Set the Pace

Check out this special episode of Set the Pace taped live at the Hard Rock Café in Times Square. Hosts Rob and Becs sit down with Olympian and Peloton instructor Alex Karwoski, who represented the U.S. in the men’s eight at the Rio Games and later served as an alternate for Tokyo. Since his last appearance on the show in August 2024, Alex has completed the TCS New York City Marathon twice, added strong performances at ...

Jeremie Kasmarcak, head of Team for Kids (TFK) at New York Road Runners, joins Set the Pace to share a behind-the-scenes perspective on TFK, a charity program that’s become a training ground for runners of all ages, paces, and experience levels. Jeremie has led Team for Kids for nearly a decade, guiding it into one of the most impactful and in-demand charity running programs in the world. Since its founding in 2002, TFK runne...

Joining the show this week is Vanessa Peralta-Mitchell, the founder of Game Changers, a program that aims to encourage and support more women of color to become certified run coaches. Launched in 2020, the program was born out of Vanessa’s realization that very few running coaches and experts in the industry looked like her—and her desire to change that. 

Since then, the program has guided  nationwide across 2...

For our first episode of the year, Rob speaks with ABC sports anchor Sam Ryan, who has helped tell the stories of NYRR races and the running community. A runner herself, Sam has lived those stories too—completing 13 marathons, including four New York City Marathons, and serving as an NYRR Team for Kids ambassador. The last time Sam was on the show, it was just two days before the Boston Marathon. Since then, she’s added...

Your winter gift from Set the Pace.

Head out for a run as Rob and Becs revisit some of the most powerful words shared on Set the Pace this year. These are the moments our guests return to when things get hard. The phrases they repeat when they need to keep going. The mantras that carry them FORWARD.

You’ll hear from teachers and Olympians, Peloton instructors and physical therapists, CEOs, run-club founders, and members of th...

Red Sox manager Alex Cora joins Rob and Becs for this week’s Set the Pace. One of the most recognizable figures in sports, Alex is a World Series–winning manager, a regular presence in Boston headlines, and someone whose every decision is analyzed by millions of Red Sox fans. Recently, Alex has also become a runner—starting with short races then progressing to a half marathon and ultimately to the start line of th...

This week’s guest is Caitlin Phillips, a 43-year-old runner who ran a 2:36 at Sunday’s California International Marathon (CIM), qualifying for the 2028 U.S. Olympic Trials. Caitlin shares with Rob and Becs what it took to achieve this amazing feat while working full-time and returning to competition postpartum after giving birth in 2023. She breaks down what makes the CIM course ideal for sub-elite athletes and reflects...

Joining Rob and Becs this week is Phil Keoghan, host of “The Amazing Race.” He recently completed the TCS New York City Marathon while raising money for Back on My Feet, an organization that empowers people to achieve economic independence. The New Zealand-born adventurer isn’t just a marathoner, he’s also cycled across America, set a world record in bungee jumping, and retraced a 1928 Tour de France route o...

This week, Runner’s World News Editor Theo Kahler joins the show to share how he spends his weekdays writing about running and then lines up on the weekends to hold his own with some of the best runners in the world. Theo ran this year’s TCS New York City Marathon for the first time, placing an impressive 40th overall and finishing as the 15th American in the men’s field. A former collegiate track standout from So...

Joining Rob this week is Relly Ladner, a member of this year’s Team Inspire, a diverse group of 26 TCS New York City Marathon runners whose stories capture the power of running to change lives. Growing up in Vienna, Relly played soccer, and as a freshman in high school she secured a Division I offer to play at Dartmouth College. But after being diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome she was told she’d never walk ...

This week, Becs is joined by some of the top finishers from the TCS New York City Marathon—the top American woman, Fiona O’Keeffe; the top American man, Joel Reichow; and the top nonbinary runner, Daniel Mata. They share personal recaps of their incredible performances and how they balance the demands of everyday life while continuing to excel in the sport. Fiona’s astounding 2:22:49 finish broke the American cour...

oining Set the Pace this week is actor Anthony Ramos, best known for his breakout role on Broadway in “Hamilton” as well as on the big screen in Kathryn Bigelow’s A House of Dynamite (and coming in 2026, Ryan Murphy’s The Beauty.) This past Sunday, the Brooklyn native ran his first-ever race at the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon with his former high school guidance counselor Jason Jacobs, who...

Hear from the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon champions—Hellen Obiri, Susannah Scaroni, Benson Kipruto and Marcel Hug, about what it took to crush the competition on this iconic course. With focus, determination, and a whole lot of heart, these athletes gave it their all on the best day of the year, in the best city in the world.

FOLLOW NYRR: Instagram | Facebook | X | TikTok | YouTube
SUPPORT: Support the Set the ...

Check out this special episode as guest hosts Olympian Carrie Tollefson and sports journalist Chris Chavez bring you the very first interviews with the 2025 Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K champions Amon Kemboi and three time champ Annie Rodenfels. Their conversation was livestreamed at a watch party just steps from the finish line in the new Westside Hospitality Tent. Tune in to the excitement of marathon weekend!

FOLLOW ...

Actor Oliver Phelps aka George Weasley of Harry Potter fame, joins Set the Pace during a live taping from the Citizens Stage at the TCS New York City Marathon Expo Presented by New Balance. Millions grew up watching him on screen as one of the fun-loving red-haired twins of the Wizarding World. These days, you’ll find him co-hosting “Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking” on the Food Network with his brother James and l...

Race week is finally here! And just in time for this weekend's 2026 TCS New York City Marathon, Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic, joins Rob and Becs for a conversation about his newly published book “The Running Ground: A Father, a Son, and the Simplest of Sports,”. Exactly the inspiration you need before your weekend run, Thompson's book explores how running shaped his relationship with his father, helped him nav...

With race day just a little over a week away, New York Road Runners’ Chief Event Production Officer and TCS New York City Marathon Race Director Ted Metellus joins Rob and Becs to give runners all the inside information on this year’s TCS New York City Marathon. Ted breaks down key logistics—from picking up your bib at the Expo to getting to the start on Staten Island. He also highlights the many exciting events l...

An Insider's Guide to the Medical Operation at the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon.

n this episode of Set the Pace, Rob interviews Dr. Matt Friedman, the national medical directory of CrowdRx, the team responsible for the medical operation at the TCS New York City Marathon and other New York Road Runners events. Dr. Friedman talks about the year-round planning that goes into supporting runners on their 26.2-mile journeys; covering ...

This week, Rob and Becs welcome back to the show Jenny Simpson, a 2025 NYRR Hall of Fame inductee. Jenny has played a pivotal role as an ambassador and special advisor to Rising New York Road Runners, NYRR’s free youth running program. A three-time Olympian and 11-time U.S. national champion, she dominated the iconic 5th Avenue Mile with a record eight victories. Jenny recently retired from professional racing after finishing...