1 00:00:00,540 --> 00:00:04,620 Rob Simmelkjaer: I know that any particular change that we make is 2 00:00:04,620 --> 00:00:09,300 Rob Simmelkjaer: going to advantage certain types of runners and disadvantage certain 3 00:00:09,300 --> 00:00:12,900 Rob Simmelkjaer: types of runners. Any solution is going to tilt in 4 00:00:12,900 --> 00:00:15,480 Rob Simmelkjaer: one direction or the other, but I want everyone to 5 00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:19,860 Rob Simmelkjaer: understand that our number one goal is accessibility. We want 6 00:00:19,860 --> 00:00:23,970 Rob Simmelkjaer: to ensure the accessibility of running to New Yorkers, and 7 00:00:23,970 --> 00:00:27,660 Rob Simmelkjaer: that is the north star that I'm looking at when 8 00:00:27,660 --> 00:00:33,870 Rob Simmelkjaer: it comes to decisions that we make. Hey everybody, and 9 00:00:33,870 --> 00:00:36,870 Rob Simmelkjaer: welcome to Set The Pace, the official podcast of New 10 00:00:36,870 --> 00:00:40,290 Rob Simmelkjaer: York Road Runners presented by Peloton. I'm Rob Simmelkjaer, the 11 00:00:40,290 --> 00:00:43,260 Rob Simmelkjaer: CEO of New York Road Runners, and I am flying 12 00:00:43,260 --> 00:00:46,200 Rob Simmelkjaer: somewhat solo, at least without Becs this week. Becs is 13 00:00:46,200 --> 00:00:50,309 Rob Simmelkjaer: off, we miss her. Hopefully she's enjoying the winter somewhere 14 00:00:50,610 --> 00:00:53,550 Rob Simmelkjaer: warm. It has not been warm here in New York. 15 00:00:53,550 --> 00:00:55,650 Rob Simmelkjaer: It has been cold, it has been icy, it has 16 00:00:55,650 --> 00:01:00,900 Rob Simmelkjaer: been snowy, and we know how hard it is to 17 00:01:00,900 --> 00:01:04,619 Rob Simmelkjaer: miss a great race like the Fred Lebow Half. It 18 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:08,610 Rob Simmelkjaer: bummed us out so much to have to cancel that 19 00:01:08,610 --> 00:01:12,510 Rob Simmelkjaer: race this past weekend. The Fred Lebow Half is one 20 00:01:12,510 --> 00:01:15,540 Rob Simmelkjaer: of the really iconic races on our calendar every year, 21 00:01:15,870 --> 00:01:18,780 Rob Simmelkjaer: obviously because it's named after one of the founding fathers 22 00:01:19,020 --> 00:01:22,110 Rob Simmelkjaer: of New York Road Runners, Fred Lebow. But also because 23 00:01:22,110 --> 00:01:24,990 Rob Simmelkjaer: it is the race that, I respect the people who 24 00:01:24,990 --> 00:01:28,170 Rob Simmelkjaer: finish the Fred Lebow just about as much as any 25 00:01:28,380 --> 00:01:30,990 Rob Simmelkjaer: race that we have here, because they're going up Harlem 26 00:01:30,990 --> 00:01:34,259 Rob Simmelkjaer: Hill three times. And I know how many of you 27 00:01:34,260 --> 00:01:36,959 Rob Simmelkjaer: trained for that race, how hard you worked to get 28 00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:40,080 Rob Simmelkjaer: ready for it. I know some of you use these half- 29 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:44,100 Rob Simmelkjaer: marathons to time qualify for the marathon as well, and it's 30 00:01:44,100 --> 00:01:46,440 Rob Simmelkjaer: also a shame we've had to now cancel too straight 31 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:49,620 Rob Simmelkjaer: with Staten Island last fall. So it was a tough, 32 00:01:49,620 --> 00:01:51,840 Rob Simmelkjaer: tough call, but obviously it was a no- brainer. We 33 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:53,370 Rob Simmelkjaer: had to do it, there was a ton of snow 34 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:56,700 Rob Simmelkjaer: coming down early on Sunday morning. And so, we hope 35 00:01:56,730 --> 00:02:00,660 Rob Simmelkjaer: that since we announced the cancellation on Friday, a lot 36 00:02:00,660 --> 00:02:03,180 Rob Simmelkjaer: of you were able to get in your long runs 37 00:02:03,180 --> 00:02:07,170 Rob Simmelkjaer: on Saturday before the snow came and just messed everything 38 00:02:07,170 --> 00:02:10,470 Rob Simmelkjaer: up. So bummer, but we hope to get back at 39 00:02:10,470 --> 00:02:16,168 Rob Simmelkjaer: racing this weekend. The NYR Manhattan 10K scheduled for Sunday, 40 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:21,419 Rob Simmelkjaer: that kicks off the 2026 Five- Borough Series. And the 41 00:02:21,419 --> 00:02:24,480 Rob Simmelkjaer: weather, I'm sitting here on Tuesday recording this, looks a 42 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:26,669 Rob Simmelkjaer: lot more promising. So, hopefully we'll get some good weather 43 00:02:26,850 --> 00:02:30,419 Rob Simmelkjaer: this weekend. That of course is a full counterclockwise lap 44 00:02:30,419 --> 00:02:33,000 Rob Simmelkjaer: of Central Park, one of the races I really love 45 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:35,100 Rob Simmelkjaer: on the calendar every year so hope to see everybody 46 00:02:35,100 --> 00:02:38,010 Rob Simmelkjaer: out there on Sunday. We've also, by the way, got 47 00:02:38,010 --> 00:02:40,110 Rob Simmelkjaer: the Millrose Games this weekend in the city. That will 48 00:02:40,110 --> 00:02:43,799 Rob Simmelkjaer: not be affected by weather indoors at the armory, and 49 00:02:43,950 --> 00:02:46,470 Rob Simmelkjaer: we're looking forward to a great day of racing up 50 00:02:46,470 --> 00:02:51,179 Rob Simmelkjaer: there as well. Well, we had some very exciting news 51 00:02:51,180 --> 00:02:54,840 Rob Simmelkjaer: at New York Road Runners this week, a big rebrand 52 00:02:54,870 --> 00:02:57,030 Rob Simmelkjaer: of the organization. We're going to be talking about that 53 00:02:57,030 --> 00:03:00,240 Rob Simmelkjaer: rebrand, our new logo and brand positioning a little bit 54 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:02,160 Rob Simmelkjaer: later on in the show with our chief marketing and 55 00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:06,960 Rob Simmelkjaer: digital officer, Juliette Morris, and Emily Casey also from our 56 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:09,780 Rob Simmelkjaer: marketing department. So, stay tuned for that. But before we 57 00:03:09,780 --> 00:03:13,350 Rob Simmelkjaer: get to that conversation, if you've been listening to this 58 00:03:13,350 --> 00:03:15,840 Rob Simmelkjaer: podcast for a while you know that we have an 59 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:18,630 Rob Simmelkjaer: annual tradition where we do a little town hall episode 60 00:03:18,630 --> 00:03:21,960 Rob Simmelkjaer: usually at the beginning of the year. And this is 61 00:03:21,960 --> 00:03:24,570 Rob Simmelkjaer: really a chance for us to slow down a little 62 00:03:24,570 --> 00:03:28,710 Rob Simmelkjaer: bit, to speak directly with our members, more than 90, 000 63 00:03:28,710 --> 00:03:32,220 Rob Simmelkjaer: of you out there right now. We spend time listening 64 00:03:32,220 --> 00:03:35,100 Rob Simmelkjaer: to you, checking out the kinds of questions and issues 65 00:03:35,100 --> 00:03:37,770 Rob Simmelkjaer: that you all raise on social media. And so, our 66 00:03:37,770 --> 00:03:41,250 Rob Simmelkjaer: team's gone out and collected some of the top issues 67 00:03:41,250 --> 00:03:44,339 Rob Simmelkjaer: and questions and themes that we've seen out there across 68 00:03:44,340 --> 00:03:48,810 Rob Simmelkjaer: all the various platforms, Instagram, Reddit, Facebook, all the places. 69 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:51,060 Rob Simmelkjaer: And so, we're going to have a little conversation that's 70 00:03:51,060 --> 00:03:52,560 Rob Simmelkjaer: going to be a town hall type thing where we're 71 00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:54,330 Rob Simmelkjaer: going to talk about some of the issues that we 72 00:03:54,330 --> 00:03:57,120 Rob Simmelkjaer: know is facing many of you as runners and obviously 73 00:03:57,120 --> 00:03:59,580 Rob Simmelkjaer: members of our community. And since we don't have Becs 74 00:03:59,580 --> 00:04:03,540 Rob Simmelkjaer: today, helping out with that conversation, because I need a 75 00:04:03,540 --> 00:04:07,230 Rob Simmelkjaer: conversation partner for this, is Juliette Morris. I just mentioned 76 00:04:07,230 --> 00:04:10,920 Rob Simmelkjaer: her, our chief marketing and digital officer. And Juliette, you're 77 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:13,110 Rob Simmelkjaer: going to come in and help grill me on some 78 00:04:13,110 --> 00:04:15,330 Rob Simmelkjaer: of these really, really tough questions. Thanks for coming in. 79 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:18,180 Juliette Morris: Absolutely. And I have to say, I feel more fabulous 80 00:04:18,180 --> 00:04:23,219 Juliette Morris: and fit sitting in for Becs. So I can never fill those 81 00:04:23,220 --> 00:04:25,470 Juliette Morris: shoes, but I feel a little bit ... I'm sitting a 82 00:04:25,470 --> 00:04:27,510 Juliette Morris: little taller in this seat today. 83 00:04:28,050 --> 00:04:30,120 Rob Simmelkjaer: Thank you so much, I know you'll do your best 84 00:04:30,570 --> 00:04:33,600 Rob Simmelkjaer: Becs impression. So, let's get into it. What's the first 85 00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:36,300 Rob Simmelkjaer: topic that we've seen out there that we think would 86 00:04:36,300 --> 00:04:37,229 Rob Simmelkjaer: be good to talk about? 87 00:04:37,650 --> 00:04:41,190 Juliette Morris: Absolutely. And I would say we are, to your point, 88 00:04:41,190 --> 00:04:44,490 Juliette Morris: we are always looking and trying to understand what our 89 00:04:44,490 --> 00:04:48,210 Juliette Morris: community wants, needs, and feel. And we're so appreciative of 90 00:04:48,210 --> 00:04:57,270 Juliette Morris: all the feedback, good, bad, and sometimes ugly. The number 91 00:04:57,270 --> 00:05:00,810 Juliette Morris: one thing that we always see, and no surprise given 92 00:05:00,810 --> 00:05:05,160 Juliette Morris: the boon in running and the popularity of our races, 93 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:08,010 Juliette Morris: and being situated in what I think is the running 94 00:05:08,010 --> 00:05:12,120 Juliette Morris: capital of the world, we hear a lot, " Why can't 95 00:05:12,420 --> 00:05:16,529 Juliette Morris: I get into these races? Why can't they just increase 96 00:05:16,529 --> 00:05:20,190 Juliette Morris: the number of runners so more people can get in?" 97 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:24,450 Juliette Morris: And that happens regardless if they're talking about the marathon, 98 00:05:24,450 --> 00:05:28,050 Juliette Morris: or they're talking about our halves or our shorter distances. 