Reclaiming the Run: Alison Mariella Désir on Diversity, Activism, and Adventure

Episode Transcript
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Alison Mariella Desir (00:00):
I often run on the trail by myself. And so there
is this sense of fear with that, but I also
realize how dare I stop myself from doing this? This
is such a beautiful, incredible experience, I'm going to do
it no matter what. And so thinking about what are
ways that I can give people that same sense of confidence?

Speaker 2 (00:20):
Thank you, New York. Today, we're reminded of the power
of community and the power of coming together. Athletes, on
your mark.

Speaker 3 (00:32):
The first woman to finish for the second straight year
here in the New York City Marathon is Mickey Gorman, A smiling
Mickey Gorman, and why not. 2

Speaker 2 (00:44):
Look at the emotion of Shalane Flanagan as she comes
to the line. Pointed to his chest, pointed to the USA. He so proudly wears across his chest. A great day
for (inaudible) .

Rob Simmelkjaer (01:01):
Hey everybody, and welcome to a special live edition of
Set the Pace, the official podcast of New York Road
Runners, presented by Peloton. We have a live crowd here
at the New York Road Runners Run Center. Phenomenal. Yes,

(01:22):
they are fired up. Thank you so much. Wow. They really followed the instructions we gave them
before the show. We got a great live crowd here at
the New York Road Runners Run Center in New York
City. Joining us for this special live episode, I'm your
host, Rob Simmelkjaer, the CEO of New York Road Runners.

(01:43):
And with me, my fabulous co- host, Peloton instructor, Becs Gentry.

Becs Gentry (01:50):
Hi everyone. Wow, here we are in the flesh.

Here we are. It's always so exciting to see you
in person.

I know we're spending more and more time together in real
life, which I like.

It's Been happening more and more, so I get to
see what you really look like. It's amazing. It's better
than on screen. Even better than on screen.

Funny how many people tell me that. I'm like, oh, how bad are these cameras
I'm working with, Peloton?

So many people in this audience see you on screen.

Yes. So many amazing faces here.

... on a regular basis. I was talking to a lot
of folks here, so excited to meet their favorite instructor
in real life. And one thing I hear from them
backs is, how hard your classes are. I mean, you
work people hard in these classes. Do you realize how

(02:35):
much effort you're forcing these folks to put in? Is
that the idea?

No. Yes. I don't know. I don't give away my secrets. Yes, I do.
But I challenge you for good reason, right? Yeah. We were there to
be uncomfortable. If you wanted to go for a walk,
you'd go for a walk, without me. Just saying, just
saying we're getting these (inaudible) .

Is what they're paying for 100%.

Yes, exactly.

Well, we're thrilled.

Can we all just give Rob one big round of
applause as well? Rob is fresh. Fresh from his Tokyo
Marathon achievement.

Thank you.

A tough day. But you and Nana made it, Nana
as well.

That's right. My running partner, Nana Lynch, is here in the audience actually, and
we had a good day. It was not an easy
day to run in Tokyo. It got warm toward the
end of it, but we went out with a plan
to A, have fun, B, run within ourselves. We did
that and it all went just fine. So thank you

(03:42):
very much for that. Appreciate that. It was a really fun
day in Tokyo and an amazing experience just to be
in Japan, visit Japan. So thrilled, but I'm also thrilled
to be back here in New York City. This is a big,
big week for us. Obviously this Sunday we've got a
big, big race happening. The United Airlines, New York City,
half. Who's running the half here this weekend?

Oh wow. Yay. So many people.

All right. We got a lot of people fired up
to run. We're speaking here on Thursday. My God, I
lose track of time. This is Thursday today. So we're
speaking here just a couple of days before the big race.

And it's dry.

It's dry. The weather looks pretty good.

It does.

We may have some winds. We're keeping an eye on
that, but it looks like it's going to be dry.

Hey, if you've trained in New York, you've been used
to the wind right now.

100%.

And what's happened, but every which way I turn in
this city, it's a headwind. Can't figure it out.

It's true. Somehow we manage that. The wind tunnels, the
tall buildings, all of that.

It's all part of the fun.

So they're all ready for that. But we've got an
incredible course this year, the exciting change to the course
running over the Brooklyn Bridge for the first time in
the history of New York Road Runner. So I'm excited
for all of you. I don't get a chance to run
these races, our big races.

Same, I'm beginning to realize that with this role. I'm
like, huh, the runner has become the talker. Rob, does
that mean though, that everybody who runs all the 25, 000
people who run on Sunday are all getting a course PR
for themselves?

100% of them will get a course PR. That's exactly right.

You're already winning before you started.

It's a brand new course. The winner will set a course record, guaranteed.

And you all have.

It's true. And the course should be a little easier.
The Brooklyn Bridge is lower than the Manhattan Bridge, so
a little bit less inclined. We flatten the course out
for you a little bit. You're welcome. Happy to do that for
you. But hopefully the weather cooperates and hopefully you all
have an awesome day on Sunday. I'm excited for all of

(05:44):
you. So Becs, in just a few minutes, we're going to
be joined by someone we've been trying to get on
this podcast for quite a while. She's very popular in
demand and such an important voice in the sport of
running. Author, runner and activist Alison Mariella Desir is going to be
here. So we're thrilled to have her here joining us

(06:09):
live at the Run Center featuring the New Balance Run
Hub. And then after we speak to Alison, we're speaking
to someone who has really made an impact with an
organization in New York City that has really changed running,
kind of like Allison. Allison started Harlem Run, well, our
next guest today is going to be the co- founder

(06:29):
of The Boogie Down Bronx Runners, Lenny Grullon. Lenny, by
the way, we'll talk about when you get up here,
but Lenny's Club that had a big, big win not
long ago. It wasn't in a race, the Boogie Down
Bronx Runners won the Spirit Award at Team Night here,

(06:50):
Club Night, I should say here in New York. That's
an award that we give to the club that's kind
of brought the biggest sizzle to our running scene here.
The Boogie Down Bronx Runners. If you go to a
race, especially if you go to the team champs, you see
these guys and gals out there supporting each other, supporting
running, just fired up to be a part of our

(07:12):
running community here. So we're really thrilled to have Lenny
joining us as well. So thank you.

Yes. Let's do this.

By the way, Becs, I can't believe this. This is actually episode
95 of Set The Pace, our 95th episode of Set The Pace.

What are we doing for 100?

I don't know. I'm waiting to hear. I hope there's
going to be a cake. Maybe some champagne would be nice.

I think Rob should come with me to London. We should do it live from London.

Ooh, that sounds nice. I like that. On the road,

Matt's like, "Oh no. What have you done?"

