Runners of NYC

Before we close 2019, we wanted to share one of the most moving and inspiring stories from this year's New York City Marathon. In the days after the race, Nike released a two-minute video titled "Lessons From My Champ" that told the story of how Victoria Fortune used her first marathon as a way to celebrate the life of her father, who passed away in November 2018. Victoria was a member of Nike's Project Moonshot, the 16-week summer training plan, and connected with the running community during her grieving process. We heard more about Victoria when she was part of a long run hosted by Old Man Run Club in November. We spoke with her and wanted to share more of her story on the podcast. We learn about her upbringing in Maryland, how she's never been someone to take an opportunity for granted, what she does for work with Global Citizen and eventually her epic day at the NYC Marathon. What comes next for her after running her first marathon and how does she want to get more involved in the sport? She opens up with us. ▶ Follow Victoria on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vicmofo/ Support for this episode comes from FICS NYC (206 West 23rd Street, 3rd Floor) a fitness recovery and wellness studio. They have curated the top fitness recovery and wellness machines and combined them with classic techniques to elevate each individual’s pursuit of natural performance and overall physical and mental wellbeing. FICS will concierge you through their modalities and provide you a space to relax, recover, and unwind at their modern-day athlete's spa. Use code RUNNERSOFNYC to get 20% off all services, packages and memberships (only for first month). First-time users also get their choice of one modality for free on their initial visit.

We were very fortunate to host one last live recording of the show for 2019 at the Equinox Hudson Yards Hotel. We got to share the storytelling process of how Brenden Clarke diversified his photography work to chronicle the 2019 Orchard Street Runners Midnight Half. Much like the unsanctioned race, sometimes it’s about taking a risk and trusting your instinct. We also sat down with Jordan O'Donoghue and Sasha Whittle to get their perspective on the race as well as their background in the sport. ▶ Follow Brenden on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brenden.jpeg/ ▶ Follow Jordan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jordanodonoghue/ ▶ Follow Sasha on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sashafiercey/ PURCHASE Above the Midnight Half: https://osr-nyc.myshopify.com/products/above-the-midnight-half-by-brenden-clarke Support for this episode comes from FICS NYC (206 West 23rd Street, 3rd Floor) a fitness recovery and wellness studio. They have curated the top fitness recovery and wellness machines and combined them with classic techniques to elevate each individual’s pursuit of natural performance and overall physical and mental wellbeing. FICS will concierge you through their modalities and provide you a space to relax, recover, and unwind at their modern-day athlete's spa. Use code RUNNERSOFNYC to get 20% off all services, packages and memberships (only for first month). First time users also get their choice of one modality for free on their initial visit. ❤️ Please consider supporting our work. We want to continue pushing out the podcast on a bi-weekly basis and bring you quality audio for our guests. we're simply asking for you to set aside a few dollars that might go toward a coffee or dollar slice to support our work. In return, we'll do our best to put together exclusive episodes, interviews and maybe some video for those supporters. The NYC running community is awesome and we'd appreciate the assistance: www.patreon.com/runnersofnyc

"I think the biggest lesson that I've learned from running is what I learned this spring from getting injured. It was learning that this activity that's become so much a part of my friendships, relationships with other people and the spiritual practice I have, one of my biggest fears, as a result, was not having that. What I learned this spring really is that running has actually been preparing me to not have it someday. At some point, it's not going to be there anymore so how is it changing me along the way. I think that's where we start getting into the transcendence Honestly, I don't give a fuck about the crews. I don't even want to know who is who and who is what. It's just so low in the mix for me as to why we're doing this and what the big picture is. I wish people gave more attention to what's going on inside and how their spiritual geometry is changing as a result of this." Sam Anderson and Iman Smith of Black Roses NYC join podcast over some wine at Contra (138 Orchard St). Sam is the wine and beverage director at Wildair and Contra in the Lower East Side. You may recognize him from the May 2018 cover of Runner’s World, where he opened up about his life and how he turned his life around from a life of partying that included lots of drinking and drugs to a life of running and mindfulness for the better. Iman Smith is a creative director who also serves as a run coach in the city. Back in September, he was hit by a car so his plans to run the NYC Marathon were in jeopardy. IMan and Sam decided to run the New York City Marathon together just a few weeks ago and hearing them recount their experience is what teammates are all about. ▶ Follow Sam on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sam4nderson/ ▶ Follow Iman on Instagram: www.instagram.com/soswanky/ Support for this episode comes from RAGNAR. To learn more about Ragnar Relays, the different relay formats, and to see where Ragnar has races in 2020, visit www.runragnar.com/runnersofnyc. Registration is open for almost all 2020 races, and listeners of this podcast can take $100 off any overnight relay in 2020 by using RUNNYC at checkout. ❤️ Please consider supporting our work. We want to continue pushing out the podcast on a bi-weekly basis and bring you quality audio for our guests. we're simply asking for you to set aside a few dollars that might go toward a coffee or dollar slice to support our work. In return, we'll do our best to put together exclusive episodes, interviews and maybe some video for those supporters. The NYC running community is awesome and we'd appreciate the assistance: www.patreon.com/runnersofnyc