99 00:05:28,710 --> 00:05:31,470 Juliette Morris: So Rob, why is it so hard to get into 100 00:05:31,470 --> 00:05:35,130 Juliette Morris: these races, and why can't you just snap a finger 101 00:05:35,130 --> 00:05:36,660 Juliette Morris: and let more people run? 102 00:05:37,350 --> 00:05:41,370 Rob Simmelkjaer: Yeah, Juliette, it's definitely the number one question we get. 103 00:05:41,370 --> 00:05:45,270 Rob Simmelkjaer: The question comes in many different forms. So, I'll start 104 00:05:45,300 --> 00:05:49,349 Rob Simmelkjaer: at the basics. The basic issue here is math. It 105 00:05:49,350 --> 00:05:53,849 Rob Simmelkjaer: is essentially a math problem, because we have a supply 106 00:05:54,060 --> 00:05:57,450 Rob Simmelkjaer: of spots and races that is limited, and it is 107 00:05:57,450 --> 00:06:01,529 Rob Simmelkjaer: limited by the permits that we get from the city 108 00:06:01,529 --> 00:06:04,200 Rob Simmelkjaer: of New York, from the parks department for all of our 109 00:06:04,200 --> 00:06:07,650 Rob Simmelkjaer: races that take place in parks, that set a hard 110 00:06:07,650 --> 00:06:11,040 Rob Simmelkjaer: limit of how many runners we can have in any 111 00:06:11,130 --> 00:06:15,240 Rob Simmelkjaer: given race. Our smallest races, what we call the weekly 112 00:06:15,240 --> 00:06:18,540 Rob Simmelkjaer: races, many of our races in Central Park or Prospect 113 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:22,080 Rob Simmelkjaer: Park have a cap of about 5, 000. And that's a 114 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:25,589 Rob Simmelkjaer: lot of our races. Your typical four miler in Central 115 00:06:25,589 --> 00:06:29,190 Rob Simmelkjaer: Park, most of those races are capped at 5, 000 116 00:06:29,190 --> 00:06:32,039 Rob Simmelkjaer: runners. Some other races that we have in the park, 117 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:34,409 Rob Simmelkjaer: some of our bigger ones, fibro series, things like that, 118 00:06:34,710 --> 00:06:37,859 Rob Simmelkjaer: we have a slightly higher cap, maybe 8, 000. Then 119 00:06:37,860 --> 00:06:40,440 Rob Simmelkjaer: when we go onto the streets, our permits can get 120 00:06:40,440 --> 00:06:42,930 Rob Simmelkjaer: a little bit bigger. We may be at 12,000 for 121 00:06:43,140 --> 00:06:45,180 Rob Simmelkjaer: some of our bigger races, and then obviously it goes 122 00:06:45,180 --> 00:06:47,970 Rob Simmelkjaer: all the way up to marathon where we're now close to 60, 123 00:06:47,970 --> 00:06:52,200 Rob Simmelkjaer: 000. So, we cannot have more runners in those races 124 00:06:52,230 --> 00:06:55,349 Rob Simmelkjaer: than allowed by permit, and we can also not have more 125 00:06:55,350 --> 00:06:58,320 Rob Simmelkjaer: races than we are allowed by permit. We have a 126 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:01,050 Rob Simmelkjaer: certain number of races that we are given permits for 127 00:07:01,350 --> 00:07:03,779 Rob Simmelkjaer: every year, and so that caps how many races we 128 00:07:03,779 --> 00:07:07,380 Rob Simmelkjaer: can have. So that's the supply side. And then on 129 00:07:07,380 --> 00:07:10,050 Rob Simmelkjaer: the demand side, well, it's very clear that the demand 130 00:07:10,230 --> 00:07:13,619 Rob Simmelkjaer: is just outpacing the supply, because of the surge and 131 00:07:13,620 --> 00:07:18,090 Rob Simmelkjaer: popularity of running, because of the huge popularity of the 132 00:07:18,090 --> 00:07:21,870 Rob Simmelkjaer: marathon and the 9+ 1 program, which we know is 133 00:07:21,870 --> 00:07:24,810 Rob Simmelkjaer: driving a lot of this, people want to run the 134 00:07:24,810 --> 00:07:27,540 Rob Simmelkjaer: TCS New York City Marathon, and they're trying to get 135 00:07:27,540 --> 00:07:29,880 Rob Simmelkjaer: in their nine races to run, of course volunteering at 136 00:07:29,880 --> 00:07:32,880 Rob Simmelkjaer: one as well. And so that's creating this demand. So, 137 00:07:33,210 --> 00:07:36,510 Rob Simmelkjaer: what are we doing about it? Well, this has been a 138 00:07:36,510 --> 00:07:38,670 Rob Simmelkjaer: topic that I've been looking at over a few years 139 00:07:38,670 --> 00:07:40,500 Rob Simmelkjaer: here, and I would say at this point we're still 140 00:07:40,500 --> 00:07:43,950 Rob Simmelkjaer: looking at a number of different solutions that are trying 141 00:07:43,950 --> 00:07:48,720 Rob Simmelkjaer: to, A, make sure that our races are accessible to 142 00:07:48,720 --> 00:07:52,410 Rob Simmelkjaer: people even if they're not running 9+ 1. That's a 143 00:07:52,410 --> 00:07:55,410 Rob Simmelkjaer: key priority for me is I don't want all of our 144 00:07:55,410 --> 00:07:58,320 Rob Simmelkjaer: races to only be folks who are running the 9+ 145 00:07:58,560 --> 00:08:00,930 Rob Simmelkjaer: 1 because we want to bring new people to the sport. 146 00:08:01,170 --> 00:08:03,900 Juliette Morris: What are we doing to help make that a reality? 147 00:08:04,500 --> 00:08:06,990 Rob Simmelkjaer: Yeah, so a couple of things. First of all, I'll 148 00:08:06,990 --> 00:08:09,120 Rob Simmelkjaer: point to a number of things that we've done. First 149 00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:12,090 Rob Simmelkjaer: and foremost, we are now looking at ways that are 150 00:08:12,090 --> 00:08:14,730 Rob Simmelkjaer: a little bit more fair for people to get into 151 00:08:14,730 --> 00:08:18,270 Rob Simmelkjaer: races. We experimented this year with a drawing for one 152 00:08:18,270 --> 00:08:22,020 Rob Simmelkjaer: of our races, the Manhattan 10K coming up, that was 153 00:08:22,020 --> 00:08:25,230 Rob Simmelkjaer: actually done by drawing. And so, adding another drawing is 154 00:08:25,260 --> 00:08:27,630 Rob Simmelkjaer: something that we felt was a little bit more fair to 155 00:08:27,630 --> 00:08:31,290 Rob Simmelkjaer: allow people to get in. Something that we announced recently, 156 00:08:31,290 --> 00:08:33,689 Rob Simmelkjaer: which was a big move and I know a little 157 00:08:33,690 --> 00:08:37,679 Rob Simmelkjaer: bit controversial in some quarters, was a limitation that we 158 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:43,140 Rob Simmelkjaer: placed on how many member plus runners could get into 159 00:08:43,140 --> 00:08:46,650 Rob Simmelkjaer: any given race. So, folks know that the member plus 160 00:08:46,650 --> 00:08:50,580 Rob Simmelkjaer: level of membership allows you a two- day early registration 161 00:08:50,580 --> 00:08:52,890 Rob Simmelkjaer: period to get into races. And what we were starting 162 00:08:52,890 --> 00:08:56,309 Rob Simmelkjaer: to find, Juliette, is that some of our races were 163 00:08:56,550 --> 00:09:00,540 Rob Simmelkjaer: getting really close to selling out just in that two- 164 00:09:00,540 --> 00:09:04,860 Rob Simmelkjaer: day early registration period. And we didn't want a situation 165 00:09:04,860 --> 00:09:09,540 Rob Simmelkjaer: where regular members or even non- members had absolutely no 166 00:09:09,540 --> 00:09:12,990 Rob Simmelkjaer: chance to get into races. So, what we've decided to 167 00:09:12,990 --> 00:09:16,410 Rob Simmelkjaer: do is set a cap, and that cap is something 168 00:09:16,410 --> 00:09:18,540 Rob Simmelkjaer: that we will revise over time as we see how 169 00:09:18,540 --> 00:09:21,780 Rob Simmelkjaer: it goes, of how many Member Plus members can get 170 00:09:21,780 --> 00:09:24,390 Rob Simmelkjaer: into a race. It's still a big advantage to be 171 00:09:24,390 --> 00:09:27,599 Rob Simmelkjaer: Member Plus, you still have that early registration period. And if 172 00:09:27,600 --> 00:09:29,370 Rob Simmelkjaer: you're on the ball, you're still going to get into 173 00:09:29,370 --> 00:09:31,230 Rob Simmelkjaer: most of the races that you want to get into, 174 00:09:31,530 --> 00:09:35,190 Rob Simmelkjaer: but it ensures that there are still spaces available for 175 00:09:35,190 --> 00:09:40,620 Rob Simmelkjaer: our general member population on that third day when those 176 00:09:40,620 --> 00:09:42,630 Rob Simmelkjaer: races go on sale for everyone. So, that was a 177 00:09:42,630 --> 00:09:45,870 Rob Simmelkjaer: really important step we took. We also added a few 178 00:09:45,870 --> 00:09:49,890 Rob Simmelkjaer: races that are now available for everyone, all members. 179 00:09:50,250 --> 00:09:51,840 Juliette Morris: Which races are those, Rob? 180 00:09:52,440 --> 00:09:56,610 Rob Simmelkjaer: We added for this next upcoming group, Grete's Great Gallop 181 00:09:56,610 --> 00:10:00,270 Rob Simmelkjaer: is now available for early registration for all members, as 182 00:10:00,270 --> 00:10:03,179 Rob Simmelkjaer: well as I believe it was the Mindful 5K, we'll 183 00:10:03,179 --> 00:10:05,220 Rob Simmelkjaer: correct this later if I got that wrong, but I'm 184 00:10:05,220 --> 00:10:09,150 Rob Simmelkjaer: pretty sure it's Mindful 5K and Grete's that we now have made 185 00:10:09,150 --> 00:10:12,540 Rob Simmelkjaer: available for all members to sign up early, because we 186 00:10:12,570 --> 00:10:15,480 Rob Simmelkjaer: want to make sure that everybody has a chance to 187 00:10:15,480 --> 00:10:18,900 Rob Simmelkjaer: get into a race. So, that's the second thing, Juliette. 188 00:10:19,200 --> 00:10:22,500 Rob Simmelkjaer: And then, I will give a little sneak preview of 189 00:10:22,500 --> 00:10:24,960 Rob Simmelkjaer: a third thing, because I do want to start getting 190 00:10:25,320 --> 00:10:28,140 Rob Simmelkjaer: the word out there a little bit as to something 191 00:10:28,140 --> 00:10:30,750 Rob Simmelkjaer: else we're thinking about, and it's about the 9+ 1 192 00:10:30,750 --> 00:10:34,740 Rob Simmelkjaer: program. Because we know that 9+ 1 is driving so 193 00:10:34,740 --> 00:10:37,080 Rob Simmelkjaer: much of this, and 9+ 1 is what is causing 194 00:10:37,380 --> 00:10:40,350 Rob Simmelkjaer: so many races to sell out within minutes of going 195 00:10:40,350 --> 00:10:44,099 Rob Simmelkjaer: on sale, we are likely going to start looking to 196 00:10:44,100 --> 00:10:48,780 Rob Simmelkjaer: have more races that are in our calendar that are 197 00:10:48,780 --> 00:10:52,770 Rob Simmelkjaer: not 9+ 1. And that is really important because that 198 00:10:52,770 --> 00:10:56,640 Rob Simmelkjaer: will create more situations that a race will stay on sale 199 00:10:56,640 --> 00:10:59,219 Rob Simmelkjaer: for a longer period of time, and a casual runner 200 00:10:59,520 --> 00:11:01,829 Rob Simmelkjaer: will have an option to go and sign up for a 201 00:11:01,920 --> 00:11:05,130 Rob Simmelkjaer: race if they're not looking to run 9+ 1, if 202 00:11:05,130 --> 00:11:07,890 Rob Simmelkjaer: they're not looking to run the marathon, because that's really 203 00:11:08,130 --> 00:11:10,230 Rob Simmelkjaer: a key part of our mission is getting more people 204 00:11:10,230 --> 00:11:14,940 Rob Simmelkjaer: running. So, you'll likely see at least one race in 205 00:11:14,940 --> 00:11:18,120 Rob Simmelkjaer: the third quarter of races that we put on sale 206 00:11:18,360 --> 00:11:21,330 Rob Simmelkjaer: not be one of the 9+ 1 races. And in 207 00:11:21,330 --> 00:11:24,479 Rob Simmelkjaer: addition to that, we are rolling out a bunch of 208 00:11:24,480 --> 00:11:27,570 Rob Simmelkjaer: new types of events and races that are not part 209 00:11:27,570 --> 00:11:30,240 Rob Simmelkjaer: of the 9+1 program. We've always had Open Run, of course people 210 00:11:30,240 --> 00:11:33,840 Rob Simmelkjaer: know about that. That's free, that's every weekend in parks 211 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:36,030 Rob Simmelkjaer: all around the city. That's never been 9+ 1, it's 212 00:11:36,030 --> 00:11:39,870 Rob Simmelkjaer: always an opportunity to run. Last summer, Juliette, you'll recall 213 00:11:39,870 --> 00:11:42,540 Rob Simmelkjaer: we rolled out a new initiative called the Starting Line 214 00:11:42,540 --> 00:11:45,720 Rob Simmelkjaer: Series, Start Line Series that we rolled out in Queens 215 00:11:45,720 --> 00:11:50,069 Rob Simmelkjaer: and Brooklyn. Those were 5Ks that, again, were available to 216 00:11:50,070 --> 00:11:54,120 Rob Simmelkjaer: anyone, and free, and not part of 9+ 1. We're 217 00:11:54,120 --> 00:11:57,090 Rob Simmelkjaer: going to be rolling out two more of those this 218 00:11:57,090 --> 00:11:59,460 Rob Simmelkjaer: year. So, we'll have a total of four of the 219 00:11:59,460 --> 00:12:02,850 Rob Simmelkjaer: Start Line Series races available, and we've got plans to 220 00:12:02,850 --> 00:12:06,750 Rob Simmelkjaer: do more events on the track as well. So, we 221 00:12:06,990 --> 00:12:10,260 Rob Simmelkjaer: have something called the Speed Series every year out on 222 00:12:10,260 --> 00:12:12,750 Rob Simmelkjaer: Randalls Island. We're looking to expand that as well to 223 00:12:12,750 --> 00:12:16,170 Rob Simmelkjaer: give people a chance to run shorter distances. So we're 224 00:12:16,170 --> 00:12:20,850 Rob Simmelkjaer: looking, Juliette, to have more opportunities to run that are 225 00:12:20,850 --> 00:12:24,900 Rob Simmelkjaer: not 9+ 1, and by doing that there'll be more 226 00:12:24,960 --> 00:12:28,679 Rob Simmelkjaer: accessibility and more availability for people who just want to 227 00:12:28,679 --> 00:12:32,250 Rob Simmelkjaer: run, who don't necessarily want to run the marathon. 