Matt Singer, our head of content's like, " That's not in the budget." But we have a
special member only, actually I'm reading right here what it
is we're doing for that episode? We have a special
member only event that's going to be lined up for
that episode, I presume here in New York City. So
stay tuned for info on how you can help us

(07:58):
celebrate our 100th episode in partnership with an iconic New
York City institution. That's a good tease. I don't even
know what that means. So anyway, make sure you keep
an eye out.

Clearly, I don't either.

For that. And obviously for everybody who's running the half
this weekend, we're now in full swing with all of
our race festivities. The United Airlines NYC Half Experience presented
by New Balance, opened up this morning at 10 AM.
I was there for the open Becs. We had a
line around the block really of people there to be there
when the experience opened.

Okay, did you do the experience? Did you run through it, walk through it?

I did a walk through. I gave out a lot
of high- fives to runners coming in, wishing them luck
this weekend. And so it's open all the way through,
Saturday. So you can go in there, not just to
pick up your bib, but obviously there's a ton of
amazing stuff there. We've got New Balance there, selling incredible
gear, beautiful stuff to commemorate your run. We've got a

(08:53):
ton of other partners. United Airlines, obviously is there with
a really cool setup as well, and so many partners and
great vendors there giving you things to help you remember
this run. So make sure you leave some time, don't
just go get your bib and leave. Save some time
to hang out, check out all the offerings so that
you can do everything you can to remember this run.

Absolutely agreed. And then we talk tech. Should we talk tech?

Yes. This is exciting.

We all like a little bit of tech, don't we?
A little bit of advancement in the world. And this
is about the new app, right?

We are so excited Becs. This has been a project a
long time in the making. And so this week we
just beta launched New York Road Runners brand new year-
round mobile app developed by TCS North America. And this
is exciting because we know all of you out there, if
you're running, you got friends and family who want to

(09:46):
track you in the half this weekend and those of
you who are not running have people you want to
track. In the past, we've always had an app for
the half and an app for the marathon and there were all
these different apps that would come and go. No more
of that. Now we've got one year round app for
New York Road Runners that will allow you to track
people in every race no matter what it is, week

(10:07):
in and week out. Not just the big races, but
all of our weekly races, all of our 5K's and 10 K's.
All year long, you can track runners. Stay up to
date with races throughout the year. And this is just
the beginning. This is just the beta version of it.
We're going to have a lot more exciting features and
additions coming up with this app. So I can't wait

(10:28):
because I'll be tracking you. When's your next race going
to be, by the way? Is that a plan?

End of June.

End of June?

Yeah.

What race is that?

Grandma's.

Grandma's, Okay, well that's not a Road Runners race, it's out
in Minnesota. But I'll find a way to track you
anyway. We will find a way to... We're going to get you into a Road Runner's race before that.

I know I'm like am I walking now?

We're definitely going to get you, the mini, you should run the mini.

Should run the mini.

Getting ready for grandma's.

No. Look at Matt's like, " No, she's working it." I'm like.

Oh right. She's got a job. She's going to be in our
broadcast. I'm always trying cause problems here, but we'll get you into a race.

I need to just get into one yeah, I can.

So we can track you and see how you're doing there on
our new mobile app. So make sure you check that
out. It's in all the app stores, Apple, Android, all the
places. So check it out and hope everybody enjoys that.
Ready to hit your stride. Whether you're training for your
next race or just lacing up for a run, no
matter your level, the Peloton app has everything you need

(11:23):
to keep you moving. Track your progress with real- time
metrics and celebrate those streaks and personal bests along the
way. With thousands of classes to choose from, or the
option to just run or just walk, Peloton makes it
easy to fit fitness into your routine. Learn more at
one Peloton. com/ race- training. Peloton, the official digital fitness

(11:48):
partner of New York Road Runners. All right, well our
guest today, Alison Mariella Desir is an incredible force in
the world of running, also advocacy and mental health. A long-
time New York Road Runners collaborator, Allison is a runner,
she's an activist and she's an author. In 2013, she
founded Harlem Run, a collective that has helped to transform

(12:15):
the running landscape in New York City and beyond her
amazing book. And if you have not yet read this
book, if you're the one who hasn't read this book
yet, come on, let's go buy the book and read
her book, Running While Black challenges the erasure of Black
runners from the sport's history and calls for systemic change
in the sport. Desir was a co- founder of the

(12:37):
running industry Diversity Coalition, pushing for greater inclusion and representation
in running spaces. She has done so many amazing things
in this space. She is a friend of mine, she's
an inspiration, a great writer. So let's bring her out
here. Alison Mariella Desir.

Hello. Hello.

What's up?

So good to be here. I have to say my
son just ran up to me and asked for white
bees. So the biggest title is Mom, right now and always.

Always right? Always is the first title. Mom, mom.

Alison's son, Cory is here in the audience. Sorry for those
of you listening who can't see this adorable child who
is with us, but it's great to have you and
your whole family here.

Thank you so much.

We have wanted you on this podcast for so long.

I know.

So we're so excited to finally have you.

Yeah, so great.

I met you around the time I was starting in
this role and right around that time, I took the
time out to read your book. It's such an incredible book.

Thank you.

You really, I don't know how you did it in
terms of writing a book that is both importance but
also entertaining. It is just a great read.

Thank you.

And I want to start at the beginning of that
book and where you were in your life before you
really got into running. And it's so important because we
talk a lot about mental health and the impact that
running can have on mental health. Talk about that moment
in your life and where you were and then how

(14:18):
that led you to running.

Absolutely. I want to first start by saying thank you
everybody for showing up, because I have this deep fear
that nobody's going to come.

Never.

So, all right. Biggest obstacle tackled. But yeah, running really transformed
my life and honestly, I would not still be here
on this earth if it weren't for running. When I
found long distance running 13 years ago, I was very
depressed. I couldn't find a job at the time, my
father had Lewy body dementia. And anybody who has an

(14:51):
older person in their life suffering from lewy body dementia,
you're watching somebody who you used to love and know
to be powerful and commanding, just become a shell of
themselves. I also was dating somebody who, man, I don't
even want to go there, because I'll get upset. So
I was very depressed. I spent all my time at

(15:14):
home unemployed, scrolling through social media. Everybody seemed to be
living their best life. But thankfully, as I was scrolling
one day I saw this black guy who was training
for a marathon. And at the time I had these
ideas about who a marathon runner was and I didn't
think a regular black guy was a marathon runner. So
misery loves company, so I was like, " This dude's never

(15:36):
going to be able to complete this marathon that he's
training for." So I started following his story and he
was sharing how he was meeting all these people. He
was doing things he never thought he was capable of.
He was finding new passions. And all of that for me
was like, whoa, this is what I need. I need
community. I need to believe in myself again. I need

(15:57):
to accomplish things. And so I followed his story and
then a year later, I signed up for my first
race, which was the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon.
And I cried at the end of the race. Initially
I thought I was one and done, but I finished
that race and I was like, not only am I
going to continue running, I'm going to start a community
for people like me who, maybe, thought it wasn't for

(16:18):
them so that they can show up and know that they
can do anything.

