellus: station on the route as well, and we'll have missing
Ted Metellus: stations at multiple points will on the route. You'll hit
Ted Metellus: the misting station prior to getting to the Gatorade and
Ted Metellus: then water. So it's always going to be misting, Gatorade, water.
Becs Gentry: Gorgeous.
Ted Metellus: Misting, Gatorade, water.
Becs Gentry: Yeah.
Ted Metellus: You'll have those resources that'll be there. When you make
Ted Metellus: your way down the southern end, as you're approaching Coney
Ted Metellus: Island, so I'm wearing my Coney Island shirt here today,
Ted Metellus: you'll be now passing some of our Rising New York
Ted Metellus: Road Runners youth that are participating in the rising boardwalk
Ted Metellus: run. So youth that are going to be out there between the ages
Ted Metellus: of two to eight. We'll be running along doing their
Ted Metellus: laps and distances, their dashes and whatnot. So give them
Ted Metellus: a wave, give them a shout, give them a cheer
Ted Metellus: as you make your way up the ramp onto Ocean
Ted Metellus: Parkway and cruising down towards the finish. Here is going
Ted Metellus: to be change number two, Rob Simmelkjaer and Becs Gentry. The finish
Ted Metellus: line has been moved. We've adjusted the finish line. Yes,
Ted Metellus: we have adjusted the finish line. So finish line's approximately
Ted Metellus: 200 feet farther south. And that was working very closely
Ted Metellus: with the businesses on Coney Island Boardwalk to help manage
Ted Metellus: some of the crowds and flow that happens there. And
Ted Metellus: what happens now when the runners are approaching, you'll see
Ted Metellus: the pedestrian bridge as you approach it. That is not
Ted Metellus: the finish. Do not stop at the Pedestrian Bridge. All
Ted Metellus: right. There'll be signage that'll be out there. There'll be
Ted Metellus: folks that are out there directing you to keep on
Ted Metellus: going because you're only a stretch away and you'll see
Ted Metellus: our beautiful new structures there for the finish as you
Ted Metellus: make your way down the boardwalk to finish in strong
Ted Metellus: there. And then once you finish, you'll start receiving all
Ted Metellus: of your pre- race amenities. Ice towels, if the weather
Ted Metellus: permits, water on the boardwalk, and then when you enter
Ted Metellus: into the parking lot there, that's where you have your
Ted Metellus: medals, your bags will be waiting for you there, your
Ted Metellus: food bags will be ready for you, and then the
Ted Metellus: after party.
Becs Gentry: Yay.
Rob Simmelkjaer: 100%.
Becs Gentry: That is the most perfect course breakdown. And it is a
Becs Gentry: course that actually has everything in a weird way of
Becs Gentry: you've got the hills, you've got the out and back,
Becs Gentry: you've got the kind of roundabout situation at Grand Army
Becs Gentry: Plaza where you're going to go apart, like a loop
Becs Gentry: around, you're going to see your pals at the start, everyone's just buzzing. And then that
Becs Gentry: long, long, long straightaway, you can do a Rob and
Becs Gentry: countdown if you want to. I try not to look
Becs Gentry: at the alphabetized countdown or up because it kills me.
Ted Metellus: You know it well. Very good, Becs Gentry. You know the alphabet. It's like Avenue A, Avenue B, Avenue C.
Becs Gentry: And there's a few that are named rows that you're like, "
Becs Gentry: Wait, wait, what? Why am I not?"
Ted Metellus: Did I make a wrong turn?
Becs Gentry: Did I make a wrong turn?
Ted Metellus: No, you did not make a wrong turn.
Becs Gentry: I've got three roads and I'm literally just D has gone to E. But yeah, focus on,
Becs Gentry: as Ted said, just distractions of whatever you can take
Becs Gentry: along there. There will be plenty provided. But then you get onto the boardwalk and
Becs Gentry: it is like a dream because your legs, everything always
Becs Gentry: feels heavy at the end of any race, whatever distance,
Becs Gentry: because you've pushed yourself. And at the end of 13. 1,
Becs Gentry: just to go onto that slightly softer, wooden boardwalk, underfoot
Becs Gentry: can feel like it's given you a boost to fly
Becs Gentry: down those last few hundred meters. And you see it
Becs Gentry: in people. It's like they come off the concrete and
Becs Gentry: the tarmac and they're like, " Ooh, oh, this is spree.