228 00:12:32,640 --> 00:12:35,400 Juliette Morris: And to your earlier point, this is not going to 229 00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:39,030 Juliette Morris: solve everything because there's always going to be, because of 230 00:12:39,030 --> 00:12:42,929 Juliette Morris: the demand, there's always going to be a certain amount 231 00:12:42,929 --> 00:12:45,090 Juliette Morris: of people that are going to be disappointed that they 232 00:12:45,090 --> 00:12:48,179 Juliette Morris: can't get in. And we wish that we could change 233 00:12:48,179 --> 00:12:51,809 Juliette Morris: that, but all of these changes are really about trying 234 00:12:51,809 --> 00:12:56,490 Juliette Morris: to make sure more equitable, greater percentage across all of our 235 00:12:56,490 --> 00:13:00,840 Juliette Morris: different kinds of runners can get access into the races 236 00:13:00,840 --> 00:13:04,620 Juliette Morris: and try to make improvements that way. 237 00:13:04,920 --> 00:13:08,699 Rob Simmelkjaer: That's right, Juliette. I know that any particular change that 238 00:13:08,700 --> 00:13:12,600 Rob Simmelkjaer: we make is going to advantage certain types of runners 239 00:13:12,840 --> 00:13:16,950 Rob Simmelkjaer: and disadvantage certain types of runners because of, again, the 240 00:13:16,950 --> 00:13:20,760 Rob Simmelkjaer: math problem. When you have a math problem, any solution 241 00:13:20,970 --> 00:13:23,670 Rob Simmelkjaer: is going to tilt in one direction or the other, 242 00:13:23,910 --> 00:13:27,090 Rob Simmelkjaer: but I want everyone to understand that our number one 243 00:13:27,090 --> 00:13:31,770 Rob Simmelkjaer: goal is accessibility. We want to ensure the accessibility of 244 00:13:31,770 --> 00:13:35,550 Rob Simmelkjaer: running to New Yorkers, and that is the north star 245 00:13:35,850 --> 00:13:38,250 Rob Simmelkjaer: that I'm looking at when it comes to decisions that 246 00:13:38,250 --> 00:13:38,670 Rob Simmelkjaer: we make. 247 00:13:38,910 --> 00:13:44,130 Juliette Morris: That's great. One of the other big, more recent comments 248 00:13:44,130 --> 00:13:48,720 Juliette Morris: that we've been seeing across social media, obviously we are 249 00:13:48,720 --> 00:13:52,110 Juliette Morris: a nonprofit, everything we do is getting people running and 250 00:13:52,110 --> 00:13:55,710 Juliette Morris: trying to reinvest, not trying, and reinvesting back into New 251 00:13:55,710 --> 00:14:01,170 Juliette Morris: York, but we are running races. And we just recently 252 00:14:01,170 --> 00:14:05,340 Juliette Morris: announced a processing fee that needed to be applied to 253 00:14:05,340 --> 00:14:09,300 Juliette Morris: transactions within the organization. And we've gotten a lot of 254 00:14:09,300 --> 00:14:15,360 Juliette Morris: pushback about that processing fee. And so, we understand that, 255 00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:20,460 Juliette Morris: but I also think maybe people don't understand why we 256 00:14:20,460 --> 00:14:24,660 Juliette Morris: did it and what the thinking behind it was. So, 257 00:14:25,290 --> 00:14:27,240 Juliette Morris: can you share a little bit about that? 258 00:14:27,660 --> 00:14:31,770 Rob Simmelkjaer: Yeah. So, just as we are not immune to the 259 00:14:31,770 --> 00:14:34,140 Rob Simmelkjaer: laws of mathematics, which we were just talking about when 260 00:14:34,140 --> 00:14:37,440 Rob Simmelkjaer: it comes to race access, we are also not immune 261 00:14:37,770 --> 00:14:41,430 Rob Simmelkjaer: to the laws of economics. And in this environment that 262 00:14:41,430 --> 00:14:43,290 Rob Simmelkjaer: we've all been living in, I mean, this has always 263 00:14:43,290 --> 00:14:46,620 Rob Simmelkjaer: been the case but even more so recently, prices go 264 00:14:46,620 --> 00:14:52,200 Rob Simmelkjaer: up. There's a constant increase in the prices of everything 265 00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:53,850 Rob Simmelkjaer: that all of us are doing in the world. We've 266 00:14:53,850 --> 00:14:58,050 Rob Simmelkjaer: all experienced it with our groceries, or gasoline, or lots 267 00:14:58,050 --> 00:15:02,040 Rob Simmelkjaer: of other things. And even though we're a nonprofit, people 268 00:15:02,040 --> 00:15:04,050 Rob Simmelkjaer: don't give us things for free. We have to go 269 00:15:04,050 --> 00:15:09,300 Rob Simmelkjaer: out and pay lots and lots of vendors, service providers, 270 00:15:09,510 --> 00:15:13,080 Rob Simmelkjaer: and by the way, our staff, who expect to be 271 00:15:13,080 --> 00:15:16,440 Rob Simmelkjaer: paid and compensated fairly, and are looking for that annual 272 00:15:16,440 --> 00:15:18,930 Rob Simmelkjaer: increase as all of us are in our jobs. So 273 00:15:19,110 --> 00:15:23,040 Rob Simmelkjaer: it's a simple, normal situation that we experience like every 274 00:15:23,040 --> 00:15:25,830 Rob Simmelkjaer: other organization and company out there in the world, that our 275 00:15:25,830 --> 00:15:30,570 Rob Simmelkjaer: prices are always going up year over year. It's remarkable 276 00:15:30,900 --> 00:15:34,470 Rob Simmelkjaer: that this organization has been able to keep the prices 277 00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:37,350 Rob Simmelkjaer: where they are for such a long period of time. 278 00:15:37,560 --> 00:15:41,160 Rob Simmelkjaer: The fact that our membership is $ 60 a year, the 279 00:15:41,160 --> 00:15:46,680 Rob Simmelkjaer: fact that our weekly races for members are $ 25, it's 280 00:15:46,680 --> 00:15:48,930 Rob Simmelkjaer: really incredible that we've been able to keep that level 281 00:15:48,930 --> 00:15:51,030 Rob Simmelkjaer: of affordability, and that goes back to the point of 282 00:15:51,030 --> 00:15:55,110 Rob Simmelkjaer: accessibility being really important to us. But we always have 283 00:15:55,110 --> 00:15:58,890 Rob Simmelkjaer: to look at how we can be a sustainable organization 284 00:15:58,950 --> 00:16:01,230 Rob Simmelkjaer: and continue to provide these services. And if we keep 285 00:16:01,230 --> 00:16:04,680 Rob Simmelkjaer: prices frozen for everything forever, the math just isn't going 286 00:16:04,680 --> 00:16:06,030 Rob Simmelkjaer: to work out. We're not going to be able to 287 00:16:06,030 --> 00:16:09,210 Rob Simmelkjaer: do it. So, as we see a cost come along, 288 00:16:09,570 --> 00:16:13,560 Rob Simmelkjaer: like processing fees, and as everybody knows we've switched our 289 00:16:13,560 --> 00:16:17,940 Rob Simmelkjaer: provider for our transactional platform, the way that people sign 290 00:16:17,940 --> 00:16:22,200 Rob Simmelkjaer: up for our races. We have a great partner, haku, that 291 00:16:22,200 --> 00:16:24,720 Rob Simmelkjaer: has done this for us, and it has helped us 292 00:16:24,720 --> 00:16:27,510 Rob Simmelkjaer: really improve the process of signing up for races. There's 293 00:16:28,320 --> 00:16:31,500 Rob Simmelkjaer: no longer 90 minute, two hour wait times for people 294 00:16:31,500 --> 00:16:34,080 Rob Simmelkjaer: trying to register for races. So that's been a big 295 00:16:34,080 --> 00:16:37,260 Rob Simmelkjaer: improvement, but of course that comes at a cost as 296 00:16:37,260 --> 00:16:40,830 Rob Simmelkjaer: well. And so, as you see quite broadly in the 297 00:16:40,830 --> 00:16:47,010 Rob Simmelkjaer: world, you see lots of companies, organizations, nonprofits passing along 298 00:16:47,010 --> 00:16:51,000 Rob Simmelkjaer: transaction fees when they are being charged by a provider, 299 00:16:51,240 --> 00:16:54,930 Rob Simmelkjaer: it's something that in the broad outlook of our cost 300 00:16:54,930 --> 00:16:57,660 Rob Simmelkjaer: base and what it takes us to run this organization 301 00:16:57,900 --> 00:16:59,910 Rob Simmelkjaer: was something that just made sense for us to pass 302 00:16:59,910 --> 00:17:03,240 Rob Simmelkjaer: along. And so in doing that, we didn't have to 303 00:17:03,360 --> 00:17:06,390 Rob Simmelkjaer: raise the actual price of the races. Now, I'm not 304 00:17:06,390 --> 00:17:08,400 Rob Simmelkjaer: saying that we won't have to do that at some 305 00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:13,409 Rob Simmelkjaer: point, we will 100% have to raise the actual price 306 00:17:13,650 --> 00:17:16,740 Rob Simmelkjaer: of races at some point. We will have to raise 307 00:17:16,740 --> 00:17:20,340 Rob Simmelkjaer: the price of the NYC half and the marathon at 308 00:17:20,340 --> 00:17:23,730 Rob Simmelkjaer: some point, because again, that's just the law of economics. 309 00:17:23,730 --> 00:17:26,490 Rob Simmelkjaer: Prices do have to increase from time to time to 310 00:17:26,490 --> 00:17:29,820 Rob Simmelkjaer: cover costs, but this was something that we thought was 311 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:34,290 Rob Simmelkjaer: manageable and was something that was directly tied to a 312 00:17:34,290 --> 00:17:37,109 Rob Simmelkjaer: cost that we have. So, that's what we decided we needed 313 00:17:37,109 --> 00:17:40,169 Rob Simmelkjaer: to do. And we know it's not fun to have 314 00:17:40,170 --> 00:17:42,869 Rob Simmelkjaer: to pay a little bit more, but hopefully our runners 315 00:17:42,900 --> 00:17:45,990 Rob Simmelkjaer: understand and continue to find the experience worth it. 316 00:17:46,500 --> 00:17:50,640 Juliette Morris: Yeah. And I would add, I know the entire internal 317 00:17:50,640 --> 00:17:57,690 Juliette Morris: team also looked at other race organizations and other organizations 318 00:17:57,690 --> 00:18:01,410 Juliette Morris: in general on what those processing fees are, because we 319 00:18:01,440 --> 00:18:04,740 Juliette Morris: also wanted to make sure that we were consistent with 320 00:18:04,740 --> 00:18:08,700 Juliette Morris: industry standards and try to have the lowest possible processing 321 00:18:08,700 --> 00:18:09,450 Juliette Morris: fee we could. 322 00:18:10,020 --> 00:18:13,500 Rob Simmelkjaer: Absolutely, and it's very normal what we're doing. I mean, 323 00:18:13,859 --> 00:18:17,970 Rob Simmelkjaer: if you've bought tickets to a concert lately or maybe 324 00:18:17,970 --> 00:18:21,210 Rob Simmelkjaer: a Broadway show or something like that, I mean, not 325 00:18:21,210 --> 00:18:24,510 Rob Simmelkjaer: to call anybody out but check out those transaction fees. 326 00:18:24,510 --> 00:18:28,410 Rob Simmelkjaer: There are some significant fees that are charged out there 327 00:18:28,410 --> 00:18:31,230 Rob Simmelkjaer: in this landscape. And so, where we are we think 328 00:18:31,230 --> 00:18:34,710 Rob Simmelkjaer: is pretty reasonable. And it's just, again, something that we 329 00:18:34,710 --> 00:18:38,580 Rob Simmelkjaer: had to do to sustain the level of service that 330 00:18:38,580 --> 00:18:39,780 Rob Simmelkjaer: we provide our community. 