Love that. Love that. So it really was a passion project for
you, at the start.

It was like me saving my own life.

Yeah, 100%. And then realizing that you could potentially save
some strangers lives, strangers who became friends.

Exactly. Who are in this room.

Yes. Some long- standing friends, some long- standing runners right
here. But what I think is really important now, we have
so many run clubs everywhere, which is fantastic. The running
world has changed exponentially over the past 13 years since
you've first had that idea of what a marathon it
was to today, hopefully. What you think a marathon it

(17:04):
was. And so can you talk a little bit about
how your community has grown? And how you did that?
How did you get it out there?

Yeah, I like to say that starting Harlem Run was
really, I felt like it was me getting my MBA.
I don't have an MBA, so I don't know what
that process is actually like. But I had to learn
so many things about marketing, about connecting with folks. And
I think one of the things that I learned really
early on, initially the group was called Powdered Feet Run

(17:33):
Club. Because my father had given me a nickname, Powdered
Feet. It comes from the Haitian Creel saying that describes
somebody who's so active, you never see them, just the
footprints of where they've been in powder. So I thought,
oh genius, my group is going to be called Powdered
Feet Run Club, but nobody knew what that was. So
thankfully a friend of mine, Mary Arnold, who's also a

(17:53):
longtime person in the industry, she had bought the domain harlemrun.
com because a long time ago, it's Fleet Feet now,
but it was New York running company was Run. com. So
she had the foresight like, " Oh, I'm going to buy
the domain, harlemrun. com. She gave me the domain and
that really changed everything for me. Suddenly, when people started

(18:15):
looking up like Harlem and Running Club, the name came
up. And in the first couple months, it was like
me and two other people within a year we had
a hundred people showing up. And then this was novel,
running clubs and crews were not massive like this. And
I think my biggest accomplishment for me is that, I've

(18:37):
moved to Seattle and Harlem Run still takes place every
week. We have an incredible leadership team, we have an
incredible community. You ultimately, you want the community to be
taking care of itself. And so I just love it. I
love seeing people wearing Harlem Run and knowing what that
means to me and it means something to them is

(18:57):
super special.

Oh my God, love that.

That's one of the hardest things to do in life,
is to create something that lives on past your direct involvement.

Listen, it was a big learning for my ego. The
whole process was... Oh, let me go back to the
Powder Feet Run club thing. The other thing about that
was realizing that, I am not the most important person
in the world. And that people weren't coming because of
me, they were becoming because of the community. So sort
of working myself out of the spotlight, how can I
spotlight other people? How can I? What I love, is

(19:32):
I think I'm a really good judge of character and when
somebody comes up to me with an idea, I'm like, "
You know what, do it. You got this. Let me
know how I can support you." And it's been really
cool to see all of the people in Harlem Run and other
areas of my life that I've helped empower to do
things and now they're crushing it. And that is equally,

(19:53):
it feels just as good as what I'm crushing it.

Harlem Run also has a big presence on these big weekends.

Yeah, we do.

Which is amazing. I went up to Harlem Marathon weekend
this past year to the Harlem Run House, a clubhouse basically
you guys set up for the marathon weekend and saw
an awesome conversation and panel there. And so, talk about the
role that Harlem run plays in our big events and

(20:20):
really what it's done to change the running community here
in New York City.

Yeah, it's incredible. I mean, the culture of Harlem Run
is really all about supporting other people. And what's really
cool about the event, Harlem Run House in particular is,
as I was doing research from my book, learning about
the origins of what we know as the modern running
movement, learning more about Ted Corbett, learning about the New
York Pioneer Club and the impact that they had in

(20:46):
Harlem and realizing that really, running started in Harlem. The
running movement that we know of today started in Harlem.
And so building Harlem Run House, I think our tagline
the first year was Harlem Set the Blueprint. Everything we
love about running that, it's welcoming, that it's come as
you are really came from Ted Corbett and the New

(21:07):
York Pioneer Club. So that event honors that, and we
have panels, we have shakeout runs. Our thinking is, we
love Midtown, we love downtown, but what about Uptown? There
are a lot of us up there and we are running,
our community loves that we're up there and we want
to engage people where we live. You don't need to
go down to the Lower East Side to have a

(21:29):
good time. Am I right?

Yeah. Oh my gosh, absolutely. And you really put your stamp
on that area and a true testament, it still stands today. And
it's amazing. So I know you've talked in the past
about the sentiment of belonging in running and in the
running spaces. And you've already touched on how much that's
changed for you personally and hopefully through Harlem Run Club

(21:54):
and all of your other works as well. But, where are you
now? Where are you right now? Alison, on this day
in regards to belonging in the running community?

Yeah, that's a great question and so much has changed for
me personally. I have to say that any place that
I go in running, I am so welcomed because people
know who I am, which I don't take that for
granted at all. But I'll say I've seen a lot
of change over the past 13 years, and a big
part of it is, even in awareness. And I think

(22:28):
my book has definitely contributed to that fact. People have
always said that, " Running is for everybody, just show up,
all you need are a pair of sneakers." And yet
when you see who's running long distance running, well, if
it's for everyone, why are most runners white? We see
black people winning the races, we see Africans, Kenyans, Ethiopians,

(22:48):
Yatrines winning the races, but we don't see black Americans
in big numbers. So I think a piece of that
was, one, having the audacity to call that out and
people in the running community are good people. What I
always say is that, it doesn't actually matter whether you're good or
bad, whether you're taking action about the thing. But bringing

(23:10):
it to people's awareness I think has really had an
impact structurally in a lot of places. And I've seen
it, I've seen it with who's the leadership on different
teams? Who's making the decisions? What's the marketing? Who are
the people being paid and being honored for their storytelling
and for their time? And we are at a really
critical moment for New York, for this country, for this

(23:33):
world. And I think more than ever, people need to
feel a sense of belonging. People need to feel like
they can show up in a space and be themselves.
I think one of my superpowers is making people feel
way, making people feel like Yo, get on in here.
And a lot of the current world politics are very
complex, obviously, but I think a lot of it is

(23:54):
people feeling estranged, people feeling like it's a zero- sum
game. People hoarding ideas, wealth. And when we create spaces
where people truly feel like they belong, they can stand
up for themselves, they can be who they are, that
is a huge part of one day achieving peace of

(24:15):
people feeling like they can show up in spaces.