Becs Gentry: I'm going to get over this finish line really, really
Becs Gentry: vibrantly." So it's really going to take you through all
Becs Gentry: of the emotions down this run and then the after
Becs Gentry: party, which is pretty legendary down in Coney Island. I
Becs Gentry: mean, you'll see people in the ocean. And again, we
Becs Gentry: don't authorize that. We don't stand by it. That is
Becs Gentry: up to you.
Rob Simmelkjaer: No lifeguards on duty.
Becs Gentry: No lifeguards, you're grown adults, your choice, but there's fun
Becs Gentry: fair. What's it called? Fun park. What are they called?
Ted Metellus: Fun Park. Yes. Well, it is, my goodness, we have
Ted Metellus: all the amusement park rising there.
Becs Gentry: Amusement Park. Thank you.
Ted Metellus: Yes. There you go. There you go. There you go.
Ted Metellus: You have roller coasters that are going on. We definitely
Ted Metellus: tell you to participate in that at Maimonides Park where
Ted Metellus: the Brooklyn baseball team there, the Minor League Baseball team
Ted Metellus: Cyclones are there playing. We'll have a stage, we'll have
Ted Metellus: music, we have incredible activations. All of the concessions will
Ted Metellus: be open so you can get some hot dogs and
Ted Metellus: get (inaudible) . You can kick it out and relax it out there and
Ted Metellus: enjoy the vibes and the sounds and the sounds. Becs and Rob,
Ted Metellus: will there be a podcast on site at the after
Ted Metellus: party there?
Rob Simmelkjaer: Wow. Becs, do you even know?
Becs Gentry: No idea.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Let's ask our producers.
Ted Metellus: I just got a nod yes. There is a nod yes. Yes.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Okay. I think Matt Singer just said yes. I kind
Rob Simmelkjaer: of assume so, but Becs and I just do what we're told.
Rob Simmelkjaer: So we wait for them to tell us where to go.
Becs Gentry: Matt's going to have to excuse me from Peloton that morning, but Matt,
Becs Gentry: that is over to you.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Yes. Matt Singer says yes. So that you can come.
Becs Gentry: Rob and I froze there. We're both like, "Whoa."
Rob Simmelkjaer: Yeah. It's like, "Oh man, I'm stunned. I think so."
Becs Gentry: He's thinking she's going to know and I'm thinking he's
Becs Gentry: going to know.
Rob Simmelkjaer: We'll see everybody. There at Maimonides Park, we'll see you there with a live podcast. It is
Rob Simmelkjaer: one of my favorite parts.
Becs Gentry: It is. We've historically done them. So it would be weird without one.
Rob Simmelkjaer: It's great. And the energy there is so amazing, especially if there's good weather.
Becs Gentry: It'll be like sunbathing and recovering and buying a new pair
Becs Gentry: of sunglasses whilst they had a margarita and a hot
Becs Gentry: dog. It's just lovely.
Rob Simmelkjaer: So we still have a party. The thing is, we still have a party for the RBC Brooklyn
Rob Simmelkjaer: Half. It's the post party. The after party is where
Rob Simmelkjaer: the action is going to be. And you've got time on Saturday and not only in the
Rob Simmelkjaer: stadium, but then people will head over to the restaurants
Rob Simmelkjaer: and the bars and everything that Coney Island has to
Rob Simmelkjaer: offer and it's a lot. And then you go back to
Rob Simmelkjaer: wherever you're from when you're ready to go. So it's a
Rob Simmelkjaer: great, great time and it's a Saturday. So everybody's in
Rob Simmelkjaer: a festive mood. And that is probably my single favorite
Rob Simmelkjaer: part of the RBC Brooklyn Half. And I haven't had to run it to experience that. I just go to the after party. It's a great time.
Becs Gentry: Do you remember, is it two years ago when we had the live
Becs Gentry: podcast? And I think I said to Matt, I was like, "
Becs Gentry: I don't know how I'm going to get there. So
Becs Gentry: can I run it?" And I ran. I was like, " I may as
Becs Gentry: well." I ran to work and did the Brooklyn Half
Becs Gentry: as well. That's why I did it for the second time.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Like I always say, running is an underrated form of transportation.
