Olympian Carrie Tollefson sits down with the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon champions, Sheila Chepkirui, Andreas Almgren, Catherine Debrunner, and Marcel Hug, along with top Americans Jess McClain and Zouhair Talbi, shortly after they conquered the iconic course. Through focus, determination, and grit, these athletes delivered remarkable performances on the best day of the year, in the best city in the world, as the race celebrated the 50th anniversary of the five-borough New York City Marathon.

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Olympian Carrie Tollefson sits down with the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon champions, Sheila Chepkirui, Andreas Almgren, Catherine Debrunner, and Marcel Hug, along with top Americans Jess McClain and Zouhair Talbi, shortly after they conquered the iconic course. Through focus, determination, and grit, these athletes delivered remarkable performances on the best day of the year, in the best city in the world, as the race celebrated the 50th anniversary of the five-borough New York City Marathon. FOLLOW NYRR: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nyrr/">Instagram</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NewYorkRoadRunners/">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/nyrr">X</a> | <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@newyorkroadrunners">TikTok</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@nyrrvideo/podcasts">YouTube</a> SUPPORT: Support the Set the Pace podcast! If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/set-the-pace/id1703616687">Apple Podcasts </a>or <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/2k1UziVCr4wYtMM5Awr2MA?si=871db22f44c049b1">Spotify</a>. <a href="https://www.nyrr.org/setthepace">DISCLAIMER</a>

NYRR Set the Pace Presented by Peloton is the official podcast of New York Road Runners. Join hosts Rob Simmelkjaer, CEO of New York Road Runners, and Becs Gentry, Peloton Instuctor, every Thursday in conversation with inspiring athletes, from everyday enthusiasts to elite marathoners, to hear stories of perseverance, drive, and dedication. Each episode also includes an NYRR Member Moment spotlight and pro tip from 2009 New York City Marathon champ and Olympic medalist Meb Keflezighi.

Set the Pace

NYRR Set the Pace Presented by Peloton is the official podcast of New York Road Runners. Join hosts Rob Simmelkjaer, CEO of New York Road Runners, and Becs Gentry, Peloton Instructor, every Thursday in conversation with inspiring athletes, from everyday enthusiasts to elite marathoners, to hear stories of perseverance, drive, and dedication. Each episode also includes an NYRR Member Moment spotlight and pro tip from 2009 New York City Marathon champ and Olympic medalist Meb Keflezighi.

NYRR Set the Pace Presented by Peloton is the official podcast of New York Road Runners. Join hosts Rob Simmelkjaer, CEO of New York Road Runners, and Becs Gentry, Peloton Instructor, every Thursday in conversation with inspiring athletes, from everyday enthusiasts to elite marathoners, to hear stories of perseverance, drive, and dedication. Each episode also includes an NYRR Member Moment spotlight and pro tip from 2009 New York City Marathon champ and Olympic medalist Meb Keflezighi.

How the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon Champs Conquered the Course

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/dc1b3f8c-8a2d-4298-8405-b17000ea5872/clips/87237762-1b73-4d51-8a4a-b4f6001dae1c/transcript

This week, Becs talks with three Team Inspire athletes about their experiences running the TCS New York City Marathon: Danish Hussain Yar, Alan Kaufman, and Nicole Ver Kuilen. Team Inspire is a diverse group of marathoners with compelling stories—each story representing one mile of the 26.2-mile course. Danish grew up in northern Afghanistan and first discovered the TCS New York City Marathon through a video she watched as a teenager. After escaping Taliban rule, she became a student at Cornell University and a runner ambassador for Free to Run, a nonprofit that advances gender equity worldwide. Alan, a Forest Hills, Queens, resident, ran his first marathon in 1992. After being diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma in 2017 and given six months to live, he defied the odds and completed his 33rd New York City Marathon this year. Nicole, a bone cancer survivor and Para triathlon national champion who waited 16 years for a prosthesis built for running, now leads a campaign expanding access to prosthetic and orthotic care. 

 

 

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SUPPORT: Support the Set the Pace podcast! If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