And I want to add to that as well, the
things you've said and written about for women in running as
well is huge. And saying this as a white woman
as well, your book and the things you stand up
for as well, I just think it needs to be
said louder. And I hope you always feel that I'm

(24:40):
on your team. I'm with you when it comes to everything.

I have to say, when we first interacted on Instagram, I
was like, oh my God, I cannot believe this women is
talking to me right now in the best way. And I have
to admit, I've never tried Peloton. John actually just asked
me and I was like, "Oh my God, I can't believe." But I mean, I was in
New York 14 years ago when Peloton was-

Didn't exist.

Yeah. But anyway, so I will try your class, but
it means-

No pressure.

It means a lot to see you as a peer
and to have these moments and recognize that, my story
is universal and my reach is universal. I have a
particular interest in black and indigenous people of color, but
these are bigger issues than that. These intersect race, intersect
class. So yeah, it means a lot to me.

Well, thank you for educating me and letting me learn
in a very honest way and sharing it with the
whole community. I really do appreciate it.

You're welcome.

Never stop, please.

Alison, four years ago you left us. You left us
here in New York City.

East Coast no more.

And you moved out to the Pacific Northwest and absolutely
beautiful part of the country. A place that is known
for the outdoors and more perhaps for trail running than
for road running. What prompted that move and how has

(26:10):
that changed your existence as a runner?

I feel so guilty right now as time moved. But
four years ago, it was a different time and we
were really thinking about honestly, my son and what we
wanted for him. Back then, we were in the heart
of the COVID Pandemic, there was curfews. My husband was working,
he was actually part of the team that worked on

(26:34):
the first antibody treatment for COVID, which is really cool.
So he'd be at Columbia University at work and then
he'd have to sprint home in order to make it
in time for curfew. And we were living in a
small apartment and I just kept thinking about the things
that I want for my son. I want my son
to be confident in all things outdoors. I don't want

(26:54):
him to... A lot of the experiences that I've had
are in my adulthood. I want him to just take
it for granted that he can go hiking and fishing
and all of those things. So we moved four years
ago and it has been life- changing. I have a
PBS show and that PBS show is all about connecting

(27:16):
with black indigenous people of color in the outdoors. So
I am paid to go fly- fishing with somebody and
tell their story to go surfing, skiing, snowboarding, I mean,
you name it. So it was the best way to
move there and to delve into these spaces. But the
other piece of this is also recognizing that there are not a lot

(27:37):
of us in these spaces. We have been in all
spaces since time immemorial, but there are not a lot of
us for very valid reasons. What happens historically and presently,
what happens to black people when they go in the
woods? They don't always come out. So a lot of
my work now, it's expanded to really thinking about how
can we make the outdoors accessible, equitable. I'm always going

(28:03):
political in my conversations and thinking about what's happening right
now with public lands, we are losing these sacred spaces,
well, that we stole. But we are losing these sacred
spaces and so what does that mean for the next
generation of people who don't have access to these awe-
inspiring places, who then won't have a deep connection, who

(28:23):
then don't want to be stewards of the land? What
happens for our future? So yeah, I love being outside.
I hope that my son loves being outside and that
there's a future where we all can continue to be
safe outside.

It really is simply an extension of what you did
with running in Harlem. It's really the same thing. You didn't
see black people running in New York City now you
got a lot of about black people running in your Harlem
run in a lot of other places. You didn't see
people of color in the wilderness, in the streams and
on the trails, and you've started to do something about
that. So that's just, it's what you do.

And listen, my husband's always like, " Oh my God, again,
Alice." I will say though, now, I wait. I make
my opinion known. I try to work with existing organizations
and then I'm like, well, if you're not going to
do it, then I'm going to do it. But yeah,
my husband is my biggest supporter and the person who's
always like, do you have to do everything? Yes, I do.

Sometimes it rings true. Yeah. You're like, thanks for pointing
it out, but yes, I do.

And you're on board, so let's go.

Well, your son definitely has, you have the coolest mom.
You really do have a really cool mom. Really cool
mom. So now you have transitioned a little bit more,
as you say, to the outdoor life, and that includes
trail running.

Yes.

And historically, again, you probably were back to where you
felt like you started 13 years ago when you decided
to turn your attention to trail running, predominantly, white sport.

Yes.

How have you felt that integration for you personally into
it and as the wider community?

Yeah, so what I found is that, I love being
in the trail. For me, in the trail, I don't run
with music because you get to be so connected with
birds and hearing your feet on the trail and seeing
things differently. And I often run on the trail by myself.

(30:23):
And so there is this sense of fear with that,
but I also realize, how dare I stop myself from
doing this? This is such a beautiful, incredible experience, I'm
going to do it no matter what. And so thinking
about what are ways that I can give people that
same sense of confidence? And a big way is, this
June, I'm hosting a trail race called We Out Here
Trail Festival in Seattle. And it is geared to first

(30:47):
timers. And so we have all these weird distances. It's
a looped course, so you're never alone. One loop is 1.
9 miles, two loops is 3. 8 miles. And that's
because you can't compare your 5K road time to your
trail time because it's completely different. One is not harder
than the other, it's a very different experience. And I

(31:08):
want people to show up for this trail race, a
trail race that really has our culture. We have one
of the best DJs, Afrobeats DJs, who's DJing at it, and then
know that they can show up in other spaces because they
felt welcomed and they know what it's about.

That sounds epic.

We are here in a room of Road Runners.

Soon to be trail runners.

Literally. Road Runners trail running is something that really does
fascinate me. I've had a chance to do it a
few times. I mean, I ran-

Are you saying that you're coming to the we out
here Trail Fest in June? Is that Yes. Did you hear that?

Could be.

I heard it.

You know what?

If there's no New York Road Runners race that weekend.

That could happen. That actually could happen. I ran some
cross country in high school, so some of that was
in the woods. So I have that basis. And there
is something about trail running that I find, I don't
know, even more meditative in a way than road running.
Running is that way for me in general, but the

(32:10):
level of concentration and focus that you need to have
when you are running on a trail and there are obstacles, there
are rocks, there are roots, you're going up and downhill.
You've got to be focused.

And that's exactly it. You're in the now, you're in
the here and now. And it's funny because one thing
I like about road running is that I could go
to another place and solve other problems and that's an
amazing thing. But with trail running, you are like, what's
that? Okay, what's that? What is that? What's going on? Oh,
that's beautiful. Okay, where am I? You are in the moment. And
that is what meditation is. You're not thinking about all

(32:47):
the stuff you got to do at home. You're not
thinking about how you're in crisis. You are in it.
And that is such a powerful experience.

Oh my gosh. I'm a trail lover. That's where I
started on the trails and then edged backwards in distance.
And now I'm kind of maybe thinking of going back to trail.