Becs Gentry: It really and truly is.
Rob Simmelkjaer: It's a good way to get there.
Becs Gentry: You get to hang out at Coney Island as well.
Becs Gentry: Ted, whilst you discussed the route and the course, and we said it
Becs Gentry: is volunteer appreciation month, just something really important that we
Becs Gentry: did want to highlight today that there are plenty of
Becs Gentry: folks I'm sure out there who are not up for
Becs Gentry: running it this year for multiple reasons, but volunteer spots
Becs Gentry: are open and we are looking for people to come
Becs Gentry: and fill those roles. So Ted, can you just talk to us
Becs Gentry: a little bit more about what we're looking for and
Becs Gentry: why it's so important?
Ted Metellus: Yeah. So registration is still open for volunteer opportunities, many
Ted Metellus: of which are plus one opportunities for those that are
Ted Metellus: on their non- plus one journey. so this is a great way
Ted Metellus: to be of service to the running community, be of
Ted Metellus: service here to your community at large, but also be
Ted Metellus: able to be one step closer to fulfilling not plus
Ted Metellus: one journey there. So one of the key areas that
Ted Metellus: we are an urgent need of is medical personnel. EMTs,
Ted Metellus: nurses, physicians, they are at many of the nine, 10 plus
Ted Metellus: medical locations we have along the route, as well as
Ted Metellus: our finish line area. There's medical personnel that are there to
Ted Metellus: help and assist folks. Sometimes people are a little bit of
Ted Metellus: wobbly legs and they just need a little bit of support
Ted Metellus: to get them Steady Freddy and get themselves moving. So
Ted Metellus: those folks are still available there. Now, medical roles close
Ted Metellus: on the 24th. So upon listening to this podcast there,
Ted Metellus: but the deadline for registration for finish and start positions
Ted Metellus: for volunteers is on April 30th.
Becs Gentry: Amazing. Amazing.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Absolutely. We need you. We love you volunteers. And again,
Rob Simmelkjaer: you still got a chance to get that plus one,
Rob Simmelkjaer: which is key. Again, I want to say again, the
Rob Simmelkjaer: medical volunteers are such an important part of making these
Rob Simmelkjaer: events safe. So if you're an EMT, a nurse, physician,
Rob Simmelkjaer: please step in and help us support our runners, keep
Rob Simmelkjaer: our runners safe throughout this big endurance event as it
Rob Simmelkjaer: is. So thank you very much to all the volunteers,
Rob Simmelkjaer: no doubt about it. Well, let's talk training a little
Rob Simmelkjaer: bit. And Ted, you know a little something about training for a half-
Rob Simmelkjaer: marathon because you just ran a half- marathon. And by
Rob Simmelkjaer: the way, congratulations on your 50th half marathon. You have been
Rob Simmelkjaer: an accomplished half marathoner yourself. You just ran the Berlin
Rob Simmelkjaer: Half Marathon. How was that?
Ted Metellus: It was amazing. It was so, so cool. It was my first international marathon.
Becs Gentry: I find that so hard to understand with the amount
Becs Gentry: you travel and the amount of races you go. I
Becs Gentry: was like, " Are you sure?"
Ted Metellus: Yeah. Well, here's the thing. When I'm at an event, I'm
Ted Metellus: at the event for the event. I'm there for the
Ted Metellus: participants. I'm there for the staff. I'm there for the
Ted Metellus: team at large. I'm not there for myself. I'm fortunate
Ted Metellus: to squeeze in a little 5K or a little mile here
Ted Metellus: or there, depending on the market and the event. But
Ted Metellus: when it's larger distances, I'm very really focused on the
Ted Metellus: event operations and the team at large that's there. But
Ted Metellus: yes, I do practice in the activity that I produce
Ted Metellus: in running these races. And Becs, I don't follow your rule
Ted Metellus: of only running a race once. I've run many races
Ted Metellus: many times, but this was my first time joining the
Ted Metellus: Berlin half. And what is great about running an event
Ted Metellus: like this is you wear two hats in that situation.
