How the 2026 United Airlines NYC Half Champions Conquered the Course

Mary Wittenberg, former New York Road Runners President and CEO, joins Set the Pace this week as part of our celebration of Women’s History Month. After becoming a partner at a law firm in New York City, she pivoted to pursue her passion for sports, joining New York Road Runners in 1998. A dedicated runner, she won the 1987 Marine Corps Marathon and competed in the 1988 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. During her tenure, Mary guided NYRR and the New York City Marathon through a decade of significant growth and in 2002 was part of a pivotal decision to introduce a women-only professional start ahead of the men, giving them more visibility with the spectators and news media. In recognition of Women’s History Month, Mary reflects on the continued need for greater equity in sports, noting that while progress has been made, there is still more work to do to ensure equal opportunities for women on the playing field.   FOLLOW NYRR: Instagram | Facebook | X | TikTok | YouTubeSUPPORT: Support the Set the Pace podcast! If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.DISCLAIMERSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former NFL center Justin Britt, who spent most of his career with the Seattle Seahawks, joins Rob and Becs on Set the Pace this week. Justin ran the United Airlines NYC Half in 1:31:11, coached by professional distance runner Emily Venters, who finished the race in 1:09:46, placing 10th in the women’s field. For Justin, running has helped him navigate a rocky transition to life after the NFL. For Emily, coaching is a way to give back to the running community. The conversation explores the unlikely partnership between an NFL veteran learning from a young professional runner, what it’s like to tackle tough training, and how running motivates athletes at different stages of their lives. FOLLOW NYRR: Instagram | Facebook | X | TikTok | YouTubeSUPPORT: Support the Set the Pace podcast! If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.DISCLAIMERSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this special race-day episode of Set the Pace, hosts Olympian Carrie Tollefson and CITIUS MAG's Kyle Merber interview the 2026 United Airlines NYC Half champions—Eden Rainbow-Cooper, Daniel Romanchuk, Hellen Obiri, Adriaan Wildschutt, and Daniel Mata—who led more than 30,000 athletes from the start in Prospect Park, across the Brooklyn Bridge, through Manhattan, and to the finish in Central Park.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joining Rob and Becs this week are Liz Cho and Mike Marza, anchors for ABC7 Eyewitness News. Together, they report on the events that shape daily life across the five boroughs. There will be more than 30,000 stories at this weekend’s United Airlines NYC Half—the kind of stories today’s guests usually spend their days telling. But this weekend, instead of covering the stories, they’ll be part of the action as they step away from the newsroom to take on 13.1 miles. Liz was part of the ABC relay at the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon, which she followed up with running the NYRR Midnight Run, and Mike ran the TCS New York City Marathon for the first time in 2025. They talk about the excitement of running in New York City and what they’re most looking forward to on race day.   FOLLOW NYRR: Instagram | Facebook | X | TikTok | YouTubeSUPPORT: Support the Set the Pace podcast! If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New York Road Runners’ Chief Event Production Officer and Race Director, Ted Metellus, joins  Becs to talk all things United Airlines NYC Half. This year’s race is set for Sunday, March 15, and Ted has all the answers to questions about race week and race day. Learn the deets about bib pickup at the Expo (in a new location at the Javits Center!), getting to the start, navigating the iconic course from the Brooklyn Museum to Central Park—including crossing the Brooklyn Bridge again this year—managing post-race reunion, and more. Whether you’re running, spectating, or tuning in, you’ll be well-prepared.    FOLLOW NYRR: Instagram | Facebook | X | TikTok | YouTubeSUPPORT: Support the Set the Pace podcast! If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode discusses sexual violence, which may be triggering or distressing for some listeners. In this episode, New York Road Runners leaders Christine Burke and Erica Edwards-O’Neal explore runner safety—particularly for women—through global and local lenses. Reflecting on a recent trip to Kenya, they share their experience meeting with Tirop’s Angels, an organization that combats gender-based violence. Christine and Erica then interview Jean Knaack, CEO of the Road Runners Club of America, who discusses the need for a systemic approach to safety in running clubs, emphasizing proactive leadership, clear codes of conduct, and shared responsibility—particularly encouraging men to understand the distinct safety concerns women face. A second conversation spotlights Ashley Raymond and Meagan Doyle, co-founders of Safely, a company that makes safety products including the Sidekick, a compact, five-in-one self-defense tool designed with runners in mind. While acknowledging women shouldn’t bear the burden of protection, they advocate preparedness, education, and practical tools to help women feel confident and secure.   