You're a hybrid athlete.

But I like the solo time. But it's scary, especially
as a female. I feel very unnerved sometimes when I'm
going out on the trails first thing in the morning
or after work, I'm like, " Okay, don't get lost because
sunlight or all of that side of things." So there
are a lot of things taking into account, but you're
right, it is meditation in the way. And I love how
you said it's not, one distance is not necessarily harder

(33:28):
than the other as well when it comes to ultra,
trails associated with ultras.

Right. But there are all different trail distances. And something
else that I recently discovered is that, there's mountain running,
which is a whole other level. Those people are bananas.

David Roche, David Roche, just.

That dude is next level.

The guy.

But yeah, I mean, it's not a space where you
compare yourself, It's totally different. Some of these trail runs
are straight up. You are hiking and that is what
everybody's doing, even if they're winning that race.

Human four by four. I got told once.

Oh, when it's a scramble, you are on hands and knees.

Oh yeah. I was like, oh, okay. This is interesting. But it's also, I
really do enjoy the snacks on the trail running.

Yo, there is nothing like the aid stations at a
trail race. If anything, do it for that.

You can eat a cake, you can have whatever fizzy drinks you want.

Which is so funny because in road running we're so careful
about what we're putting in our body. God forbid, You
poop yourself in trail running, well, you just poop. If you
got to poop, you poop.

Oh yeah. Part of your trail pack. There is a
section for toilet roll or tissues.

You got your little shovel. It's a vibe.

It's a vibe. Yeah.

Does a bear go in the woods? Does a runner
I guess do the same? I don't know.

Always.

I have seen on your social feeds some clips of
this show you have. This PBS show that you have
out there, which looks, first of all, amazing. I mean,
you are out there in these spectacular settings.

Living the dream. Like literally.

(inaudible) and just in beautiful, incredible spaces. How did
that show come about? How did that happen? You're out
there, you're not from out there. You parachute out there
four years later you got a show, you're like a star.

Dude, he's like a little bit jealous. (inaudible) , I was

I am, I want to be in that show about the outdoors.

How do I do this?

Sounds amazing.

Maybe I could have my people talk to you.

Who's your agent? Yeah. No, seriously. How did that come about?

I have to say, like I said, my superpower connecting
with people. And that is something that I just have
done my whole life, but it also puts me in
these really amazing situations. So I was on a Zoom
panel with this woman, Sarah Menzies. She's the woman who
directed the film about Myrna Valerio, the Myrnavator. You guys know who

(35:56):
she is? She's amazing. So she did this film about
Myrna and actually her experience as a fat black trail
runner preparing for this race and then being heckled while
taking on a hundred miler. Imagine being heckled and saying, "
You don't belong in this space," when she's crushing it.
So anyway, I was on a panel with Sarah Menzies.
After the panel, Sarah followed me on Instagram, she saw

(36:18):
that I was moving to Seattle. She was the director
of what's called Original Productions at PBS. And she reached
out to me and said, " Hey, would you ever want
to host your own TV show?" And I was like,
are you kidding? I wanted to be on the real
world. I could be the best VJ if that was
still a thing. So she was like, " Okay, well I'd
love to see. I know that you're a powerful communicator

(36:41):
and community builder put together a proposal," I forget what
she called it exactly, " And get back to me." And so
I was there Googling, how do you make a proposal
for a show? What does that mean? And so I pitched
the show that's, I'm coming from New York wondering where
are all the black and brown people? Are they here?
Are they in the outdoors? Learning the history of the

(37:01):
outdoors, and that being my show, finding these people and
telling these incredible stories. And so I sent it to
her. She didn't respond for four months, and she came
back to me and said, " The show has been greenlit.
We're going to start filming." So then I started Googling
all the outdoors show. Will Smith had an outdoor show,
I was watching that taking notes. I was watching Baratunde

(37:24):
Thurston. Because I know how to talk to people, but
it's a whole different experience. Scripting the show, and it's
the best job I have ever had.

For those who haven't watched it. For those who haven't watched it,
what happens on the show? What does an episode look like?

So every episode, by the way, you can stream it
on CascadePBS. org. You don't need to be in the
Pacific Northwest. So for example, this past week, the episode
that aired I was with this climber. So we were
outdoor rock climbing. This climber of color, he grew up

(38:03):
in Minnesota, grew up living in poverty. And so he
never saw himself in these spaces, but he was really
curious. So he would show up to rummage sales and
he bought a pair of skis and taught himself how
to ski. He watched something about climbing and taught himself
how to climb. And then he decided that he wanted

(38:23):
to teach other people of color how to do the
same thing. So I'm interviewing him, and then I go
out to this wall and I rock climb, and I
am so afraid of heights, it was terrifying. But what
I found is that trying things for the first time
is actually super easy because you have nothing else to

(38:44):
compare it to, and you're just in the moment. It's
actually the second time where then you think you have
to one up yourself and you're like, " Oh my gosh,
what's it going to be?" So, excuse me. So the first
time is actually, it was fun. And there's nothing like
the sense of accomplishment that you feel when you do something
you didn't think you could do. All of you this weekend,
it's like, oh my God, I am the strongest person

(39:07):
on this planet. What's next? So that's how I feel
every time I film on the show.

What was the most fun thing or the most mind-
altering maybe thing that they've sent you to do?

No, that I realized that I love things with boards.
I love surfing. I love skateboarding. I love snowboarding. And
when I tell you that the list of things that
are just for white people, in my mind, those were
at the top of the list. Black people, we don't
surf. Well, I guess skateboarding became cool at some point.

(39:42):
We don't snowboard, although shout out to Zeb Powell who
just won the X Games.

X Games. Yeah.

So I love those things and I realize those limiting
beliefs exist because of the historical reality in this country and
the cost and the access. But yo, we need to
get in there because these things are so fun. So
anything with a board, I'll do it.

Oh, I love that. Oh my gosh, next pro surfer,
here we go.

Let's shred.

Awesome.

I absolutely love it. So your activism has not stopped.
You are hosting a retreat in September called the Take
the Lead Retreat. Sponsored by New York Road Runners.

Yes. Right here.

Yes.

Which we're very excited to be a part of. Can
you talk about what that retreat is meant to accomplish
and the kind of leadership and things you're trying to
create with this retreat?