Ted Metellus: The runner hat that is experienced over many, many years
Ted Metellus: of running and then the event producer's hat that's been in that space
Ted Metellus: producing and getting these events ready to go. So at
Ted Metellus: this point, runners have put in the work to get
Ted Metellus: them to the finish line. Some of the quick tips
Ted Metellus: that I apply to myself to make sure that I
Ted Metellus: have a great race day is, one, looking at the
Ted Metellus: maps, looking at where the aid stations are all on the route, getting
Ted Metellus: an understanding of the course and where there's hills and so on
Ted Metellus: and so forth, always, always, always looking at the weather.
Ted Metellus: So I know how to dress appropriately for race day.
Ted Metellus: I'm a big fan of proponent of showing up prepared.
Ted Metellus: I have my own fluids, so we always tell participants
Ted Metellus: to do that. There will be refill stations along the
Ted Metellus: course at the 10- 8 station. So if you run
Ted Metellus: with your own bottle, we know we have stations that
Ted Metellus: can fill you up with water or Gatorade at those
Ted Metellus: locations. I do run with my own gel as well.
Ted Metellus: While at mile marker 6. 8, we will have a
Ted Metellus: Morton gel station there with caffeinated non- caffeinated product. Sometimes
Ted Metellus: you want to have your own product because everybody drinks
Ted Metellus: and hydrates and refuels at a different cadence. So know
Ted Metellus: that you have all those items that are there. So
Ted Metellus: that's the pre- piece that's there. At this point, folks
Ted Metellus: should be tapering down and really making sure that their
Ted Metellus: bodies are set to go. Just like we save for
Ted Metellus: the marathon, we will save for the half- marathon. Don't
Ted Metellus: do anything new. Don't do anything new that you haven't done
Ted Metellus: leading into the preparation of this event, the right shoes,
Ted Metellus: the right socks, so- and- so forth. All of those
Ted Metellus: things are important to make sure that you are set
Ted Metellus: for race day. I was chatting with Jenny Simpson yesterday,
Ted Metellus: who was at the finish line of the Boston Marathon helping
Ted Metellus: out at the (inaudible) 10, and we were chatting
Ted Metellus: about how we need to amplify the message to runners
Ted Metellus: to be prepared going into the run. The better prepared
Ted Metellus: you are, the better the experience will be. Lay everything
Ted Metellus: out, have it all set and ready to go day
Ted Metellus: in advance, do the flat runner, flat stand lay photo,
Ted Metellus: because that way everything's popped and ready to go for
Ted Metellus: your race day, and it will make sure that that morning when
Ted Metellus: you're up and you're rolling, everything is set.
Becs Gentry: Perfect.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Let's talk a little about training, Becs. I'm actually going
Rob Simmelkjaer: to turn the tables on you for a quick second,
Rob Simmelkjaer: Becs, because of the three of us, you're probably the
Rob Simmelkjaer: most qualified to answer questions about training at this point.
Ted Metellus: Seven marathons, seven days, seven continents.
Rob Simmelkjaer: I think she probably is the most qualified to talk
Rob Simmelkjaer: about where runners should be right now. So Becs, three
Rob Simmelkjaer: and a half weeks out from a half- marathon. We
Rob Simmelkjaer: got a lot of experienced people who've run a lot
Rob Simmelkjaer: of half. We have a lot of first timers who
Rob Simmelkjaer: this is their first half- marathon, and that's a really
Rob Simmelkjaer: big deal. Can you talk about the taper for the
Rob Simmelkjaer: half and where a runner should be? Should they be
Rob Simmelkjaer: running any races between now and a half or what the mindset should be in the last few weeks before a half?
Becs Gentry: Absolutely. Three and a half or so weeks out from
Becs Gentry: the race, you've done your longest training run at this
Becs Gentry: point. So hopefully your mentality is in the, I can
Becs Gentry: and I will situation here. You know that you've just
Becs Gentry: got to tack on probably just a couple more miles
Becs Gentry: to what you've already established as your most successful long
Becs Gentry: run of this training block. You are going to start
Becs Gentry: feeling antsy in the next week or so as your
Becs Gentry: intensity goes down. So here's the thing about taper. You
Becs Gentry: can do it many ways. My rule of thumb as
Becs Gentry: a running coach over the decade and a half that
Becs Gentry: I've been a running coach is you do not change
Becs Gentry: the routine in taper. You change the intensity and duration
Becs Gentry: of the workouts in the routine. So you may still
Becs Gentry: move your body five days a week in the last
Becs Gentry: couple of weeks of taper, but you're not going to
Becs Gentry: be going and doing hardcore speed workouts twice that week,
Becs Gentry: which are going to raise up your heart rate and
Becs Gentry: run the risk of an injury close to race day.