331 00:18:40,650 --> 00:18:44,550 Juliette Morris: One of the, not necessarily the last, but one of 332 00:18:44,550 --> 00:18:47,310 Juliette Morris: the last things I'd love you to talk about a 333 00:18:47,310 --> 00:18:51,450 Juliette Morris: little bit is obviously everything we do is to get 334 00:18:51,450 --> 00:18:57,450 Juliette Morris: people running and to transform communities, and have significant impact 335 00:18:57,780 --> 00:19:00,389 Juliette Morris: on the five boroughs in the city that we call 336 00:19:00,390 --> 00:19:06,270 Juliette Morris: home and love so dearly. And we recently looked at 337 00:19:06,300 --> 00:19:08,760 Juliette Morris: what kind of impact that we have. And I have 338 00:19:08,760 --> 00:19:13,200 Juliette Morris: to say, new to the organization only a year, it 339 00:19:13,200 --> 00:19:18,840 Juliette Morris: actually was pretty astonishing to me what this organization and 340 00:19:18,840 --> 00:19:22,109 Juliette Morris: all of our races do for New York City. Can you 341 00:19:22,109 --> 00:19:26,520 Juliette Morris: talk a little bit about that so that the people 342 00:19:26,520 --> 00:19:31,139 Juliette Morris: that are seeing these increased processing fees and spending money 343 00:19:31,140 --> 00:19:35,070 Juliette Morris: with us understand where it's going and what we're trying 344 00:19:35,070 --> 00:19:37,020 Juliette Morris: to accomplish, and are accomplishing? 345 00:19:37,380 --> 00:19:40,859 Rob Simmelkjaer: Yeah. Thanks, Juliette, for that question, and we are really 346 00:19:40,859 --> 00:19:44,609 Rob Simmelkjaer: proud at the results of an economic impact study that 347 00:19:44,609 --> 00:19:49,109 Rob Simmelkjaer: we did this past fall before the marathon. We engaged 348 00:19:49,109 --> 00:19:52,679 Rob Simmelkjaer: a top- notch provider of these kinds of studies, and 349 00:19:52,680 --> 00:19:56,580 Rob Simmelkjaer: they did a really deep dive looking at what economic 350 00:19:56,580 --> 00:20:01,139 Rob Simmelkjaer: activity is driven in New York City all year long 351 00:20:01,470 --> 00:20:04,020 Rob Simmelkjaer: by the activities of New York Road Runners. So, what 352 00:20:04,020 --> 00:20:06,450 Rob Simmelkjaer: does that mean? I mean, it doesn't just mean stuff 353 00:20:06,480 --> 00:20:10,919 Rob Simmelkjaer: that would have happened anyway. We're talking about incremental economic 354 00:20:10,920 --> 00:20:14,190 Rob Simmelkjaer: activity that was driven by our events. So money that 355 00:20:14,190 --> 00:20:17,040 Rob Simmelkjaer: was spent in New York City, the five boroughs of 356 00:20:17,040 --> 00:20:20,100 Rob Simmelkjaer: New York City, that wouldn't have been spent otherwise. And 357 00:20:20,160 --> 00:20:25,950 Rob Simmelkjaer: that totaled nearly $ 1 billion per year in economic impact 358 00:20:25,950 --> 00:20:27,959 Rob Simmelkjaer: that New York Road Runners has on the city of 359 00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:32,640 Rob Simmelkjaer: New York. The marathon alone was almost 700 million of 360 00:20:32,640 --> 00:20:35,250 Rob Simmelkjaer: that. So, that won't surprise anybody who is in New 361 00:20:35,250 --> 00:20:37,949 Rob Simmelkjaer: York City during the week of the marathon. And when 362 00:20:37,950 --> 00:20:40,410 Rob Simmelkjaer: you're in the city, what do you see? You see 363 00:20:40,500 --> 00:20:44,700 Rob Simmelkjaer: hotels that are booked solid with people coming from all 364 00:20:44,700 --> 00:20:47,609 Rob Simmelkjaer: around the world to run the TCS New York City 365 00:20:47,609 --> 00:20:51,600 Rob Simmelkjaer: Marathon. You see restaurants that are packed, you see people 366 00:20:51,600 --> 00:20:56,640 Rob Simmelkjaer: in museums, getting tickets to Broadway shows, spending money shopping 367 00:20:56,640 --> 00:20:59,280 Rob Simmelkjaer: and in the stores, spending money at the expo, which 368 00:20:59,280 --> 00:21:02,520 Rob Simmelkjaer: is part of this as well. You see this huge 369 00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:05,400 Rob Simmelkjaer: influx of people from all over the world coming to 370 00:21:05,400 --> 00:21:07,890 Rob Simmelkjaer: New York for what we know is the best day 371 00:21:07,890 --> 00:21:09,810 Rob Simmelkjaer: of the year. And so, what does that mean? What 372 00:21:09,810 --> 00:21:12,929 Rob Simmelkjaer: does that translate into? Well, if you ask anyone who 373 00:21:13,109 --> 00:21:17,400 Rob Simmelkjaer: runs a hotel, owns a restaurant, runs a boutique, it 374 00:21:17,400 --> 00:21:21,570 Rob Simmelkjaer: means money to those businesses and that means jobs. And 375 00:21:21,660 --> 00:21:25,200 Rob Simmelkjaer: those jobs are significant in what's driven by New York 376 00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:28,619 Rob Simmelkjaer: Road Runners. The stat that astounded me the most, Juliette, 377 00:21:29,340 --> 00:21:34,080 Rob Simmelkjaer: was that our economic impact was greater than the combined 378 00:21:34,080 --> 00:21:38,400 Rob Simmelkjaer: impact of the entire regular season for the New York Yankees 379 00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:41,790 Rob Simmelkjaer: and the New York Mets. They each play 81 home 380 00:21:41,790 --> 00:21:42,030 Rob Simmelkjaer: games a year- 381 00:21:42,030 --> 00:21:42,270 Juliette Morris: Go Mets. 382 00:21:42,990 --> 00:21:45,510 Rob Simmelkjaer: That's right, let's go Mets, but we beat them on 383 00:21:45,510 --> 00:21:49,080 Rob Simmelkjaer: this one. We drive a huge amount. And why is 384 00:21:49,080 --> 00:21:50,850 Rob Simmelkjaer: that? I mean, of course the tickets and all that 385 00:21:50,850 --> 00:21:54,750 Rob Simmelkjaer: are expensive to these baseball games, but that's money that 386 00:21:54,810 --> 00:21:57,720 Rob Simmelkjaer: our study determines would have been spent somewhere else anyway. 387 00:21:57,900 --> 00:22:01,080 Rob Simmelkjaer: These are mostly New Yorkers who are going to these 388 00:22:01,080 --> 00:22:03,960 Rob Simmelkjaer: games. Whereas with our stuff, it's people who are coming 389 00:22:03,960 --> 00:22:08,040 Rob Simmelkjaer: from everywhere who are riding the subways marathon weekends, who 390 00:22:08,040 --> 00:22:11,040 Rob Simmelkjaer: are spending this kind of money all over our city. 391 00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:14,640 Rob Simmelkjaer: So it's a really big deal, it means jobs, it 392 00:22:14,640 --> 00:22:17,250 Rob Simmelkjaer: means tax revenue for the city of New York that 393 00:22:17,250 --> 00:22:19,619 Rob Simmelkjaer: can be spent on all the services that we all 394 00:22:19,619 --> 00:22:23,850 Rob Simmelkjaer: need, and we're really proud to play that role. And 395 00:22:23,850 --> 00:22:26,340 Rob Simmelkjaer: so if you ask, " Well, why does New York City, 396 00:22:27,420 --> 00:22:29,820 Rob Simmelkjaer: why does it give Road Runners permits? Why does the 397 00:22:29,820 --> 00:22:32,130 Rob Simmelkjaer: city shut down for the marathon every year?" Well, A, 398 00:22:32,130 --> 00:22:33,629 Rob Simmelkjaer: it's the best day of the year in New York, 399 00:22:33,900 --> 00:22:37,320 Rob Simmelkjaer: but B, this is another big reason why is because 400 00:22:37,320 --> 00:22:41,400 Rob Simmelkjaer: it really is making our city more economically viable by 401 00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:42,630 Rob Simmelkjaer: having this event every year. 402 00:22:43,050 --> 00:22:47,310 Juliette Morris: Well, and I have to say it was pretty incredible this 403 00:22:47,310 --> 00:22:50,040 Juliette Morris: year because we, for the first time, if I am 404 00:22:50,040 --> 00:22:53,159 Juliette Morris: correct, had beacons and were able to get a better 405 00:22:53,160 --> 00:22:57,330 Juliette Morris: sense of how many spectators were lining all the streets. 406 00:22:57,330 --> 00:22:59,340 Juliette Morris: And when I got here, we would talk about a 407 00:22:59,340 --> 00:23:01,350 Juliette Morris: million people, and I grew up in New York. I 408 00:23:01,350 --> 00:23:04,859 Juliette Morris: stood on First Avenue probably 30 times watching people run 409 00:23:04,859 --> 00:23:08,340 Juliette Morris: by, and this year we had close to, if not 410 00:23:08,340 --> 00:23:12,570 Juliette Morris: over two million spectators lining the streets. And to your 411 00:23:12,570 --> 00:23:14,790 Juliette Morris: point, they are going in and getting coffee, they are 412 00:23:14,790 --> 00:23:18,000 Juliette Morris: picking up muffins, they are picking up food for their 413 00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:24,720 Juliette Morris: loved ones and that spectator crowd is just growing exponentially 414 00:23:24,720 --> 00:23:25,440 Juliette Morris: every year. 415 00:23:26,490 --> 00:23:30,330 Rob Simmelkjaer: 100%. That's another big part of not just what makes 416 00:23:30,690 --> 00:23:33,810 Rob Simmelkjaer: marathon day great, but also what makes it great for 417 00:23:33,810 --> 00:23:36,659 Rob Simmelkjaer: the city is, I mean, how many bars on Second 418 00:23:36,660 --> 00:23:41,340 Rob Simmelkjaer: Avenue would typically be packed at 9: 00 AM, 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM 419 00:23:41,340 --> 00:23:45,720 Rob Simmelkjaer: on a Sunday morning? Maybe for football, but that's a 420 00:23:45,720 --> 00:23:49,380 Rob Simmelkjaer: party that's happening in Brooklyn or over on Second Avenue. 421 00:23:49,619 --> 00:23:52,260 Rob Simmelkjaer: And that's part of what makes it a great day, 422 00:23:52,260 --> 00:23:54,570 Rob Simmelkjaer: both in terms of the spirit but also in terms 423 00:23:54,570 --> 00:23:55,740 Rob Simmelkjaer: of the economic impact. 424 00:23:56,280 --> 00:23:59,879 Juliette Morris: So, what are some of the things that you're the 425 00:23:59,880 --> 00:24:06,180 Juliette Morris: most excited about for Road Runners and for our community 426 00:24:06,390 --> 00:24:08,310 Juliette Morris: in 2026? 427 00:24:09,300 --> 00:24:12,420 Rob Simmelkjaer: Well, Juliette, you know it well because we talk about 428 00:24:12,420 --> 00:24:14,670 Rob Simmelkjaer: it every week. First and foremost, I'd say is the 429 00:24:14,670 --> 00:24:18,660 Rob Simmelkjaer: 50th anniversary of the Five Borough Marathon that's coming up 430 00:24:18,660 --> 00:24:23,369 Rob Simmelkjaer: this fall. And the organization was robbed a little bit 431 00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:27,240 Rob Simmelkjaer: of the opportunity to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 432 00:24:27,240 --> 00:24:32,670 Rob Simmelkjaer: marathon overall back in 2021, of course because of COVID 433 00:24:33,030 --> 00:24:35,040 Rob Simmelkjaer: and the fact that the marathon could only be half 434 00:24:35,040 --> 00:24:37,439 Rob Simmelkjaer: of its normal size, and it didn't have the scale 435 00:24:37,440 --> 00:24:41,400 Rob Simmelkjaer: that we're all used to. Now in 2026, God willing 436 00:24:41,550 --> 00:24:44,970 Rob Simmelkjaer: no more pandemics, anything like that happening, we'll be able 437 00:24:44,970 --> 00:24:49,919 Rob Simmelkjaer: to have that true celebration of this incredible event. And 438 00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:54,750 Rob Simmelkjaer: I think that the Five- Borough Marathon anniversary to me 439 00:24:54,750 --> 00:24:57,810 Rob Simmelkjaer: is really the one that matters in a lot of 440 00:24:57,810 --> 00:25:00,869 Rob Simmelkjaer: ways, because what we all have come to know and 441 00:25:00,869 --> 00:25:02,609 Rob Simmelkjaer: love as the best day of the year in New 442 00:25:02,609 --> 00:25:05,880 Rob Simmelkjaer: York City is the fact that people are running from 443 00:25:05,880 --> 00:25:10,439 Rob Simmelkjaer: Staten Island across the Verrazzano Bridge through Brooklyn, through Queens, 444 00:25:10,740 --> 00:25:14,970 