Absolutely. So this started as another one of those moments
where I was like, man, I guess I have to
do it myself. But I was at a running industry,
a women's running industry event. It was lovely. There was
150 people there, there were only 12 women of color.
And the conversation was not intersectional. And so the women

(41:00):
of color there started gathering and thinking about, " Well, what
could this... Could we do something like this where more
of us would show up?" I know a bunch of
people, a bunch of women of color in the running industry
who were not there. Why aren't they there? How can
we create something that is a networking opportunity, that is a
confidence building space, that is a really grounding experience for

(41:23):
folks? And so that was on a Friday. By Sunday,
everybody was like, okay, what's the date? So we are now in
our fourth year, I want to say, and Erika Edwards
O'Neill is in the back. And this woman is one
of my biggest champions, and she's shown up every year.
She is just so thoughtful, so smart. And so I'm

(41:47):
really excited that she's helped bring this Woman of Color,
Take Lead Retreat to New York in September, and it's
just, somebody described it as a place where you can
finally exhale. A space where you're getting these critical skills,
but you're also getting camaraderie. So it's geared towards women
and femme of color, all are welcome to attend and

(42:10):
we cannot wait for it to be here in New York.

Thank you so much Erika Edwards O'Neill, for those listening
who don't know is our Chief Diversity officer at New
York Road Runners. She's done a phenomenal job here at
New York Road Runners, making sure we reflect the kind
of values that you have dedicated so much of your life.

She's a game changer.

And so we appreciate that partnership. For someone who wants
to be a part of this conference, how do they
find out

About it? So registration is going to open in a few
months. And like I said, all are welcome to attend,
the conversation centers around women and femme of color. But
this is for you, whether you are, you just started
working in the running industry yesterday or if you've been
in it for 10 years. What I often find is
that people are intimidated to sign up for a conference
like this, because maybe you feel like you're not good

(42:57):
enough or you haven't been in your career long enough.
No, literally day one people should be there as well
as people who have longevity there. So they can share
knowledge. And you'll sign up at WOC, oh my goodness,
what's the website? You know what? You will find it. It'll be in
the show notes.

It'll be in the show notes. It'll in the show notes.

It'll be in the show notes, in a few months. And yeah, I
encourage you to attend. We're also, because it's in New
York, it's going to be the best ever. So do
not miss this opportunity.

Oh my gosh, it sounds beautiful. I want to make sure I'm there. Okay.
Let's talk about mom life and how your world has
changed since your beautiful son came earth side and rocked everything.

Yes.

I know for me, my vision of how I want
the world to see women in particular has changed astronomically
since I had Tallulah. And I'm fighting harder and louder
than I ever have in the past two and a
half years. For you, I think we can all see
the world in which you want Cory to grow up
and inherit. But as a black woman and with a

(44:08):
black son, what are the barriers that you still see in
running? And what are the ones that you really hope
he does not inherit for his future?

Yeah, great question. I have to say that before I
had Cory, I was one of those people, I thought
it was super feminist to be like, my children are not
going to run my world, I'm not even going to
pay attention to them, they're in my world, welcome to
my world, little person. And I was like, mom will
not be my first title. And now I'm like, oh

(44:39):
my God, this is the most important person of my
life and I want to do everything to make him
feel seen and confident. And so I do have a
lot of concerns for him. The reason why I wrote
Running All Back Black, one of the biggest reasons was
my son was born seven months before the murder of
Ahmaud Arbery. And while certainly in my lifetime I'd experienced black

(44:59):
people, unarmed black people being murdered in broad daylight. But
now it was like, oh my God, that could be
my son. And man, I have to say the poise
that Ahmaud Arbery's mother, Wanda has, I mean, I don't even
know how it would continue to exist on this earth.
She's poured her life into his memory, of course. But

(45:21):
so I have a lot of concerns for my son,
how other people will see my son. And so what's
really important for me is letting my son know that,
everything is his birthright. Actually, I think about that scene
in the Lion King where Mufasa is there with his
cubs and is like, " Everything you see is your kingdom." And so
it's not his kingdom, but you can be in all spaces. "

(45:44):
Do not doubt yourself, I have your back. If somebody
has a problem, they know who they could talk to."
So that's a piece of it. But the other piece
of it is teaching him that there are spaces where
you will have to have humility to literally save your
life. I hope he never finds himself in those spaces,
but understanding the dangers that exist in this world. I
also think it's super important for him to have friends

(46:07):
who are adults, other adults who love him, who he
can trust. And that is why he walks around. He
belongs here because he knows he does. And I work
as hard as I do to make sure that any

(46:27):
little bit that I can do to make the world
safe for him, I'm going to do it.

Oh yeah. Oh yeah. And you are. All for you little guy. All
for you. I love it. Well, we've got to keep
working on that as parents and across the board. Absolutely across the board.

It's our responsibility. It's everybody's responsibility. But particularly raising young people.

Young people. I'll never forget my colleague, Alex Toussaint talking
to me around the time of Ahmaud Arbery's death and just
having an honest, open conversation with him about how he's
still at 33 years old when his mom knows he's
out. She doesn't know he is always out. He's still a good
boy in her mind. But she still asks for him

(47:11):
to call when he's home.

Absolutely.

And he just sat me down. He was like, " It
is not a given that I'm going to get home,
Becs." And we had this whole conversation about it and for him as
well. He's learning to run a little bit more now
as well. But he's still like, " There is so much
to be done in the running world for every person
of color to be able to have their families knowing

(47:34):
that they have got home safely."

Right. The most basic.

Basic of daily rights.

Yeah.

Yeah. We've still got a long way to go, but
we got it.

I want to talk about Alison the writer for a second.

Yes.

How did that book change your life, first of all?

So I've always been honest and vulnerable, but to have
people who I've never met know the intricacies of my
life and things that were really difficult for me is
scary. It's also scary to put yourself out there and
not know how it's going to be received. Because let's

(48:14):
be real, there's some things I say in there that not
everybody agrees with. But what I found is that even
people who, maybe disagree with the content, love that they've
been challenged by the book, love that it has made
them more curious, which is, I am such a curious
person, and I think that's such an important trait for everybody
to develop curiosity. Because then it makes you assume less

(48:39):
about other people. It's one thing, when you make assumptions
about people, you people off. When you're curious about somebody's
experience, that's an invitation to share and connect. So my
book has been just the most powerful tool for me
to connect with people, for other people, to connect with
people. It's still scary. It's still scary that folks, I mean, I

(49:02):
can't lie about things that I wrote about. I'll tell you
that much, people can catch me in a lie. And just
that amount of vulnerability is both a powerful thing, but
also remains a scary thing.

It's pretty remarkable for a first- time book, Running while
Black to be as impactful, as it was successful, as
it was. So it kind of begs the fairly obvious
question, Alison, which is there another book in there somewhere?
I'm picturing Hiking While Black or Fly Fishing While Black.

I know there's so many different scenarios.

So many. This could be a franchise, this could really be a franchise.