Becs Gentry: You're not going to be going up for long runs. Your runs are going
Becs Gentry: to be of easy intensity. They're going to be of
Becs Gentry: short duration. They're going to get shorter and shorter towards
Becs Gentry: race day. Your final shakeout run is not necessarily a
Becs Gentry: shakeout run for your muscles. Obviously it is a little
Becs Gentry: bit. It's a shakeout run for your nerves, your anxiety,
Becs Gentry: your concerns. Most of the time you'll do a shakeout
Becs Gentry: run with a group, a community. If you haven't done
Becs Gentry: that before, I highly recommend you sign yourself up to
Becs Gentry: a group shakeout run before your race. You then can
Becs Gentry: offload your worries, your stresses, your questions, your concerns to
Becs Gentry: fellow runners. And it will get out of your head, get
Becs Gentry: out of your body, get out of tension, and you will
Becs Gentry: feel so much calmer and settled and reassured by your
Becs Gentry: fellow runners ahead of your race. So right now, I'm
Becs Gentry: sure you are feeling good. Any training process you go
Becs Gentry: through, this phase where you're at in the bit before
Becs Gentry: taper, those few weeks is always the most uncomfortable because
Becs Gentry: your body is peaking. The adaptations are being made, the
Becs Gentry: changes are being made, but you have to be patient.
Becs Gentry: Humans are not patient beings. We do not like to
Becs Gentry: wait for things. We like immediate gratification. Even if you
Becs Gentry: say you don't, you do. It's a human nature. We
Becs Gentry: want to see that result right now because we're tired
Becs Gentry: and we've been training and we want to be able to run it. Wait,
Becs Gentry: be calm, get through this, meditate. Try Peloton meditation. I
Becs Gentry: don't know. Just do something that's going to bring you
Becs Gentry: down because the next three and a half weeks are going to feel long,
Becs Gentry: but then race day is going to feel so short.
Becs Gentry: And that high, you want to be able to be
Becs Gentry: in it. You want to be able to be there feeling the vibe so you remember
Becs Gentry: it. So when it comes to race day, absolutely take
Becs Gentry: it all in. Every single step of the way. You've
Becs Gentry: listened to this podcast, you know how you're getting there,
Becs Gentry: you know where your bag is going to go, you
Becs Gentry: know where your friends and family are going to be.
Becs Gentry: You know where you're going to pick your bag up, you know where you're going to
Becs Gentry: hang with your medal all day. The only thing you've
Becs Gentry: got to do is be that rockstar for the 13.1
Becs Gentry: miles through Brooklyn to the ocean and live it. Be
Becs Gentry: in it, be present. High five people. Thank the volunteers.
Becs Gentry: Take the photo on your phone of the ocean when
Becs Gentry: you're getting onto the boardwalk, okay? And just enjoy the
Becs Gentry: process because you chose to do this. We're all full-
Becs Gentry: grown adults who do this. You chose to do it.
Becs Gentry: You put yourself in this situation. So see it through
Becs Gentry: in the best way you can, because if you give that, that's
Becs Gentry: all that matters. The best way you can on the
Becs Gentry: day is the best way you can on the day.
Becs Gentry: And it's wonderful.
Rob Simmelkjaer: 100%. Thank you for that, Becs. And what about for the folks who maybe
Rob Simmelkjaer: they're dealing with an injury, they're cropped up during their
Rob Simmelkjaer: training. Maybe they wake up on race week or race day
Rob Simmelkjaer: and don't feel great. What's your advice to them?
Becs Gentry: Oh, life happens. It sucks. It really, really does suck.
Becs Gentry: One thing that is the most difficult thing to swallow
Becs Gentry: out of all things in training is an injury or waking
Becs Gentry: up with a cold or waking up with a stomach
Becs Gentry: bug or something on race day or having a really
Becs Gentry: bad night's sleep because your neighbor decided to have a
Becs Gentry: party all night the night before race day. Life does
Becs Gentry: happen like that. A lot of the time, and I'm
Becs Gentry: going to blame this a lot on wearables, we look
Becs Gentry: at our wearables and they tell us that we're not worthy that day.