Emily Abbate is a freelance writer, certified trainer and the brains behind the Hurdle podcast, where she speaks with some of the best success stories in the health and wellness space about their own respective obstacles in life. Emily's work has appeared in GQ, Shape, Runner's World, The Wall Street Journal, Esquire and many more places. While balancing her career in the media space, she is also an avid runner who just qualified for the Boston Marathon with a personal best of 3:28:08 at the 2019 Chicago Marathon. Before getting there, Emily weighed 204 pounds as a freshman at the University of Connecticut and decided that she needed to make a lifestyle change when she read that number on the scale. She lost 70 pounds and has been committed to an active life through a healthier diet and a love for running. Hear about her weightloss journey, how she got hooked on the sport, why the cold/windy 2014 New York City Marathon is the best day of her life and some of the highs and lows from her time in the ever-changing journalism landscape. ▶ Follow Emily on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyabbate Catch the Hurdle podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hurdle/id1330434098?mt=2 ------ Sign up for the TCS New York City Marathon – Virtual 5K Powered by Strava! Be a part of the NYC Marathon festivities and excitement by racing for free and from wherever in the world. This free virtual 5K race unites thousands of runners and millions of friends, family, and spectators in support of those taking on the streets of New York City in the TCS New York City Marathon.

Our guest for today’s show is one of the fastest ladies in New York City after she just ran 2:33:52 at the Chicago Marathon on Oct. 13. She also owns a runner-up finish from the 5,000 meters at the 2011 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships from her days at the University of Texas. It’s Mia Behm. On this show, you’ll hear the story of her start in the sport while in Texas, her surprising finish at the NCAA championships and then dealing with injuries that followed her highest moment. After some time running post collegiately in Austin, Mia moved to New York, watched her friends try the marathon and then curiosity got the best of her. It’s safe to say testing the marathon has been a great decision as she now eyed the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. How she ran 2:33 while running less than 60 miles per week and balancing a job that requires a two-hour commute from Brooklyn to Connecticut is truly remarkable. ▶ Keep up with Mia on Instagram: /https://www.instagram.com/miabehm/ ------ Sign up for the TCS New York City Marathon – Virtual 5K Powered by Strava! Be a part of the NYC Marathon festivities and excitement by racing for free and from wherever in the world. This free virtual 5K race unites thousands of runners and millions of friends, family, and spectators in support of those taking on the streets of New York City in the TCS New York City Marathon.

Mirna Valerio and The Pansa Boyz (Tyrone Alomia, Hector Espinal, Emmanuel Rodriguez, and Jason Suarez) join the podcast in front of a LIVE audience to discuss how they are redefining what runners look like and creating inclusive communities to inspire all. Mirna Valerio is a native of Brooklyn, NY, a former educator, cross-country coach, ultrarunner, obstacle course enthusiast, and author of the recently published memoir, A Beautiful Work in Progress. Although she began running in high school, she recommitted to the sport after a health scare in 2008. It was then that her love for running and all its attendant benefits were reignited. She soon started her blog Fatgirlrunning, about her experiences as a larger woman in a world of thinner athletes. The Pansa Boyz are Tyrone Alomia, Hector Espinal, Emmanuel Rodriguez, and Jason Suarez. Profiled most recently in Men’s Health, the four friends have connected over the positive impact running has had for them. As their profile in Men’s Health notes, “These four guys—who’ve adopted the nickname ‘Pansa Boyz’ (“panza” the word for “belly” in Spanish)—weigh almost a ton combined. Recently, they teamed up to relay both the North Face Endurance 50K Challenge and the Brooklyn Mile, the native New Yorkers aren’t slowing down anytime soon—at least not because of their size.” ------ ❤️ Please consider supporting our work. We want to continue pushing out the podcast on a bi-weekly basis and bring you quality audio for our guests. we're simply asking for you to set aside a few dollars that might go toward a coffee or dollar slice to support our work. In return, we'll do our best to put together exclusive episodes, interviews and maybe some video for those supporters. The NYC running community is awesome and we'd appreciate the assistance: www.patreon.com/runnersofnyc ------ --------- ▶ Follow us: twitter.com/RunnersOfNYC instagram.com/runnersofnyc ▶ Follow Chris twitter.com/ChrisChavez instagram.com/chris_j_chavez www.strava.com/athletes/9032675 ▶ Follow Leigh Anne twitter.com/leighannesharek instagram.com/wicked.la www.strava.com/athletes/10122804