Now we're talking. Yes, I do want to write another
book. I just don't know what it is exactly yet.
A piece of me really wants to write a children's
book actually, because, and actually a children's book focused on running
and Ted Corbett and all of these legends. Because the thing

(50:02):
about not... I used to think that black people like
me didn't run marathons. If I had known that when
I was my son's age, then I would never have
questioned whether I belong in these spaces. And books certainly
are much more diverse now than they were when I
was growing up. But yeah, I think about that. What
are other little quarries? If they could learn these stories

(50:22):
and just know that this is for them. So that's
one piece of it. And then I think there's another
book that's brewing in my mind that's around really about
women and reproductive rights and how that intersects with movement.
But that's about as much as I have.

That's a pretty good start.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Sounds like there's one coming as you brought it up. And as
it is much it is Women's History Month right now
as we record this, I'm curious to know who are
the unsung female heroes in your world?

One person who I feel so lucky that I got
to know her. Her name is Wyomia Tyus. Anybody know who
she is? I'm asking the audience now. Okay. Yes, a
few people. So Wyomia Tyus was actually the first black person,
man or woman to win back to back a hundred-
meter gold in the Olympics. People often attribute that to

(51:15):
somebody else, I forget who at this moment. But she
was an incredible athlete. And on top of that, she
protested at the Olympics. People often think of John Carlos
and the Fists. But she did a different type of
protest. Everybody is given their uniforms and they're supposed to
be wear your standard uniform. And she wore black shorts

(51:36):
in protest in 1968 during the civil rights movement. And
she is somebody who did not get her due when
she was running both as an athlete or as an
activist. And she continues to be left out of conversations,
but she's just the most incredible, kindest woman. And I'm excited

(51:59):
about LA 2028, because I will fight for this woman
to be recognized. She lives in LA, she completely changed
the game in the Olympics, and I am going to
be screaming her name from the rooftops. And if I
could say one other person, she's not unsung, but Mary
Wittenberg, former CEO of New York Road Runners.

Woohoo, Mary.

Man, everybody needs somebody in their life who thinks you're
just amazing. Mary will send me jobs to apply for
that. It's like the CEO of a Fortune 500 Company.
She's like, " This is you." And I'm like, " What are you talking
about Mary?" Or president of this company? She believes in
me so deeply, and I love that for me.

I'm with you there. She is really always there.

I don't think that's even possible, but if you think it's possible.

Yeah. And she would put you forward if you don't
do it.

Oh, exactly. Exactly.

I love it. Alison, we waited 95 episodes have set
the pace to finally get you on the show. It
was worth the wait because you are so fantastic.

I am so happy to be here. Thank you.

Thank you so much for being here. Thank you for everything.

My pleasure.

You have done continue to do for the industry, for
New York Road Runners, and we hope that you'll come
back again before episode 200.

I mean, of course.

Thank you. We hope so. Alison Mariella,

Thank you, everybody.

What a treat to have Alison to have Corey here
as well. He behaved perfectly, by the way, didn't leave
his seat.

Absolute super star.

... that entire show.

Please, can you give Tallulah some tricks on how to be Good.

Good job, young man.

Great job.

New York Road Runners is a non- profit organization with a

(54:04):
vision to build healthier lives and stronger communities through the
transformative power of running. The support of members and donors
like you helps us achieve our mission to transform the
health and wellbeing of our communities through inclusive and accessible
running experiences, empowering all to achieve their potential. Learn more
and contribute at Nyrr. org/ donate. Well, Becs at last

(54:29):
month's club night here in New York City, New York
Road Runners, who are so proud to present the Boogie Down Bronx
Runners with the Club Spirit Award. It's my favorite award,
by the way, of all of Club Night. We give
out lots of awards for the fast runners at every
age, and they're amazing.

Of course.

But the Spirit Award.

But, I was going to say, the Spirit Awards, the true.

It's where it's at.

It's what get everyone through.

It really is. We were joking before the show. It's
kind of like the Oscars Club Night, if you haven't
been. It's the runner's version of the Grammys and the
Oscars and the Tonys all rolled into one amazing and Boogie
Down Bronx Runners was the winner of that award. And
so tonight we've got one of the co- founders of
that club, Lenny Grullon, here as our featured member for

(55:18):
our member moment. So Lenny, come on up here.

Lenny Grullon (55:24):
Hello. Hello. Hello.

Great to have you. And Lenny, your story is really
interesting. You are struggling with your own health at one
point in your life. You found running in your 30s
and you went from barely completing half a mile when
you first started running to finishing the Chicago Marathon in
three hours and 40 minutes.

Not bad. Not bad.

Excuse us. Dude.

I appreciate that.

Which is incredible. And you're a father of four, you're
the Dean of culture at the Dream Charter School. With
those who don't know that, that's an incredibly successful charter
school here in New York City. And you're balancing a
lot of things, family, education, leadership, and using running as

(56:10):
a tool for empowerment. And now as if you haven't
done enough, you've co- founded the Boogie Down Bronx Runners,
so congratulations.

Thank you. Thank you so much.

On everything you've done.

I appreciate that a lot. Thanks so much for having
me. I was told I was going to be up
here with Alison and I felt so cool about having
Alison next to me, haven't seen Alison in so many
years. And she just walked off and I'm like, " Alison,
I need you here with me, I'm nervous." But it was
just great listening to you, Alison, again speak. Every time I hear
you speak, you just remind me of why I'm doing

(56:40):
what I'm doing, I continue doing it. I'm actually a
PE teacher now, so no longer the dean. Shout out
to people who are deans of schools. But not a
gig I want anymore. Now I'm just telling kids to
jump and they jump. So it's a lot easier. But
yeah, it was running again. So many other stories you
hear of people who started running later in their lives.

(57:04):
It was a lifesaver for me as well. And just
creating Boogie Down, I've just noticed it's saved a lot
of lives as well. So just bringing that to the
community has been really special.

I can tell that the impact you've made is massive
with the Boogie Down Bronx Runners. I can tell from
the incredible passion that the members of your club have.
When we go up to the Bronx for the New
Balance 10 Miler, you guys have an unbelievable presence there,
it's a massive party. You got folks with you here tonight

(57:35):
and they really believe in what you've done. What do
you think has made Boogie Down Bronx Runners so successful?

I just think, just bringing the access and being very,
very genuine and building such a strong community. I think
that one thing we take a lot of pride in
is really catering to beginner runners, catering to people who've
never ran before or believe that they can't run. And
just bringing that access to the Bronx community has awakened

(58:09):
this huge feeling of accomplishment and like, " Oh, I can
take on anything." And when people in our community just
see people who look like them running out in the
streets, which was rare before, it's not rare anymore in
the Bronx, it makes them believe in themselves in so
many other ways. So I think bringing that type of

(58:29):
community and that type of energy to our borough has
really, make things blow up when it comes to running
in the Bronx.