Becs Gentry: Again, you're a full- grown adult. You've probably got decades
Becs Gentry: of sleep in you. You'll be okay. You will be
Becs Gentry: okay if it's just tiredness. You can sleep after an
Becs Gentry: injury though. You've trained really hard for weeks and weeks
Becs Gentry: and weeks. And that is something that we tend to
Becs Gentry: forget on race morning. It's like that just goes on
Becs Gentry: the morning of the race and the only thing that matters and the only
Becs Gentry: thing that's going to make us worthy is finishing that
Becs Gentry: race. I want you to question that. I want you
Becs Gentry: to argue against that on race morning if you're injured.
Becs Gentry: What makes you worthy is the passion, the grit, the
Becs Gentry: determination that you've put in through those weeks of training.
Becs Gentry: Race day is just another day. It's just another long
Becs Gentry: run. And if you're smart, you can have a lot
Becs Gentry: more long runs. They just might happen further down the
Becs Gentry: line and you may just have to be a spectator
Becs Gentry: for that race day. But your race day will happen.
Becs Gentry: If you push through an injury, the chances of your
Becs Gentry: race day happening are going to get pushed back further
Becs Gentry: and further and further away. And that fitness that you've
Becs Gentry: accumulated in training is going to get further and further
Becs Gentry: and further away. So don't be too proud to be
Becs Gentry: the spectator and the supporter for people who have done
Becs Gentry: exactly what you've done on the past few weeks of
Becs Gentry: training. Go out, give them high- fives. Wallow, yes, of course.
Becs Gentry: It's sad and it's frustrating. There will be other races.
Becs Gentry: There's only one body. So look after that body, put
Becs Gentry: that body first and foremost.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Yes, yes, yes. Thank you, Becs. Awesome advice. Love that.
Becs Gentry: Rob's like, "I know, I feel it."
Rob Simmelkjaer: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, listen, there's different kinds of injuries. There's stuff that's
Rob Simmelkjaer: acute and there's stuff you've been dealing with and going to be dealing with.
Becs Gentry: Taper tendons. You'll feel the tightness of your body. It
Becs Gentry: will start to tighten up, especially if you're a little
Becs Gentry: older. You will feel it. Newer runners, you'll feel it
Becs Gentry: because you've gotten into this weeks of feeling like a
Becs Gentry: rockstar and running all the time. You've got movement, your
Becs Gentry: sign over your fluid. It's always viscous in your body.
Becs Gentry: So you feel like, woo, I'm always, always moving. And then
Becs Gentry: you slow down on those taper weeks and it starts
Becs Gentry: to get a little bit tighter, a little bit tougher
Becs Gentry: on those joints. And then you start to think, " Oh
Becs Gentry: my gosh, is this an injury or is this just
Becs Gentry: tapering?" So definitely have those conversations with yourself. And again,
Becs Gentry: have those conversations with your fellow runners. And if needs
Becs Gentry: to be a physician, a PT or somebody who has
Becs Gentry: a lot of experience in it, who might be able
Becs Gentry: to guide you in a better way than your brain
Becs Gentry: or ChatGPT.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Thank you. And before I send it back to Ted
Rob Simmelkjaer: for last thoughts, one thing I'll add to what you're
Rob Simmelkjaer: saying is respect the distance of the half- marathon because
Rob Simmelkjaer: I find and I see that at times people, especially
Rob Simmelkjaer: if they're experienced, " Oh, it's just a half. Oh, I
Rob Simmelkjaer: can handle a half." A half- marathon is no joke
Rob Simmelkjaer: when it comes to what it puts your body through,
Rob Simmelkjaer: what it requires of your body. Respect it because it is possible,
Rob Simmelkjaer: very possible to not only get injured, but have serious
Rob Simmelkjaer: situations arise in a half- marathon. And we don't want
Rob Simmelkjaer: anyone to be in a medical tent along the course.