John Donodeo was born and raised in Astoria, Queens before he attended Manhattan College and Penn State and then made his way back to New York, where he left a major footprint as the head track and field and cross country coach at Regis High School – a private all-boys Jesuit High School in Manhattan. It’s a tuition free school that attracts some of the smartest kids in the city. He was there for more than 30 years. As a result, he has so many awesome stories and you really feel how nice and selfless of a person he was in more than 100 seasons of coaching. We dive into what it’s like to make an impact on the lives of so many people, what makes a good coach, does getting older necessarily mean getting slower and what it’s like going into retirement after being part of something special for so long. Email John: john.f.donodeo[@]gmail.com ------- ❤️ Please consider supporting our work. We want to continue pushing out the podcast on a bi-weekly basis and bring you quality audio for our guests. we're simply asking for you to set aside a few dollars that might go toward a coffee or dollar slice to support our work. In return, we'll do our best to put together exclusive episodes, interviews and maybe some video for those supporters. The NYC running community is awesome and we'd appreciate the assistance: www.patreon.com/runnersofnyc --------- SPONSOR: New Balance 5th Avenue Mile Register for the 5th Ave Mile & check out everything going on at Runner Con. Test your speed by racing down 20 iconic Manhattan blocks on September 8th in the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile. All registered runners receive a pair of New Balance running shorts. Heats are filling up quickly, so register now at Nyrr.org/NB5thAveMile. Reserve your spot to our LIVE SHOW on 9/7 at the NYRR Run Center with the Pansa Boyz and Mirna Valerio. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/runners-of-nyc-live-redefining-runners-with-mirna-valerio-and-the-pansa-boyz-tickets-69933556149 --------- ▶ Follow us: twitter.com/RunnersOfNYC instagram.com/runnersofnyc ▶ Follow Chris twitter.com/ChrisChavez instagram.com/chris_j_chavez www.strava.com/athletes/9032675 ▶ Follow Leigh Anne twitter.com/leighannesharek instagram.com/wicked.la www.strava.com/athletes/10122804

Before Tim Jeffreys landed at Fohr as the marketing director, where he oversees brand communication that helps companies and agencies execute influencer projects, he wore many hats. He studied math in college, did a little coaching, managed an independent movie theatre and tested his hand at filmmaking. His biggest project and first feature film is coming soon. It called 'The 41st Day' – the title comes from Biblical references and how something special may be bound to happen after 40 days. The film followed American marathoner Ryan Hall and his build-up to the London Olympics in 2012. However, injuries spiraled and really changed Hall’s career until he retired in 2015. The film was also a major part of Tim’s life and so it was also life-changing for him. We spend a bit of time discussing its impact and Tim’s passion toward his work. We also touch on Tim's history as a decent high school runner in North Carolina, his first marathon at 16, finding out his grandfather served up a historic home run to Babe Ruth and much more. Follow Tim on Instagram: www.instagram.com/thjeffreys/ Follow the 41st Day on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryanhallfilm/ Original Trailer for the 41st Day: https://vimeo.com/39801781 ------- ❤️ Please consider supporting our work. We want to continue pushing out the podcast on a bi-weekly basis and bring you quality audio for our guests. we're simply asking for you to set aside a few dollars that might go toward a coffee or dollar slice to support our work. In return, we'll do our best to put together exclusive episodes, interviews and maybe some video for those supporters. The NYC running community is awesome and we'd appreciate the assistance: www.patreon.com/runnersofnyc --------- SPONSOR: Ragnar has made running a team sport. It is the perfect combination for you and your running friends whether you’re a serious runner, casual runner or a mix of both. Everyone can run a Ragnar and finish the overnight relay together. With 19 trail races and 16 road races across the country, there’s sure to be one close by – including one right here in our New York City backyard at Wawayanda Lake October 11-12. Embrace the challenge. Sign up today and get $80 off your team at any 2019 or 2020 race with promo code RUNNYC. Visit runragnar.com/RunnersOfNYC --------- ▶ Follow us: twitter.com/RunnersOfNYC instagram.com/runnersofnyc ▶ Follow Chris twitter.com/ChrisChavez instagram.com/chris_j_chavez www.strava.com/athletes/9032675 ▶ Follow Leigh Anne twitter.com/leighannesharek instagram.com/wicked.la www.strava.com/athletes/10122804