Rob Simmelkjaer: over the 59th Street Bridge into Manhattan, up the Upper 445 00:25:14,970 --> 00:25:16,920 Rob Simmelkjaer: East Side and then through the Bronx and back into 446 00:25:16,920 --> 00:25:20,580 Rob Simmelkjaer: Central Park, that's the marathon. No offense to the people 447 00:25:20,580 --> 00:25:22,949 Rob Simmelkjaer: who started and ran back in the days when it 448 00:25:22,950 --> 00:25:27,420 Rob Simmelkjaer: was loops around Central Park, but it's the inclusion of 449 00:25:27,420 --> 00:25:30,990 Rob Simmelkjaer: the entire city that makes the TCS New York City 450 00:25:30,990 --> 00:25:34,650 Rob Simmelkjaer: Marathon the incredible event that it is. And so, that's 451 00:25:34,800 --> 00:25:38,070 Rob Simmelkjaer: something that's really worth celebrating, and we've got an incredible 452 00:25:38,310 --> 00:25:41,399 Rob Simmelkjaer: set of things planned. You and the marketing team have 453 00:25:41,400 --> 00:25:43,859 Rob Simmelkjaer: done a great job of creating a really special logo 454 00:25:43,859 --> 00:25:46,619 Rob Simmelkjaer: that we rolled out last fall, people have probably seen 455 00:25:46,619 --> 00:25:50,070 Rob Simmelkjaer: that, represents the five boroughs of New York. We've got 456 00:25:50,070 --> 00:25:53,340 Rob Simmelkjaer: so many other things planned for this year, a lot 457 00:25:53,340 --> 00:25:56,310 Rob Simmelkjaer: of content that's telling the story of the history of 458 00:25:56,310 --> 00:25:58,830 Rob Simmelkjaer: the marathon, telling the story of some of the incredible 459 00:25:58,830 --> 00:26:01,859 Rob Simmelkjaer: things we're going to do this year. So, I would 460 00:26:01,859 --> 00:26:05,609 Rob Simmelkjaer: say first and foremost is that, is really celebrating the 461 00:26:06,450 --> 00:26:10,050 Rob Simmelkjaer: 50th anniversary of this iconic event that makes New York 462 00:26:10,050 --> 00:26:13,379 Rob Simmelkjaer: Road Runners the organization that it is, and that gives 463 00:26:13,380 --> 00:26:15,690 Rob Simmelkjaer: so many New Yorkers and people around the world something 464 00:26:15,690 --> 00:26:17,129 Rob Simmelkjaer: to look forward to all year long. 465 00:26:18,180 --> 00:26:21,330 Juliette Morris: And I have to say for those that are listening, 466 00:26:21,330 --> 00:26:27,030 Juliette Morris: we've got some very exciting surprises and activations lined up 467 00:26:27,030 --> 00:26:27,690 Juliette Morris: for that. 468 00:26:28,619 --> 00:26:32,250 Rob Simmelkjaer: Absolutely. And then the second thing I would point to 469 00:26:32,250 --> 00:26:35,940 Rob Simmelkjaer: is we just have an incredible opportunity at New York 470 00:26:35,940 --> 00:26:40,590 Rob Simmelkjaer: Road Runners to take the surge of popularity of running 471 00:26:41,190 --> 00:26:45,450 Rob Simmelkjaer: and turn that into even more impact. We are already 472 00:26:45,450 --> 00:26:49,560 Rob Simmelkjaer: doing incredible things with more than 100,000 kids in New 473 00:26:49,560 --> 00:26:52,290 Rob Simmelkjaer: York City enrolled in our Rising New York Road Runners 474 00:26:52,290 --> 00:26:56,430 Rob Simmelkjaer: program. We've got this great Run for the Future program 475 00:26:56,430 --> 00:26:59,879 Rob Simmelkjaer: for high school girls to get moving and get involved 476 00:26:59,880 --> 00:27:03,000 Rob Simmelkjaer: in running. We have our Open Run program, free runs 477 00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:06,780 Rob Simmelkjaer: around the city. We've got our Striders program, walking program 478 00:27:06,780 --> 00:27:10,109 Rob Simmelkjaer: for older adults. We have our Race Free program as 479 00:27:10,109 --> 00:27:14,010 Rob Simmelkjaer: well. And so, because of the popularity of running right 480 00:27:14,010 --> 00:27:18,540 Rob Simmelkjaer: now, we actually have the ability to greatly expand our 481 00:27:18,540 --> 00:27:23,250 Rob Simmelkjaer: impact. And by the time we reach marathon, we're going 482 00:27:23,250 --> 00:27:27,090 Rob Simmelkjaer: to have some really exciting announcements about things that we're 483 00:27:27,090 --> 00:27:30,060 Rob Simmelkjaer: going to be doing in the years ahead that will 484 00:27:31,770 --> 00:27:34,859 Rob Simmelkjaer: expand even more the kind of impact that we have 485 00:27:34,859 --> 00:27:37,710 Rob Simmelkjaer: as a nonprofit in New York City. So stay tuned 486 00:27:37,710 --> 00:27:40,230 Rob Simmelkjaer: for more on that, but I think that's the other thing I'm 487 00:27:40,230 --> 00:27:41,130 Rob Simmelkjaer: most excited about. 488 00:27:41,609 --> 00:27:44,310 Juliette Morris: Well, that was a nice cliffhanger for people. 489 00:27:47,400 --> 00:27:49,080 Rob Simmelkjaer: I used to work in television, so we love a 490 00:27:49,080 --> 00:27:49,710 Rob Simmelkjaer: good tease. 491 00:27:49,950 --> 00:27:56,790 Juliette Morris: Did you? Rob, I think there's some other exciting news to 492 00:27:56,790 --> 00:28:02,189 Juliette Morris: share relative to our Run Center and the kind of experience 493 00:28:02,190 --> 00:28:05,400 Juliette Morris: we're trying to build there. So, if you could share 494 00:28:05,400 --> 00:28:07,920 Juliette Morris: that with everyone, and also give everybody a little bit 495 00:28:07,920 --> 00:28:10,530 Juliette Morris: of heads up as to while that is coming to 496 00:28:10,530 --> 00:28:12,869 Juliette Morris: fruition what it might mean for each of them. 497 00:28:13,380 --> 00:28:16,740 Rob Simmelkjaer: Yes, Juliette. Yeah, we are excited that this year we're 498 00:28:16,740 --> 00:28:21,240 Rob Simmelkjaer: going to be undertaking a pretty significant renovation of the 499 00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:25,649 Rob Simmelkjaer: NYRR Run Center and the Run Hub, which is the 500 00:28:25,650 --> 00:28:30,450 Rob Simmelkjaer: New Balance store that's in that location on 57th Street 501 00:28:30,720 --> 00:28:34,290 Rob Simmelkjaer: between 8th and 9th Avenue. Of course, pretty much all of our members 502 00:28:34,290 --> 00:28:36,630 Rob Simmelkjaer: know it well. They're going there to pick up their 503 00:28:36,630 --> 00:28:39,240 Rob Simmelkjaer: bibs on a regular basis, maybe buy some New Balance 504 00:28:39,240 --> 00:28:42,330 Rob Simmelkjaer: gear, and it's a really important part of our organization. 505 00:28:42,330 --> 00:28:45,630 Rob Simmelkjaer: Well, we have some exciting news, which is that we are actually 506 00:28:45,630 --> 00:28:49,230 Rob Simmelkjaer: going to be expanding that space. For those who know, 507 00:28:49,230 --> 00:28:51,900 Rob Simmelkjaer: there used to be a Starbucks, I think it was 508 00:28:51,900 --> 00:28:56,130 Rob Simmelkjaer: like a Starbucks reserve center right next door going west 509 00:28:56,130 --> 00:29:00,360 Rob Simmelkjaer: from the run center. We were able to acquire that 510 00:29:00,360 --> 00:29:03,150 Rob Simmelkjaer: space under a new lease, and we're going to be expanding 511 00:29:03,210 --> 00:29:06,990 Rob Simmelkjaer: into that space as part of this renovation. So, what 512 00:29:06,990 --> 00:29:09,900 Rob Simmelkjaer: will happen is the area where bibs are currently picked 513 00:29:09,900 --> 00:29:13,590 Rob Simmelkjaer: up will remain the bib pickup area, the new Starbucks 514 00:29:13,590 --> 00:29:17,040 Rob Simmelkjaer: space that is west of that will become the New 515 00:29:17,040 --> 00:29:19,020 Rob Simmelkjaer: Balance store. So, instead of having to go all the 516 00:29:19,020 --> 00:29:21,450 Rob Simmelkjaer: way in the back and up the stairs for the 517 00:29:21,450 --> 00:29:25,080 Rob Simmelkjaer: New Balance store, that's going to now be right at 518 00:29:25,140 --> 00:29:28,440 Rob Simmelkjaer: the street, street facing with an entrance on that side, 519 00:29:28,710 --> 00:29:31,860 Rob Simmelkjaer: and we'll be able to go right over there. You'll 520 00:29:31,860 --> 00:29:33,870 Rob Simmelkjaer: be able to look in the windows and see what 521 00:29:34,200 --> 00:29:37,860 Rob Simmelkjaer: great new gear New Balance has on offer. So, that's 522 00:29:37,860 --> 00:29:40,470 Rob Simmelkjaer: going to be exciting, it's going to be a great new space there. And 523 00:29:40,470 --> 00:29:43,380 Rob Simmelkjaer: then, the space that is currently New Balance in the 524 00:29:43,410 --> 00:29:48,120 Rob Simmelkjaer: back is going to become a fantastic new event space 525 00:29:48,180 --> 00:29:50,400 Rob Simmelkjaer: for us at New York Road Runners, which is probably 526 00:29:50,400 --> 00:29:53,910 Rob Simmelkjaer: what I'm most excited about, Juliette, because we have on 527 00:29:53,910 --> 00:29:59,220 Rob Simmelkjaer: a regular basis panels and various discussions. Some of them 528 00:29:59,220 --> 00:30:01,560 Rob Simmelkjaer: are put on by New York Road Runners, some of 529 00:30:01,560 --> 00:30:04,170 Rob Simmelkjaer: them are put on by our partners at various times 530 00:30:04,170 --> 00:30:06,090 Rob Simmelkjaer: in the year. And this is going to be a 531 00:30:06,090 --> 00:30:10,620 Rob Simmelkjaer: really great audience space for people to gather, to talk 532 00:30:10,620 --> 00:30:14,760 Rob Simmelkjaer: about running, to have great conversations, and also to do 533 00:30:14,760 --> 00:30:17,820 Rob Simmelkjaer: some things that are active, like have yoga classes or 534 00:30:18,210 --> 00:30:20,430 Rob Simmelkjaer: a great area for stretching when there's not an event 535 00:30:20,430 --> 00:30:22,890 Rob Simmelkjaer: going on. So, that's going to be a really exciting 536 00:30:22,890 --> 00:30:25,530 Rob Simmelkjaer: new addition to the Run Center and it's going to 537 00:30:25,530 --> 00:30:29,490 Rob Simmelkjaer: be a spectacular new space. Your marketing team is doing 538 00:30:29,490 --> 00:30:33,060 Rob Simmelkjaer: an amazing job of really reimagining how we present ourselves 539 00:30:33,060 --> 00:30:35,729 Rob Simmelkjaer: as New York Road Runners, how we tell our history 540 00:30:35,730 --> 00:30:37,110 Rob Simmelkjaer: and all of that. So, that's all going to be a 541 00:30:37,110 --> 00:30:41,310 Rob Simmelkjaer: part of this amazingly reimagined Run Center. That's the good news. 542 00:30:41,730 --> 00:30:46,230 Rob Simmelkjaer: Obviously with any renovation comes a little bit of an 543 00:30:46,230 --> 00:30:48,660 Rob Simmelkjaer: interregnum period, if you will. There's going to be some construction work being done- 544 00:30:49,140 --> 00:30:49,141 Juliette Morris: Interregnum. 545 00:30:49,141 --> 00:30:53,700 Rob Simmelkjaer: Yes, yes. It's a word I learned at some point 546 00:30:53,700 --> 00:30:57,209 Rob Simmelkjaer: in high school. There's going to be a construction period. 547 00:30:57,210 --> 00:31:01,080 Rob Simmelkjaer: And so, during that period there certainly will be some 548 00:31:01,290 --> 00:31:05,400 Rob Simmelkjaer: inconveniences that we were going to ask everybody to have 549 00:31:05,400 --> 00:31:08,880 Rob Simmelkjaer: patience with. We don't yet know a lot in terms 550 00:31:08,880 --> 00:31:10,770 Rob Simmelkjaer: of the detail of how we're going to manage, but 551 00:31:10,770 --> 00:31:14,190 Rob Simmelkjaer: we know that while there'll still be a good amount 552 00:31:14,190 --> 00:31:17,220 Rob Simmelkjaer: of space to hand out bibs for races, it's going 553 00:31:17,220 --> 00:31:19,560 Rob Simmelkjaer: to be a little bit confined and we'll probably see 554 00:31:19,560 --> 00:31:22,710 Rob Simmelkjaer: some lines that will get a little bit longer and 555 00:31:22,710 --> 00:31:26,130 Rob Simmelkjaer: come outside the Run Center a little bit for our 556 00:31:26,130 --> 00:31:30,810 Rob Simmelkjaer: busiest races. But we are thinking right now about how 557 00:31:30,810 --> 00:31:34,350 Rob Simmelkjaer: we can ease the burden that's going to take place 558 00:31:34,350 --> 00:31:37,920 Rob Simmelkjaer: during that period of time, including expanding some bib pickup 559 00:31:37,950 --> 00:31:42,960 Rob Simmelkjaer: options at races for future races, things like that. So, 560 00:31:42,960 --> 00:31:47,040 Rob Simmelkjaer: stay tuned for more information on all of that. We're going 561 00:31:47,040 --> 00:31:50,700 Rob Simmelkjaer: to do our best to limit the inconveniences that folks 562 00:31:50,700 --> 00:31:54,480 Rob Simmelkjaer: will have, particularly picking up bibs. But the pot of 563 00:31:54,480 --> 00:31:56,550 Rob Simmelkjaer: gold at the end of the rainbow of all this 564 00:31:56,550 --> 00:32:00,150 Rob Simmelkjaer: is going to be an amazing new space for all of us to 565 00:32:00,150 --> 00:32:03,479 Rob Simmelkjaer: enjoy, and gather, and come together as a running community. 