FOLLOW NYRR: Instagram | Facebook | X | TikTok | YouTubeSUPPORT: Support the Set the Pace podcast! If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.DISCLAIMERSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this special episode of Set the Pace Rob sits down with Sharon Lokedi, TCS New York City Marathon champion, at her mother’s home in Eldoret, Kenya. Lokedi reflects on her journey from training on Kenya’s red clay roads to winning major marathons, and what it means to inspire other Kenyan runners. She shares how Kenya’s deep-rooted running culture fuels her motivation as she prepares to defend her titles at the United Airlines NYC Half in March and the Boston Marathon in April. Lokedi also speaks candidly about competition, pressure, and using her platform to support organizations addressing gender-based violence, including Tirop’s Angels, an organization created by friends and family of Agnes Tirop, who was killed in Kenya just weeks after breaking the 10K road running world record in 2021.FOLLOW NYRR: Instagram | Facebook | X | TikTok | YouTubeSUPPORT: Support the Set the Pace podcast! If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.DISCLAIMERSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Rob and Becs are joined by Dr. Jordan Metzl, a sports medicine physician at New York’s Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) who has treated thousands of runners. A runner himself, Dr. Metzl has completed dozens of marathons and multiple Ironman triathlons. His new book, “Push: Unlock the Science of Fitness Motivation to Embrace Health and Longevity,” draws on research, patient stories, and his own experience to examine how motivation shapes long-term health. The book offers a practical mental and physical roadmap to help readers build a sustainable exercise plan and rediscover their love of movement. Dr. Metzl also reflects on what it means to keep moving as runners age, evolve, and sometimes struggle to stay motivated. He dedicates the book to his father, an Austrian immigrant and Holocaust survivor who earned his medical degree and practiced pediatrics in Kansas City for more than 50 years—an example that inspired Dr. Metzl and his brothers to become physicians themselves.FOLLOW NYRR: Instagram | Facebook | X | TikTok | YouTubeSUPPORT: Support the Set the Pace podcast! If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.DISCLAIMERSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two-time Olympian Grant Fisher joins Set the Pace this week in a live interview with Rob, recorded on January 30 at the TCS New York City Marathon Partner Forum in NYC. Grant was in town preparing for the Millrose Games, where he was set to race the Wanamaker Mile, but after our interview, he scratched due to illness. In the conversation, Grant shares what excites him about making his road racing and half marathon debut at the United Airlines NYC Half. The Stanford grad also reflects on long-term running goals and how he balances his love of the sport with his commitment to his fiancé and their future together. Grant’s thoughts on uncertainty, decision-making, and knowing when to step back offer meaningful lessons for runners at every level. To help break this down, NYRR’s Coach Ben Delaney provides some insight on how to recognize when it’s time to listen to your body and say, “today is not my day.” FOLLOW NYRR: Instagram | Facebook | X | TikTok | YouTubeSUPPORT: Support the Set the Pace podcast! If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.DISCLAIMERSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Rob is joined by New York Road Runners Chief Marketing and Digital Officer Juliette Morris for a special Town Hall edition of Set the Pace where they talk about what’s happening across the entire organization. Rob addresses some of the most common questions and concerns raised by the running community, from race access and registration demand to new processing fees and the growing popularity of the 9+1 program. He breaks down the realities behind park permits, race capacity limits, and fairness for participants, while sharing steps NYRR is taking to create more opportunities for runners at every level. The conversation also highlights the organization’s nearly $1 billion annual economic impact on New York City and what that means for local communities. Later in the episode New York Road Runners Co-Head of Marketing Strategy Emily Casey joins the show to unveil, alongside Juliette, NYRR’s new “Believe in Every Step” brand identity and logo, exploring the thinking behind the rebrand and what it represents for the future.Note - for clarity, in addition to advance registration access to the non-drawing Five-Borough Series races, all members will also now have advance registration access to the following 2026 races: NYRR Mindful 5K NYRR Grete’s Great Gallop 10K New Balance 5th Avenue Mile FOLLOW NYRR: Instagram | Facebook | X | TikTok | YouTubeSUPPORT: Support the Set the Pace podcast! If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.DISCLAIMERSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.