Absolutely, and you guys have all done such a fantastic
job of raising awareness and having fun at the same
time, which is a huge, you hear the name Boogie
Down Bronx Runners and you just automatically think great energy, friendly,
welcoming. As we're in New York, again, as it's Women's
History Month here, as we record in March, what are you

(59:03):
doing for the safety of the women who run with
you guys? Because it's an issue, it's a problem. I
run with one headphone in, if any, because I'm simply
scared when I run, regardless of whether it's day or
night. So as a leader of the community, what's going on?

Well, I mean, Boogie Down is actually about 60, 70%
female. So we have a strong leadership team of females
and they're constantly giving us feedback on things that we
can either talk about, things that we can bring up
and things that we can do for the females in
our community. This month we have a women's Her Story

(59:42):
run, and when we have these kind of runs that
are kind of catering to females, we try to do
a great job of also teaching them and finding safe
ways of, okay, what's the best way to run outside?
Make sure that you're sharing your locations with people who
care about you. Make sure that you're running with some

(01:00:03):
kind of safety item, whether it's Mace sometimes, or even
these alarms that they sell for runners now. So we
definitely try to make sure that they are aware that
there are ways to stay safe, and we also make
sure that we put out routes for our people for our
runners, specifically safer routes in the Bronx neighborhoods so they're

(01:00:25):
aware of, okay, not just continue running this route, but
there's other routes that are safe as well for you
to run. And just the community's so strong that you
hardly ever get any runner go out running alone. Our
community is constantly chats and text messages, " Oh, I'm running
on Saturday, who else is running? Anyone running with me?" Or "
I want to make sure you're not running alone." So

(01:00:47):
it's constantly on our minds and we're constantly teaching ways
of how to stay safe, especially for our female runners.

Becs Gentry (01:00:53):
I love that. That's a really good point. Sorry to cut you off,
Rob, but the sharing the route is something I've never
taken much note of, I guess, but just then you
get that continuity of people going out. If it's a
Monday easy run, a Friday easy run, and you get
to maybe not necessarily run side by side with your
new buddy, but that head nod of like, " I got

(01:01:15):
you. My eyes are on you as well. If I
don't see you on the next block, I'm coming after
you." In a good way.

Lenny Grullon (01:01:21):
Absolutely. But definitely on the forefront and something that's really
important to us, for sure.

Yeah. I love it. Well done.

Rob Simmelkjaer (01:01:27):
Lenny, there are more than a few parallels actually between
you and Alison to be honest. I mean, you're almost
like a Bronx version of Alison and what she did
in Harlem. You saw a need for a running space
there. You also started running, I think under similar circumstances.

(01:01:47):
Alison was struggling with her mental health. You were struggling
with your physical health, your weight had gone up to
240 pounds, you weren't in good shape. And what was
the turning point for you that led you to try
running yourself?

So I knew I had friends that ran. They had
ran either competitively or they were running for fun. And
they had always tried to get me out to run,
but it never really worked. It actually took within myself
to want to out and do it. And then like
you mentioned, I started running around the block of my

(01:02:24):
neighborhood, literally just running around the block. And I ran
around once until I was able to run around twice
and then three times, and then the most story for
a lot of runners, it starts getting easier and you
start feeling amazing about it and so accomplished. And I hadn't felt
that much accomplishment since I played basketball when I was
younger. So it brought that competitiveness back into it that

(01:02:47):
I was kind of craving for and I didn't know
I was craving for. But also, I started noticing change
pretty fast. It's like running, it's not like any other
sport. Running, if you put just a couple weeks into
it, you almost immediately start to see change and improvement.
And when I started to see that improvements come so

(01:03:07):
quickly, I was like, " Oh, wow, I can actually do
this." And then I was able to run half a
mile and then a mile, and then obviously a 5K,
and then I started signing up for Road Runner races.
So then, that's when everything really changed. And then like
Alison, I'm also a very people person and I really,
really always loved community. So I used running, but let

(01:03:30):
me tell you, it was teams and clubs and crews
like Harlem Run, we run uptown that I definitely was
looking back to and saying, wow, these guys are doing
something amazing. I need to bring this up to the
Bronx. And sure enough it happened.

That story you tell about breaking it up. It's not
you're going to run a half marathon when you haven't
run your whole life, but that quarter mile, half a
mile and the impact you got, that's the story people need
to hear. And in a community like the Bronx where
we know there are so many challenges with health issues,

(01:04:06):
obesity, lack of exercise, that's a really important story to
tell up there.

Yeah, it's pretty huge. It's pretty huge. I mean, for
those who don't know, the Bronx is known as the
most unhealthiest county in the whole state. And time and
time again year after year, we continue to come in
last place. But, I think that the impact that running
has had in the Bronx has definitely turned the dial
just a little bit in ways where people are now

(01:04:33):
looking to running for not just the physical part of
it, but the mental part of it as well I
think, it's almost more important almost to some of our
runners, especially in our community, just the mental aspect of
it. Because I have people, I mean literally week after
week, just come tell me, " If it wasn't for this
group meetup on Tuesdays, I wouldn't know what to do

(01:04:54):
with myself." Because it really just takes their minds away
from everything that's going on in their life and brings
them together with people who are like- minded and showing
just as much love.

Lenny, congratulations.

Thank you. Thank you so much.

On what you've done. You're making a really a huge impact. And our
mission at New York Road Runners, we try to create
healthier lives, stronger communities through the transformative power of running.
I can't think of a better example of that, than
you, than the Boogie down Bronx runners, exactly what we
talk about. So thank you for what you're doing.

Means a lot.

Everything you're going to keep doing.

Absolutely.

And we can't wait to see you out there. What's your next race?

This Sunday.

All right. This Sunday.

Yes.

The United Airlines NYC Half.

Thank you.

We wish you luck. Thank you for being our member
of the week.

I appreciate that. And thank you for allowing me to represent the Bronx
and the Bronx community here in New York (inaudible) .

All right, absolutely. We appreciate you and we appreciate all of you here in
our live audience tonight for joining this amazing live episode
backs. This was so much fun.

So much fun. I'm ready to go run again.

We're not far from the park. You can do it
right now.

Anyone want to go? No, I'm kidding.

Thank you all for being here. It is always so
special for us to see you all live in person.
Thanks for listening to the podcast. If you don't already
listen to it, make sure you subscribe tonight, right now,
subscribe. You can rate it, leave a review of this
awesome show. This has been a really awesome special episode to
set the pace. Good luck to everybody running this weekend

(01:06:30):
in the United Airlines NYC half. Can't wait to see you
all out there with the starting line, the finish line.
Enjoy that Brooklyn Bridge run. Good luck and we will see
you next week. Enjoy the miles.

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