566 00:32:03,480 --> 00:32:03,481 Rob Simmelkjaer: So, it's going to be great. 567 00:32:03,481 --> 00:32:06,450 Juliette Morris: Yeah. We will make sure as an organization we're over 568 00:32:06,450 --> 00:32:11,220 Juliette Morris: communicating to people about the bib pickup and the timelines. 569 00:32:11,220 --> 00:32:15,510 Juliette Morris: And we are also really excited about the space. Just 570 00:32:15,510 --> 00:32:20,190 Juliette Morris: to give it perspective, we're really tripling to a degree 571 00:32:20,190 --> 00:32:23,400 Juliette Morris: the ability, or the amount, I should say, of people 572 00:32:23,400 --> 00:32:25,530 Juliette Morris: that will be able to come and join us for 573 00:32:25,530 --> 00:32:30,150 Juliette Morris: live podcasts, for panels, for working out. And this is really 574 00:32:30,150 --> 00:32:35,729 Juliette Morris: all about improving the experience of our community. So, it's 575 00:32:36,270 --> 00:32:39,180 Juliette Morris: going to be exciting and it's a great new palette 576 00:32:39,180 --> 00:32:43,709 Juliette Morris: for us to talk about the whole NYRR story, and 577 00:32:45,180 --> 00:32:48,900 Juliette Morris: have our Believe in Every Step platform and logo come 578 00:32:48,900 --> 00:32:49,560 Juliette Morris: to life. 579 00:32:50,220 --> 00:32:52,860 Rob Simmelkjaer: All right. Well, Juliette, you're going to regret coming on 580 00:32:52,860 --> 00:32:55,050 Rob Simmelkjaer: this episode of Set the Pace because you did such 581 00:32:55,050 --> 00:32:58,560 Rob Simmelkjaer: a great job, I see no way we're not going 582 00:32:58,560 --> 00:32:59,611 Rob Simmelkjaer: to drag you back on the show at some point- 583 00:32:59,611 --> 00:33:04,920 Juliette Morris: I have been waiting to be discovered, Rob. So, thank you for 584 00:33:05,130 --> 00:33:07,860 Juliette Morris: letting me be a part of it, especially kicking off 585 00:33:07,860 --> 00:33:09,570 Juliette Morris: the year and all this great news. 586 00:33:09,750 --> 00:33:12,060 Rob Simmelkjaer: Thank you. And we're going to keep you around because in 587 00:33:12,060 --> 00:33:14,010 Rob Simmelkjaer: just a second you're going to be joined by your 588 00:33:14,010 --> 00:33:18,330 Rob Simmelkjaer: colleague, Emily Casey, to talk about the exciting rebrand and 589 00:33:18,330 --> 00:33:19,890 Rob Simmelkjaer: new logo that we unveiled this week. 590 00:33:19,890 --> 00:33:22,110 Juliette Morris: Excited to share that with everyone in a few. 591 00:33:22,800 --> 00:33:27,840 Speaker 3: Peloton's most advanced tread yet is here. The new Peloton cross- 592 00:33:27,840 --> 00:33:32,520 Speaker 3: training series, Tread+, powered by Peloton IQ. Designed for runners 593 00:33:32,520 --> 00:33:36,120 Speaker 3: who want top tier performance, it features premium hardware that 594 00:33:36,120 --> 00:33:40,290 Speaker 3: makes every run and workout more efficient, effective, and motivating. 595 00:33:40,920 --> 00:33:45,240 Speaker 3: And it accelerates your personal growth mile after mile. The 596 00:33:45,240 --> 00:33:48,870 Speaker 3: rubberized slat belt cushions every single step and creates an 597 00:33:48,870 --> 00:33:53,550 Speaker 3: energizing running space for each stride. And with strength workouts, 598 00:33:53,700 --> 00:33:56,760 Speaker 3: you can stack right into your routine. You'll build lower 599 00:33:56,760 --> 00:34:00,870 Speaker 3: body muscle to support stronger runs. With auto incline adjusting 600 00:34:00,870 --> 00:34:05,130 Speaker 3: automatically to match instructor cues, your intensity stays exactly where 601 00:34:05,130 --> 00:34:07,380 Speaker 3: it needs to be so you can stay in the 602 00:34:07,380 --> 00:34:12,150 Speaker 3: zone and focus on your workout. Experience our most advanced 603 00:34:12,210 --> 00:34:17,370 Speaker 3: tread yet at onepeloton. com. Peloton, the official digital fitness 604 00:34:17,370 --> 00:34:19,110 Speaker 3: partner of New York Road Runners. 605 00:34:19,739 --> 00:34:22,739 Rob Simmelkjaer: Well, this week we shared something that we've been working 606 00:34:22,739 --> 00:34:24,930 Rob Simmelkjaer: on for a long time at New York Road Runners, 607 00:34:24,930 --> 00:34:28,110 Rob Simmelkjaer: an important moment for the organization and the future of 608 00:34:28,110 --> 00:34:30,779 Rob Simmelkjaer: how we show up in the world. It comes at 609 00:34:30,810 --> 00:34:34,770 Rob Simmelkjaer: an especially meaningful point in the organization's history, and reflects 610 00:34:34,770 --> 00:34:36,960 Rob Simmelkjaer: the impact that New York Road Runners has had on 611 00:34:36,960 --> 00:34:40,650 Rob Simmelkjaer: the city of New York and beyond. Joining Juliette and 612 00:34:40,650 --> 00:34:43,170 Rob Simmelkjaer: me now to help tell the whole story is co- 613 00:34:43,170 --> 00:34:45,690 Rob Simmelkjaer: head of marketing strategy at New York Road Runners, who 614 00:34:45,690 --> 00:34:49,319 Rob Simmelkjaer: spearheaded this big step forward for New York Roadrunners, our 615 00:34:49,320 --> 00:34:52,770 Rob Simmelkjaer: new brand identity and our new logo, hopefully by now 616 00:34:52,770 --> 00:34:56,640 Rob Simmelkjaer: you've seen it. Welcome Juliette Morris, our chief marketing and 617 00:34:56,640 --> 00:35:00,779 Rob Simmelkjaer: digital officer, and Emily Casey, the co- head of marketing 618 00:35:00,780 --> 00:35:04,650 Rob Simmelkjaer: strategy. I'll start with you, Juliette, and the question of 619 00:35:04,650 --> 00:35:08,040 Rob Simmelkjaer: the day, which is why was now the right time 620 00:35:08,040 --> 00:35:11,460 Rob Simmelkjaer: to rebrand New York Road Runners and come out with 621 00:35:11,460 --> 00:35:12,600 Rob Simmelkjaer: this beautiful new logo? 622 00:35:12,960 --> 00:35:16,739 Juliette Morris: Absolutely. And I will say that while it is such 623 00:35:16,739 --> 00:35:21,270 Juliette Morris: an honor to be here at this time and unveiling 624 00:35:21,270 --> 00:35:24,450 Juliette Morris: all the incredible work that we've done, this is certainly 625 00:35:24,450 --> 00:35:26,910 Juliette Morris: something that's been in the works even before I got 626 00:35:26,910 --> 00:35:28,861 Juliette Morris: here. And I would say- 627 00:35:28,861 --> 00:35:32,670 Rob Simmelkjaer: For those who don't know, Juliette's been here just over a year, so yes. 628 00:35:32,730 --> 00:35:36,719 Juliette Morris: Just over a year. And was something that I think 629 00:35:36,719 --> 00:35:40,680 Juliette Morris: really hit you when you got here at New York 630 00:35:40,680 --> 00:35:45,270 Juliette Morris: Road Runners. So, two things. One, when you just look 631 00:35:45,270 --> 00:35:49,140 Juliette Morris: at the visual identity of the New York Road Runners 632 00:35:49,140 --> 00:35:54,509 Juliette Morris: logo that has been used since 2012, it is iconic, it 633 00:35:54,510 --> 00:35:57,930 Juliette Morris: has served us really well, it is fabulous. It shows 634 00:35:57,930 --> 00:36:02,310 Juliette Morris: the road, it shows the runner, but the runner is 635 00:36:02,310 --> 00:36:05,190 Juliette Morris: what is out of date at this point. It is 636 00:36:05,190 --> 00:36:10,620 Juliette Morris: an ultra fit solitary man, and that is not who 637 00:36:10,620 --> 00:36:14,640 Juliette Morris: New York Road Runners is and it's not what running 638 00:36:14,640 --> 00:36:20,790 Juliette Morris: is today. Running is a communal activity. Certainly at times 639 00:36:20,790 --> 00:36:25,140 Juliette Morris: you're running alone, but it's a community. A singular figure 640 00:36:25,140 --> 00:36:29,550 Juliette Morris: does not represent that. And certainly New York Road Runners 641 00:36:29,550 --> 00:36:33,600 Juliette Morris: and running are about all body types, all types of 642 00:36:33,600 --> 00:36:39,000 Juliette Morris: people. And with the unbelievable boon that we are seeing 643 00:36:39,000 --> 00:36:43,049 Juliette Morris: with running, we are also seeing an incredible growth in 644 00:36:43,050 --> 00:36:47,160 Juliette Morris: female runners. And so, what we wanted to do was 645 00:36:47,160 --> 00:36:51,540 Juliette Morris: make sure that our identity was not only contemporary and 646 00:36:51,540 --> 00:36:55,739 Juliette Morris: iconic, and could serve us well for decades to come, 647 00:36:56,070 --> 00:36:58,920 Juliette Morris: but that both the identity as well as the brand 648 00:36:58,920 --> 00:37:04,950 Juliette Morris: positioning was welcoming to all and inviting all in to 649 00:37:04,950 --> 00:37:06,299 Juliette Morris: our community and running. 650 00:37:07,050 --> 00:37:10,049 Rob Simmelkjaer: Yeah, it makes so much sense. And Emily, you were 651 00:37:10,050 --> 00:37:13,920 Rob Simmelkjaer: here for pretty much this entire process. As Juliette said, 652 00:37:14,250 --> 00:37:17,489 Rob Simmelkjaer: it's something we started looking at really after I'd been 653 00:37:17,489 --> 00:37:21,540 Rob Simmelkjaer: here for a little while, like, " Hey, is this," either 654 00:37:21,540 --> 00:37:25,590 Rob Simmelkjaer: the logo or the brand positioning that we had, and 655 00:37:25,590 --> 00:37:29,489 Rob Simmelkjaer: we had had, I guess a tagline that people had 656 00:37:29,489 --> 00:37:31,920 Rob Simmelkjaer: been familiar with for a long time called Run for 657 00:37:31,920 --> 00:37:35,250 Rob Simmelkjaer: Life, which had gone back a long way but it 658 00:37:35,250 --> 00:37:39,420 Rob Simmelkjaer: wasn't really being used consistently by the organization. And so, 659 00:37:39,420 --> 00:37:43,410 Rob Simmelkjaer: talk a little bit about the process of both coming 660 00:37:43,410 --> 00:37:46,440 Rob Simmelkjaer: up with this new brand identity, Believe in Every Step, 661 00:37:46,980 --> 00:37:48,060 Rob Simmelkjaer: and the new logo. 662 00:37:48,840 --> 00:37:51,989 Emily Casey: Amazing. And thank you, I liked how you sprinkled in 663 00:37:51,989 --> 00:37:55,350 Emily Casey: that step line to introduce us because that's really something 664 00:37:55,590 --> 00:37:58,200 Emily Casey: that we're carrying through all of this. The Believe in 665 00:37:58,200 --> 00:38:00,870 Emily Casey: Every Step platform really did set the tone for the 666 00:38:00,870 --> 00:38:03,210 Emily Casey: rest of this. We wanted to take a hard look 667 00:38:03,480 --> 00:38:05,460 Emily Casey: at just the state of running, the state of the 668 00:38:05,460 --> 00:38:08,730 Emily Casey: organization, where we were and where we want to go. 669 00:38:09,239 --> 00:38:12,390 Emily Casey: I think looking at a lot of cultural insights, running 670 00:38:12,390 --> 00:38:17,010 Emily Casey: insights, just the state of the city in general, and 671 00:38:17,010 --> 00:38:22,590 Emily Casey: let that inform our next chapter. We considered a lot 672 00:38:22,590 --> 00:38:26,730 Emily Casey: of mental health wellbeing or physical challenges and making sure 673 00:38:26,730 --> 00:38:32,520 Emily Casey: running felt accessible to folks of all backgrounds, ages, because 674 00:38:32,520 --> 00:38:35,190 Emily Casey: that really is what our mission does and our vision 675 00:38:35,190 --> 00:38:38,549 Emily Casey: as well. So, that real first step to lean into 676 00:38:38,550 --> 00:38:42,090 Emily Casey: the theme was updating our mission and vision. And then 677 00:38:42,090 --> 00:38:45,510 Emily Casey: from there, just taking a hard look at our brand 678 00:38:45,510 --> 00:38:49,890 Emily Casey: platform, making sure that everyone has consistent messaging about how 679 00:38:49,890 --> 00:38:52,710 Emily Casey: we talk, knows what we do, and that really the 680 00:38:52,950 --> 00:38:55,799 Emily Casey: greater audience can see that and feel that in our 681 00:38:55,800 --> 00:38:59,850 Emily Casey: communications, in our marketing, in our long- term campaign, and 682 00:38:59,850 --> 00:39:03,390 Emily Casey: really tee us up for this rebrand in the next chapter 683 00:39:03,390 --> 00:39:04,500 Emily Casey: of New York Road Runners. 