DISCLAIMER

This week, Becs talks with three Team Inspire athletes about their experiences running the TCS New York City Marathon: Danish Hussain Yar, Alan Kaufman, and Nicole Ver Kuilen. Team Inspire is a diverse group of marathoners with compelling stories&mdash;each story representing one mile of the 26.2-mile course. Danish grew up in northern Afghanistan and first discovered the TCS New York City Marathon through a video she watched as a teenager. After escaping Taliban rule, she became a student at Cornell University and a runner ambassador for Free to Run, a nonprofit that advances gender equity worldwide. Alan, a Forest Hills, Queens, resident, ran his first marathon in 1992. After being diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma in 2017 and given six months to live, he defied the odds and completed his 33rd New York City Marathon this year. Nicole, a bone cancer survivor and Para triathlon national champion who waited 16 years for a prosthesis built for running, now leads a campaign expanding access to prosthetic and orthotic care.&nbsp;
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FOLLOW NYRR:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/nyrr/">Instagram</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NewYorkRoadRunners/">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/nyrr">X</a> | <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@newyorkroadrunners">TikTok</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@nyrrvideo/podcasts">YouTube</a> SUPPORT: Support the Set the Pace podcast! If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/set-the-pace/id1703616687">Apple Podcasts </a>or <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/2k1UziVCr4wYtMM5Awr2MA?si=871db22f44c049b1">Spotify</a>. <a href="https://www.nyrr.org/setthepace">DISCLAIMER</a>

Three Team Inspire Runners Relive Their TCS New York City Marathon

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/dc1b3f8c-8a2d-4298-8405-b17000ea5872/clips/1ce46155-5540-4853-bfb8-b4f8017a3cbb/transcript

2026 Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K champions Habtom Samuel and Rachael Rudel join Olympian Carrie Tollefson and Citius Mag's Chris Chavez live at the finish line in Central Park just minutes after their wins!

 

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SUPPORT: Support the Set the Pace podcast! If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

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2026 Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K champions Habtom Samuel and Rachael Rudel join Olympian Carrie Tollefson and Citius Mag's Chris Chavez live at the finish line in Central Park just minutes after their wins!
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FOLLOW NYRR: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nyrr/">Instagram</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NewYorkRoadRunners/">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/nyrr">X</a> | <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@newyorkroadrunners">TikTok</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@nyrrvideo/podcasts">YouTube</a> SUPPORT: Support the Set the Pace podcast! If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/set-the-pace/id1703616687">Apple Podcasts </a>or <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/2k1UziVCr4wYtMM5Awr2MA?si=871db22f44c049b1">Spotify</a>. <a href="https://www.nyrr.org/setthepace">DISCLAIMER</a>

Champion Interviews -  2026 Abbott Dash to the Finish 5K Livestream Watch Party

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/dc1b3f8c-8a2d-4298-8405-b17000ea5872/clips/2bb08672-5db5-4ff0-887e-b4f40175fe43/transcript

Conner Mantz Returns to New York After A Record-Breaking Year!

This episode of Set the Pace Presented by Peloton is brought to you by Shokz and was recorded live from the TCS New York City Marathon Expo Presented by New Balance. Becs sits down with professional runner Conner Mantz, who finished as the top American in 2024 at his TCS New York City Marathon debut, clocking 2:09:00. Mantz won two NCAA cross country titles while he was a student-athlete at Brigham Young University. He went on to set two American records in 2025—one at the Houston Half Marathon (59:17) and the other at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon (2:04:43), breaking a marathon record that had stood for 23 years. Since then, stress fractures sidelined him from running the Boston Marathon. This Sunday, Mantz returns to New York for his first marathon since his record-breaking performance in Chicago, and he walks through the course for you, mile by mile.

 

FOLLOW NYRR: Instagram | Facebook | X | TikTok | YouTube
SUPPORT: Support the Set the Pace podcast! If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

DISCLAIMER

Conner Mantz Returns to New York After A Record-Breaking Year! This episode of Set the Pace Presented by Peloton is brought to you by Shokz and was recorded live from the TCS New York City Marathon Expo Presented by New Balance. Becs sits down with professional runner Conner Mantz, who finished as the top American in 2024 at his TCS New York City Marathon debut, clocking 2:09:00. Mantz won two NCAA cross country titles while he was a student-athlete at Brigham Young University. He went on to set two American records in 2025&mdash;one at the Houston Half Marathon (59:17) and the other at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon (2:04:43), breaking a marathon record that had stood for 23 years. Since then, stress fractures sidelined him from running the Boston Marathon. This Sunday, Mantz returns to New York for his first marathon since his record-breaking performance in Chicago, and he walks through the course for you, mile by mile.
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FOLLOW NYRR: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nyrr/">Instagram</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NewYorkRoadRunners/">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/nyrr">X</a> | <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@newyorkroadrunners">TikTok</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@nyrrvideo/podcasts">YouTube</a> SUPPORT: Support the Set the Pace podcast! If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/set-the-pace/id1703616687">Apple Podcasts </a>or <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/2k1UziVCr4wYtMM5Awr2MA?si=871db22f44c049b1">Spotify</a>. <a href="https://www.nyrr.org/setthepace">DISCLAIMER</a>

Conner Mantz’s Mile-by-Mile Guide to the TCS New York City Marathon

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/dc1b3f8c-8a2d-4298-8405-b17000ea5872/clips/bebba806-1c02-49b0-9f8e-b4f3000d51d3/transcript

How the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon Champs Conquered the Course

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