This special episode comes to you live from the RBC Brooklyn Half Pre-Party, Presented by New Balance. Hosts Rob Simmelkjaer and Becs Gentry go behind the scenes with the sub-elite field lining up for Saturday’s race. Dorian Kail, NYRR’s Director of Professional Athletes, breaks down the time standards and perks of becoming a “seeded” athlete. Alana Levy, the fastest New York City woman at last year’s TCS New York City Marathon, shares how she leveled up from casual runner to toeing the line with the pros..


FOLLOW NYRR: Instagram | Facebook | X | TikTok

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 special episode comes to you live from the RBC Brooklyn Half Pre-Party, Presented by New Balance. Hosts Rob Simmelkjaer and Becs Gentry go behind the scenes with the sub-elite field lining up for Saturday&rsquo;s race. Dorian Kail, NYRR&rsquo;s Director of Professional Athletes, breaks down the time standards and perks of becoming a &ldquo;seeded&rdquo; athlete. Alana Levy, the fastest New York City woman at last year&rsquo;s TCS New York City Marathon, shares how she leveled up from casual runner to toeing the line with the pros..
 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>
SUPPORT: Support the Set the Pace podcast! If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on&nbsp;<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.

RBC Brooklyn Half Playbook From a Local Elite Runner

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/dc1b3f8c-8a2d-4298-8405-b17000ea5872/clips/8cbe7f13-87de-41f0-8d41-b2df00184b87/transcript

New York Road Runners’ Gordon Bakoulis joins Set the Pace this week to talk with Rob about her legendary career as both an elite athlete and NYRR’s editorial director. Gordon qualified for the Olympic marathon trials in 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004 and was a finalist in the 1992 U.S. Olympic 10,000m trials. As she looks ahead to retirement after nearly 24 years at New York Road Runners, she reflects on the organization’s continued commitment to innovation and inclusion and why she believes those values will continue to shape its future. Gordon also shares her remarkable running journey—from discovering the sport as a teenager during the running boom of the late 1970s to joining the Atalanta NYC run club and competing at the highest level. She discusses her experience as a running coach and explains how helping others pursue their goals continues to inspire her. 

Tickets are now on sale  for the 2026 Toyota USATF Outdoor & Para National Championships!  NYRR members Get a 10% off discount code. Find your discount code on your Haku dashboard.


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

New York Road Runners&rsquo; Gordon Bakoulis joins Set the Pace this week to talk with Rob about her legendary career as both an elite athlete and NYRR&rsquo;s editorial director. Gordon qualified for the Olympic marathon trials in 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004 and was a finalist in the 1992 U.S. Olympic 10,000m trials. As she looks ahead to retirement after nearly 24 years at New York Road Runners, she reflects on the organization&rsquo;s continued commitment to innovation and inclusion and why she believes those values will continue to shape its future. Gordon also shares her remarkable running journey&mdash;from discovering the sport as a teenager during the running boom of the late 1970s to joining the Atalanta NYC run club and competing at the highest level. She discusses her experience as a running coach and explains how helping others pursue their goals continues to inspire her.&nbsp;
Tickets are now on sale &nbsp;for the 2026 Toyota USATF Outdoor &amp; Para National Championships! &nbsp;NYRR members Get a 10% off discount code. Find your discount code on your Haku dashboard. 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>

NYC Running Legend Gordon Bakoulis on a Lifetime in Women's Running

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/dc1b3f8c-8a2d-4298-8405-b17000ea5872/clips/11c044f8-94cd-45c2-8a46-b475000c1ed7/transcript

Join Ali Feller from Ali on the Run and Aisha Praught Leer from Citius Mag as Set the Pace, Presented by Peloton Reruns the MastercardNew York  Mini 10k. Whether you ran the race or have FOMO for not being there, this episode is for you! Tune in for post-race interviews with the Mastercard New York City Mini 10K champions, to hear what it took to break the tape at this iconic race. Following in their footsteps, thousands of runners also crossed the finish line with goals of their own. Three of those runners share their stories of strength, grit, and resilience.

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

Join Ali Feller from Ali on the Run and Aisha Praught Leer from Citius Mag as Set the Pace, Presented by Peloton Reruns the MastercardNew York&nbsp; Mini 10k. Whether you ran the race or have FOMO for not being there, this episode is for you! Tune in for post-race interviews with the Mastercard New York City Mini 10K champions, to hear what it took to break the tape at this iconic race. Following in their footsteps, thousands of runners also crossed the finish line with goals of their own. Three of those runners share their stories of strength, grit, and resilience. 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>

Rerun the Mastercard New York Mini 10k  

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/dc1b3f8c-8a2d-4298-8405-b17000ea5872/clips/c2e7ed2a-60a8-47c4-ae43-b4610126adb6/transcript

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and throughout the month we’ve been sharing stories about running and mental well-being. We also celebrated Mother’s Day, and for many members of our community, running, mental health, and motherhood are deeply intertwined. In this week’s episode, Rob and Becs speak with Peloton instructor Selena Samuela, who opens up about raising identical twin girls, Stella and Frankie, and the mental and physical challenges of returning to movement postpartum. Selena reflects on body image, motherhood, rebuilding fitness slowly, and her powerful mantra: acceptance is not the same as complacency. Now, 24 weeks after giving birth, she’s back teaching live at Peloton and rebuilding her running day by day. 

NOTE: This episode explores one runner’s journey with fertility, pregnancy, and childbirth

 

WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE

 

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

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and throughout the month we&rsquo;ve been sharing stories about running and mental well-being. We also celebrated Mother&rsquo;s Day, and for many members of our community, running, mental health, and motherhood are deeply intertwined. In this week&rsquo;s episode, Rob and Becs speak with Peloton instructor Selena Samuela, who opens up about raising identical twin girls, Stella and Frankie, and the mental and physical challenges of returning to movement postpartum. Selena reflects on body image, motherhood, rebuilding fitness slowly, and her powerful mantra: acceptance is not the same as complacency. Now, 24 weeks after giving birth, she&rsquo;s back teaching live at Peloton and rebuilding her running day by day.&nbsp;
NOTE: This episode explores one runner&rsquo;s journey with fertility, pregnancy, and childbirth
&nbsp;
<a href="https://youtu.be/giXkfAxusg4?si=gyKmfFJXRrSEIjOi">WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE</a>
&nbsp;
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>

Peloton’s Selena Samuela on Motherhood, Mental Health, and Finding Her Way Back to Running

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/dc1b3f8c-8a2d-4298-8405-b17000ea5872/clips/50081c18-d941-40dc-a400-b45701846918/transcript

RBC Brooklyn Half Playbook From a Local Elite Runner

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