684 00:39:05,160 --> 00:39:09,270 Juliette Morris: And I would add, if you're okay, Rob, that the 685 00:39:09,270 --> 00:39:13,620 Juliette Morris: work that Emily and team did with our agency, Yard 686 00:39:14,040 --> 00:39:17,400 Juliette Morris: NYC, to come up with Believe in Every Step, a 687 00:39:17,400 --> 00:39:19,800 Juliette Morris: big part of what we wanted to do was make 688 00:39:19,800 --> 00:39:22,560 Juliette Morris: sure that we opened up the aperture, similar to what 689 00:39:22,560 --> 00:39:26,010 Juliette Morris: we're doing with the visual identity, and make sure that 690 00:39:26,040 --> 00:39:29,460 Juliette Morris: even if someone didn't see themselves as a runner or 691 00:39:29,460 --> 00:39:33,779 Juliette Morris: a runner today, they saw themselves with us and recognized 692 00:39:33,810 --> 00:39:36,450 Juliette Morris: that what we were sending out was a call for 693 00:39:36,450 --> 00:39:40,890 Juliette Morris: movement and forward momentum that anyone could be a part 694 00:39:40,890 --> 00:39:44,489 Juliette Morris: of regardless of how big or small that stride is. 695 00:39:45,090 --> 00:39:47,040 Emily Casey: Yeah, absolutely. And just to go off of that a 696 00:39:47,040 --> 00:39:49,799 Emily Casey: little bit more, I think even looking at our tone 697 00:39:49,800 --> 00:39:53,880 Emily Casey: and our personality, making sure that we were confident without 698 00:39:53,880 --> 00:40:01,650 Emily Casey: being cocky, direct without being rude, ambitious, inclusive, innovative without 699 00:40:01,650 --> 00:40:04,649 Emily Casey: being technical, really just taking a look at those positionings 700 00:40:05,790 --> 00:40:09,150 Emily Casey: of the way we speak and what we do going forward. 701 00:40:10,110 --> 00:40:13,080 Rob Simmelkjaer: Yeah, and it makes sense. And I know I've been following 702 00:40:13,080 --> 00:40:16,200 Rob Simmelkjaer: the reaction on social media, mostly to the logo, because 703 00:40:16,200 --> 00:40:20,250 Rob Simmelkjaer: that's of course what people react to. It's visual. Logos 704 00:40:20,250 --> 00:40:24,480 Rob Simmelkjaer: are such a subjective thing, people get used to something 705 00:40:24,480 --> 00:40:26,489 Rob Simmelkjaer: and they like it, and all of a sudden it's something 706 00:40:26,489 --> 00:40:29,760 Rob Simmelkjaer: new. And I actually have been surprised at how overwhelmingly 707 00:40:29,760 --> 00:40:33,420 Rob Simmelkjaer: positive the reaction has been, because you do expect a 708 00:40:33,420 --> 00:40:37,589 Rob Simmelkjaer: lot of folks to react negatively to change. That's just 709 00:40:37,590 --> 00:40:41,400 Rob Simmelkjaer: human nature in a lot of cases. But Juliette, first 710 00:40:41,400 --> 00:40:43,770 Rob Simmelkjaer: to you, why does it matter? That's one thing that 711 00:40:43,770 --> 00:40:46,739 Rob Simmelkjaer: I saw some people ask is like, what's the difference? 712 00:40:46,830 --> 00:40:51,630 Rob Simmelkjaer: Why do organizations and companies do this rebranding thing in 713 00:40:51,630 --> 00:40:54,900 Rob Simmelkjaer: a lot of cases and feel the need to refresh 714 00:40:54,900 --> 00:40:58,950 Rob Simmelkjaer: a logo, refresh a brand positioning? What is the real 715 00:40:59,130 --> 00:41:02,160 Rob Simmelkjaer: impetus behind organizations like New York Road Runners even doing 716 00:41:02,160 --> 00:41:03,030 Rob Simmelkjaer: this in the first place? 717 00:41:03,330 --> 00:41:07,049 Juliette Morris: No, it's a great question. And in a perfect world 718 00:41:07,290 --> 00:41:11,400 Juliette Morris: they're doing it for the reasons that we did it, 719 00:41:11,580 --> 00:41:15,270 Juliette Morris: which is you look at your organization, what you stand 720 00:41:15,270 --> 00:41:19,260 Juliette Morris: for, what your long- term goals are, what you're trying 721 00:41:19,260 --> 00:41:25,109 Juliette Morris: to accomplish, and make sure that the visual identity and 722 00:41:25,110 --> 00:41:28,739 Juliette Morris: the messaging is consistent with that and taking you forward. 723 00:41:28,739 --> 00:41:32,640 Juliette Morris: And as Emily and I both said, and you saw 724 00:41:32,640 --> 00:41:37,259 Juliette Morris: when you came into the organization, no pun intended about 725 00:41:37,260 --> 00:41:40,860 Juliette Morris: step, but the visual identity was out of step with who 726 00:41:40,860 --> 00:41:44,700 Juliette Morris: and what we were. And so, it's important that what 727 00:41:44,700 --> 00:41:48,660 Juliette Morris: we have created is enduring for us, and to move 728 00:41:48,660 --> 00:41:51,810 Juliette Morris: forward. I do believe that there are companies at times 729 00:41:51,810 --> 00:41:53,730 Juliette Morris: that just do it for the sake of doing it, 730 00:41:54,210 --> 00:41:58,140 Juliette Morris: and that is not what we did here. We made 731 00:41:58,140 --> 00:42:01,290 Juliette Morris: a very, very conscious step. And I know a lot 732 00:42:01,290 --> 00:42:04,170 Juliette Morris: of people in the comments are like, " Where is the 733 00:42:04,170 --> 00:42:09,000 Juliette Morris: runner?" But we made that step purposefully, because when you 734 00:42:09,900 --> 00:42:14,670 Juliette Morris: graphically show a runner you are graphically showing one type 735 00:42:14,670 --> 00:42:18,000 Juliette Morris: of person and that is not who we are. So 736 00:42:18,150 --> 00:42:22,950 Juliette Morris: the torch, which for hundreds of years has represented running, 737 00:42:22,950 --> 00:42:27,810 Juliette Morris: but most particularly represents Lady Liberty, and New York, and 738 00:42:27,810 --> 00:42:34,620 Juliette Morris: welcoming, and diversity is a better representation. And certainly by 739 00:42:34,620 --> 00:42:37,110 Juliette Morris: spelling out our name New York Road Road Runners, we are 740 00:42:37,110 --> 00:42:41,340 Juliette Morris: making it clear that we are a running organization as opposed 741 00:42:41,340 --> 00:42:43,860 Juliette Morris: to the abbreviation NYRR. 742 00:42:44,760 --> 00:42:45,810 Rob Simmelkjaer: Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. 743 00:42:46,260 --> 00:42:48,390 Emily Casey: And if I could just add to the more tactical 744 00:42:48,390 --> 00:42:53,130 Emily Casey: use, our existing logo had some complexities with it having 745 00:42:53,130 --> 00:42:56,430 Emily Casey: both NYRR and New York Road Runners. It was difficult 746 00:42:56,430 --> 00:43:01,259 Emily Casey: in smaller instances, whether it was on a bug of 747 00:43:01,260 --> 00:43:03,779 Emily Casey: a screen, for example what we're doing right now, like 748 00:43:03,960 --> 00:43:08,430 Emily Casey: getting all of that into one spot is challenging. And with 749 00:43:08,430 --> 00:43:12,120 Emily Casey: us having so many different races and programmings, making sure that 750 00:43:12,120 --> 00:43:16,770 Emily Casey: New York Road Runners was prominent was squeezing a logo 751 00:43:16,770 --> 00:43:19,860 Emily Casey: into a logo. So, our hope really with the torch 752 00:43:19,920 --> 00:43:27,630 Emily Casey: and the simple, iconic, really memorable inkiness, the bold abstract 753 00:43:28,110 --> 00:43:30,690 Emily Casey: symbol is that it will be iconic and that people 754 00:43:30,690 --> 00:43:33,660 Emily Casey: will notice it. I keep coming back to one page 755 00:43:33,660 --> 00:43:37,050 Emily Casey: of our brand guidelines that I'm personally very attached to, 756 00:43:37,290 --> 00:43:41,250 Emily Casey: but it's our merchandise and it really is a lifestyle 757 00:43:41,250 --> 00:43:44,550 Emily Casey: brand. It has the torch, and it's memorable, and you'll 758 00:43:44,550 --> 00:43:48,210 Emily Casey: see it on a chest of a vest, or a 759 00:43:48,239 --> 00:43:50,489 Emily Casey: windbreaker, or a pair of shorts. And our hope is 760 00:43:50,489 --> 00:43:53,370 Emily Casey: that people embrace it in that way too, that they 761 00:43:53,370 --> 00:43:56,069 Emily Casey: recognize it running in the park or on the streets, 762 00:43:56,310 --> 00:44:00,450 Emily Casey: and that it just becomes something lasting and enduring so 763 00:44:00,719 --> 00:44:03,120 Emily Casey: we don't have to do this again for a very, 764 00:44:03,120 --> 00:44:03,900 Emily Casey: very long time. 765 00:44:04,200 --> 00:44:06,510 Juliette Morris: Might need to be my first tattoo. Who knows? 766 00:44:07,050 --> 00:44:08,549 Emily Casey: I love it, let's get matching. 767 00:44:10,320 --> 00:44:13,860 Rob Simmelkjaer: I love it. And there's also, of course the connection, 768 00:44:13,860 --> 00:44:18,149 Rob Simmelkjaer: Juliette and Emily, with the torch to our marathon logo. 769 00:44:18,150 --> 00:44:20,670 Rob Simmelkjaer: And that's something that we talked about a lot as 770 00:44:20,670 --> 00:44:24,120 Rob Simmelkjaer: we consider different options. We of course looked at more 771 00:44:24,120 --> 00:44:27,900 Rob Simmelkjaer: than one potential logo option with our great partners on 772 00:44:27,900 --> 00:44:33,390 Rob Simmelkjaer: the design side, but having that connection between the marathon 773 00:44:33,690 --> 00:44:37,140 Rob Simmelkjaer: and the organization that owns, and stages, and puts on 774 00:44:37,140 --> 00:44:40,050 Rob Simmelkjaer: the marathon, New York Road Runners, was really to me 775 00:44:40,320 --> 00:44:43,800 Rob Simmelkjaer: somewhat overdue because Juliette, you've heard me make the joke 776 00:44:43,800 --> 00:44:46,620 Rob Simmelkjaer: a million times, people don't always know that there's a 777 00:44:46,620 --> 00:44:50,730 Rob Simmelkjaer: connection between Road Runners and the marathon. Or some people 778 00:44:50,730 --> 00:44:53,820 Rob Simmelkjaer: think that, " Oh, the marathon is really all that we 779 00:44:53,820 --> 00:44:56,489 Rob Simmelkjaer: do here, and then we all go away for 11 months and 780 00:44:56,730 --> 00:44:59,760 Rob Simmelkjaer: don't have a full- time job." And this is really 781 00:44:59,760 --> 00:45:04,590 Rob Simmelkjaer: drawing that connectivity between the marathon and this organization that 782 00:45:04,590 --> 00:45:09,509 Rob Simmelkjaer: is doing incredible work all year long that hopefully will get 783 00:45:09,510 --> 00:45:11,700 Rob Simmelkjaer: people to get a better understanding of what New York 784 00:45:11,700 --> 00:45:13,080 Rob Simmelkjaer: Road Runners really is, Juliette. 