Rob Simmelkjaer: We want to see everybody who's at that start line,
Rob Simmelkjaer: at that finish line. And we've had, and it's been
Rob Simmelkjaer: publicized situations where in our half- marathons, including this one,
Rob Simmelkjaer: we've had serious medical situations. So please mind your body,
Rob Simmelkjaer: mind how you're feeling, and respect the distance of the half-
Rob Simmelkjaer: marathon. And if you need to stop, if you need
Rob Simmelkjaer: to walk, those things are all okay because what matters
Rob Simmelkjaer: is getting to the finish line and getting there safely. All
Rob Simmelkjaer: right, Ted, last word to you. For the 30, 000 or so folks
Rob Simmelkjaer: who we expect to see out there in Brooklyn, what's
Rob Simmelkjaer: your final piece of inspiration for them?
Ted Metellus: Well, final pieces of inspiration are one, lean into the
Ted Metellus: training, as Becs had mentioned to you, and you'll have
Ted Metellus: a great race day. Share the experience with your family,
Ted Metellus: friends, and loved ones. Have them download the NYRR app
Ted Metellus: so they can track them and follow their journey during
Ted Metellus: the event. Be able to see where you are on the
Ted Metellus: route if they want to come out and see you
Ted Metellus: running and spectating along the course, the dearest subway stations
Ted Metellus: that are by Grand Army Plaza, the nearest stations by
Ted Metellus: Prospect Park, the stations along Ocean Parkway. Being able to
Ted Metellus: jump on either the D, F, N, or Q train
Ted Metellus: to Coney Island, which is the same trains that'll be
Ted Metellus: taking you back up to taking you home post the
Ted Metellus: event. Family reunion that will be over at Maimonides Park
Ted Metellus: so you can participate and celebrate with them. Have a
Ted Metellus: great time. I mean, Rob, I say this at all
Ted Metellus: the races that we run. I say, listen to your
Ted Metellus: body. Look out for one another. Mine your space, mine
Ted Metellus: your pace. Those are the key things that I always
Ted Metellus: tell folks there so they can go into having an
Ted Metellus: amazing race day. Better prepared you are, the better your
Ted Metellus: overall experience will be. So definitely lean on to that
Ted Metellus: and have some fun. We're looking forward to seeing everybody
Ted Metellus: brighten early on race day. First waves at 7: 00
Ted Metellus: AM. Okay. So please get there early because we start
Ted Metellus: early, we get done early and you enjoy the day. You
Ted Metellus: can literally run this race, get done and have brunch.
Ted Metellus: So we'll be seeing you at Coney Islands at Nathan's
Ted Metellus: have a hotdog for me and have some fun and we'll
Ted Metellus: be reading you as you finish strong.
Rob Simmelkjaer: All right, everybody. Ted Metellus. Thank you very much. We'll
Rob Simmelkjaer: see you in Brooklyn. New York Road Runners is a
Rob Simmelkjaer: nonprofit organization with a vision to build healthier lives and
Rob Simmelkjaer: stronger communities through the transformative power of running. The support
Rob Simmelkjaer: of members and donors like you helps us achieve our
Rob Simmelkjaer: mission to transform the health and wellbeing of our communities
Rob Simmelkjaer: through inclusive and accessible running experiences, empowering all to achieve
Rob Simmelkjaer: their potential. Learn more and contribute at nyrr. org/ donate.
Rob Simmelkjaer: All right, folks, that does it for another episode of
Rob Simmelkjaer: Set the Pace. We want to thank our guests today,
Rob Simmelkjaer: the chief event production officer and race director of New
Rob Simmelkjaer: York Road Runners, Ted Metellus. If you liked the episode,
Rob Simmelkjaer: make sure you rate us five stars. Leave us a
Rob Simmelkjaer: comment. We'd love to hear from you. Good luck to
Rob Simmelkjaer: everybody getting ready for the RBC Brooklyn Half. Congrats again
Rob Simmelkjaer: to everyone out there who took on and conquered Boston.
Rob Simmelkjaer: It was great to see so many New Yorkers up
Rob Simmelkjaer: there having great, great days. We are all super proud
Rob Simmelkjaer: of you here at New York Roadrunners. Keep getting those
Rob Simmelkjaer: miles in. Enjoy your tapers if you're running Brooklyn and
Rob Simmelkjaer: we'll see you next time.