785 00:45:13,469 --> 00:45:18,989 Juliette Morris: Well, absolutely, 100%. And as you know, when I first started 786 00:45:18,989 --> 00:45:23,580 Juliette Morris: I had the luxury of being fresh eyes going to 787 00:45:23,580 --> 00:45:28,110 Juliette Morris: our races and going to our events. And when I 788 00:45:28,110 --> 00:45:31,170 Juliette Morris: went in many cases, it was not obvious to me 789 00:45:31,170 --> 00:45:35,520 Juliette Morris: that it was our race in terms of ... We have 790 00:45:35,520 --> 00:45:39,750 Juliette Morris: the best sponsors and the best partners, and we put 791 00:45:39,750 --> 00:45:43,050 Juliette Morris: them front and center, as we should, loud and proud, 792 00:45:43,320 --> 00:45:47,730 Juliette Morris: but we almost had taken a step back and lost 793 00:45:47,850 --> 00:45:50,700 Juliette Morris: the ability to reinforce that this was part of our 794 00:45:50,700 --> 00:45:56,040 Juliette Morris: ecosystem in addition to our community programs. And so, to 795 00:45:56,040 --> 00:45:59,070 Juliette Morris: Emily's point about how iconic the torch is, one, it 796 00:45:59,070 --> 00:46:05,550 Juliette Morris: is a constant representation of our premier race, best and 797 00:46:05,550 --> 00:46:10,530 Juliette Morris: biggest in the world that creates that link. But this 798 00:46:10,530 --> 00:46:16,650 Juliette Morris: now iconic torch helps bring our entire ecosystem together, whether 799 00:46:16,650 --> 00:46:19,950 Juliette Morris: it be our Rising program, whether it be our Striders 800 00:46:19,950 --> 00:46:23,760 Juliette Morris: program, whether it be our halves or our 5Ks, you 801 00:46:23,760 --> 00:46:26,520 Juliette Morris: will know it is all part of New York Road 802 00:46:26,520 --> 00:46:30,540 Juliette Morris: Runners. And it's so critical that we tie that together, 803 00:46:30,540 --> 00:46:33,420 Juliette Morris: not only so our community has a better sense of 804 00:46:33,420 --> 00:46:37,920 Juliette Morris: what's available to them, but so that it continues to 805 00:46:37,920 --> 00:46:42,359 Juliette Morris: tell the whole NYRR story, New York Road Runners story. 806 00:46:43,800 --> 00:46:45,960 Emily Casey: I was just going to add with the marathon in 807 00:46:45,960 --> 00:46:51,120 Emily Casey: particular, I think that it is our marquee race, it 808 00:46:51,120 --> 00:46:54,480 Emily Casey: is the most glamorous, but just making everyone else aware 809 00:46:54,480 --> 00:46:56,910 Emily Casey: that we are a nonprofit behind that and that we 810 00:46:56,910 --> 00:47:01,350 Emily Casey: do have those programs 365 days a year. And of 811 00:47:01,350 --> 00:47:06,810 Emily Casey: course it culminates in 55, 000 people, but we impact 812 00:47:07,350 --> 00:47:10,590 Emily Casey: thousands and hundreds of thousands throughout the rest of the 813 00:47:10,590 --> 00:47:13,380 Emily Casey: year, and just being able to draw that connection. We did 814 00:47:13,380 --> 00:47:17,070 Emily Casey: a survey with Morning Consult where only about a quarter 815 00:47:17,070 --> 00:47:20,040 Emily Casey: of people surveyed knew that New York Road Runners was 816 00:47:20,040 --> 00:47:23,790 Emily Casey: the organization behind the marathon. And our hope is that 817 00:47:23,790 --> 00:47:26,910 Emily Casey: that changes in a year or so. 818 00:47:27,660 --> 00:47:30,509 Rob Simmelkjaer: That is the goal, that is a big goal. And I 819 00:47:30,510 --> 00:47:35,580 Rob Simmelkjaer: wanted to share my favorite reaction on social media so 820 00:47:35,580 --> 00:47:39,690 Rob Simmelkjaer: far to our unveiling of the new logo and brand 821 00:47:39,690 --> 00:47:42,750 Rob Simmelkjaer: positioning. You guys might've seen this, it's from an amazing 822 00:47:43,110 --> 00:47:46,170 Rob Simmelkjaer: guy named Thomas Eller, who, if you don't know him, 823 00:47:46,170 --> 00:47:51,210 Rob Simmelkjaer: was actually the world's first deaf six star finisher, and is 824 00:47:51,300 --> 00:47:55,680 Rob Simmelkjaer: an incredible activist for inclusivity of all kinds. And he 825 00:47:55,680 --> 00:47:58,200 Rob Simmelkjaer: wrote this, give me a second to read this. " The 826 00:47:58,200 --> 00:48:02,070 Rob Simmelkjaer: Statue of Liberty was never the monument, the torch always 827 00:48:02,070 --> 00:48:05,820 Rob Simmelkjaer: was. The torch is movement, the torch is courage, the 828 00:48:05,820 --> 00:48:08,430 Rob Simmelkjaer: torch is a promise passed on from runner to runner, 829 00:48:08,489 --> 00:48:12,450 Rob Simmelkjaer: mile to mile. With this symbol, NYRR is not changing 830 00:48:12,450 --> 00:48:16,080 Rob Simmelkjaer: a logo. You are declaring what this community truly is, 831 00:48:16,500 --> 00:48:19,260 Rob Simmelkjaer: a force that lights the way for every runner from 832 00:48:19,260 --> 00:48:22,200 Rob Simmelkjaer: the front pack to the last finisher, from the first 833 00:48:22,200 --> 00:48:26,160 Rob Simmelkjaer: step to the finish line, from unseen to finally seen. 834 00:48:26,520 --> 00:48:28,950 Rob Simmelkjaer: New York has always been the city that runs forward, 835 00:48:29,250 --> 00:48:34,920 Rob Simmelkjaer: loud, diverse, relentless, human. This torch says, 'You belong. Your 836 00:48:34,920 --> 00:48:39,930 Rob Simmelkjaer: story belongs.' Keep going. This is not branding, this is belief, 837 00:48:40,290 --> 00:48:42,780 Rob Simmelkjaer: and the road ahead just got brighter." 838 00:48:43,650 --> 00:48:43,770 Juliette Morris: When I read that- 839 00:48:43,770 --> 00:48:46,830 Rob Simmelkjaer: We did not pay Thomas out. We did pay Thomas 840 00:48:46,830 --> 00:48:49,230 Rob Simmelkjaer: Eller, Juliette. He wrote that on his own- 841 00:48:49,230 --> 00:48:51,750 Juliette Morris: Right. When I read that and I sent that to you, one, I 842 00:48:51,750 --> 00:48:54,660 Juliette Morris: had chills and I cried. It was as if he 843 00:48:54,989 --> 00:48:58,710 Juliette Morris: was in all of our meetings and worked here, and understood 844 00:48:58,710 --> 00:49:02,160 Juliette Morris: what we were trying to communicate, and how gratifying it 845 00:49:02,160 --> 00:49:05,850 Juliette Morris: was to read that. So thank you, Thomas. 846 00:49:06,030 --> 00:49:08,819 Emily Casey: Absolutely. I was thinking that could be the voice track to 847 00:49:08,820 --> 00:49:12,540 Emily Casey: a video, just unveiling the new logo. And he really 848 00:49:12,540 --> 00:49:15,270 Emily Casey: did hit the nail on the head with that one, 849 00:49:15,900 --> 00:49:16,800 Emily Casey: beautifully said. 850 00:49:17,520 --> 00:49:20,460 Rob Simmelkjaer: Yeah. Thank you, Thomas. Thank you to everybody who has 851 00:49:20,460 --> 00:49:23,880 Rob Simmelkjaer: weighed in. Positive or negative, by the way. We appreciate 852 00:49:23,880 --> 00:49:26,819 Rob Simmelkjaer: all feedback here at New York Road Runners, but I 853 00:49:26,820 --> 00:49:29,580 Rob Simmelkjaer: really do believe for those of you who maybe are 854 00:49:29,580 --> 00:49:32,670 Rob Simmelkjaer: taking a little while to adjust, and I know because 855 00:49:32,670 --> 00:49:36,000 Rob Simmelkjaer: we all have lots and lots of shirts, and clothes, 856 00:49:36,000 --> 00:49:39,630 Rob Simmelkjaer: and jackets, and beanies with the old logo. Don't worry, 857 00:49:39,660 --> 00:49:43,200 Rob Simmelkjaer: you can still wear them. It's okay, it is completely fine- 858 00:49:43,200 --> 00:49:43,291 Emily Casey: It's vintage. 859 00:49:43,291 --> 00:49:47,730 Rob Simmelkjaer: ... to wear that now vintage stuff so don't be 860 00:49:47,730 --> 00:49:51,450 Rob Simmelkjaer: ashamed, but you're going to enjoy this new positioning. You're 861 00:49:51,450 --> 00:49:55,770 Rob Simmelkjaer: going to enjoy this new representation of this organization, of 862 00:49:55,770 --> 00:49:59,609 Rob Simmelkjaer: the sport that we all love, running. And so, we 863 00:49:59,610 --> 00:50:04,049 Rob Simmelkjaer: welcome your slow transition to loving this new visual identity, 864 00:50:04,050 --> 00:50:05,700 Rob Simmelkjaer: those of you who are still getting used to it. 865 00:50:05,879 --> 00:50:09,450 Juliette Morris: And Rob, I so appreciate this opportunity to speak to 866 00:50:09,450 --> 00:50:14,219 Juliette Morris: the audience and share this, because their biggest surprise was 867 00:50:14,340 --> 00:50:17,100 Juliette Morris: the loss of the runner. And I hope hearing the 868 00:50:17,100 --> 00:50:20,939 Juliette Morris: conversation that the three of us are having today, they 869 00:50:20,940 --> 00:50:27,660 Juliette Morris: understand that very specific choice that we made and the 870 00:50:27,660 --> 00:50:29,340 Juliette Morris: reason for it. 871 00:50:29,640 --> 00:50:33,450 Rob Simmelkjaer: Couldn't agree more. Thank you, Juliette. Thank you, Emily. Congratulations, 872 00:50:33,450 --> 00:50:36,509 Rob Simmelkjaer: by the way, on a terrific job on this project. 873 00:50:36,840 --> 00:50:40,170 Rob Simmelkjaer: I'm thrilled with where we landed, and it really is 874 00:50:40,170 --> 00:50:44,310 Rob Simmelkjaer: setting the organization on a fantastic path for decades and 875 00:50:44,310 --> 00:50:46,950 Rob Simmelkjaer: beyond. Hopefully, to your point Emily, this is something that 876 00:50:46,950 --> 00:50:49,980 Rob Simmelkjaer: won't be done again in a very, very, very long 877 00:50:49,980 --> 00:50:53,399 Rob Simmelkjaer: time. So Juliette Morris, Emily Casey, thank you both very 878 00:50:53,399 --> 00:50:53,489 Rob Simmelkjaer: much. 879 00:50:53,489 --> 00:50:53,701 Juliette Morris: Thank you all. 880 00:50:53,701 --> 00:50:53,702 Emily Casey: Thank you. 881 00:50:53,702 --> 00:50:55,500 Juliette Morris: Bye, Rob. 882 00:50:56,160 --> 00:50:59,219 Rob Simmelkjaer: Looking to elevate your running routine? Check out Set The 883 00:50:59,219 --> 00:51:02,670 Rob Simmelkjaer: Pace, the official podcast of New York Road Runners presented 884 00:51:02,670 --> 00:51:06,900 Rob Simmelkjaer: by Peloton. Each episode features exclusive interviews with inspiring runners, 885 00:51:06,930 --> 00:51:10,230 Rob Simmelkjaer: pro training tips, and the latest on big events like 886 00:51:10,230 --> 00:51:13,259 Rob Simmelkjaer: the TCS New York City Marathon. Whether you're preparing for 887 00:51:13,260 --> 00:51:16,170 Rob Simmelkjaer: a big race or just love running, set the pace 888 00:51:16,170 --> 00:51:19,379 Rob Simmelkjaer: as your go to for motivation and advice. Tune in 889 00:51:19,380 --> 00:51:22,680 Rob Simmelkjaer: anywhere you listen to podcasts. All right, that does it 890 00:51:22,680 --> 00:51:25,590 Rob Simmelkjaer: for this special town hall episode of Set the Pace. 891 00:51:25,590 --> 00:51:29,070 Rob Simmelkjaer: I want to thank all of our listeners for asking questions 892 00:51:29,070 --> 00:51:31,200 Rob Simmelkjaer: throughout the year that we're able to answer. And of 893 00:51:31,200 --> 00:51:33,360 Rob Simmelkjaer: course, I want to thank our chief marketing and digital 894 00:51:33,360 --> 00:51:37,200 Rob Simmelkjaer: officer, Juliette Morris, and Emily Casey, our co- head of marketing 895 00:51:37,200 --> 00:51:39,780 Rob Simmelkjaer: strategy for joining me as well. If you liked the 896 00:51:39,780 --> 00:51:42,690 Rob Simmelkjaer: episode, leave us a question in the comments. We'll answer 897 00:51:42,690 --> 00:51:45,030 Rob Simmelkjaer: those questions all year long. Make sure you subscribe or 898 00:51:45,030 --> 00:51:47,460 Rob Simmelkjaer: rate it so others can find it as well. Enjoy 899 00:51:47,460 --> 00:51:50,580 Rob Simmelkjaer: the miles, stay warm, hope to see you this weekend 900 00:51:50,580 --> 00:51:52,590 Rob Simmelkjaer: at the Manhattan 10K. I think we'll get it in 901 00:51:52,590 --> 00:51:54,300 Rob Simmelkjaer: this weekend. Enjoy the miles, we'll see you soon.