Zach Hetrick is the co-founder of Sprint Step, Inc, which is a content creation agency that specializes in photo storytelling and event recaps. He is undoubtedly one of the city’s best sports photographers who has done work for major sportswear companies but is also rooted in capturing some of the best images of everyday New York City runners. At the same time, he does some impressive running of his own (many times with a camera in his hands). Aside from maybe seeing his work on Instagram or his handle in photo credits, not too many people know Zach’s story which goes back to Fort Wayne, Indiana. We’re here to bring it to you. We'll dive into his past to learn where he picked up his quick instincts, speed and practice as a photographer and runner. Plus, he’ll share what he’s learned from shooting and being up close with the likes of world record holder Eliud Kipchoge, New York City Marathon champion Shalane Flanagan, Boston/New York and silver medal winner Meb Keflezighi and more. Follow Zach on Instagram: www.instagram.com/zhetrick/ ------- ❤️ Please consider supporting our work. We want to continue pushing out the podcast on a bi-weekly basis and bring you quality audio for our guests. we're simply asking for you to set aside a few dollars that might go toward a coffee or dollar slice to support our work. In return, we'll do our best to put together exclusive episodes, interviews and maybe some video for those supporters. The NYC running community is awesome and we'd appreciate the assistance: www.patreon.com/runnersofnyc --------- SPONSOR: Ragnar has made running a team sport. It is the perfect combination for you and your running friends whether you’re a serious runner, casual runner or a mix of both. Everyone can run a Ragnar and finish the overnight relay together. With 19 trail races and 16 road races across the country, there’s sure to be one close by – including one right here in our New York City backyard at Wawayanda Lake October 11-12. Embrace the challenge. Sign up today and get $80 off your team at any 2019 or 2020 race with promo code RUNNYC. Visit runragnar.com/RunnersOfNYC --------- ▶ Follow us: twitter.com/RunnersOfNYC instagram.com/runnersofnyc ▶ Follow Chris twitter.com/ChrisChavez instagram.com/chris_j_chavez www.strava.com/athletes/9032675 ▶ Follow Leigh Anne twitter.com/leighannesharek instagram.com/wicked.la www.strava.com/athletes/10122804

Through her work with Peloton, Becs Gentry has become one of the most recognizable treadmill instructors around the world and encourages hundreds of people to run. She recently sat down with us to give us a full deep dive on her upbringing in Worcester, England as a multi-sport athlete with an emphasis on tennis. She shares how and why she left that behind to focus on athletics (the beautiful British version of saying track and field). Now Becs boasts a 2:50 marathon personal best. How did she get there? what she did before she got into the fitness space, why she rarely competes in races, her foray into ultra marathons and much more including her recent string of personal bests at the Hong Kong Marathon and Boston Marathon. A few insights into the 2019 Speed Project (a 340 mile unsanctioned relay race from LA to Vegas) are also sprinkled in. Enjoy the conversation. Follow Becs on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becsgentry/ ------- ❤️ Please consider supporting our work. We want to continue pushing out the podcast on a bi-weekly basis and bring you quality audio for our guests. we're simply asking for you to set aside a few dollars that might go toward a coffee or dollar slice to support our work. In return, we'll do our best to put together exclusive episodes, interviews and maybe some video for those supporters. The NYC running community is awesome and we'd appreciate the assistance: www.patreon.com/runnersofnyc --------- SPONSOR: Ragnar has made running a team sport. It is the perfect combination for you and your running friends whether you’re a serious runner, casual runner or a mix of both. Everyone can run a Ragnar and finish the overnight relay together. With 19 trail races and 16 road races across the country, there’s sure to be one close by – including one right here in our New York City backyard at Wawayanda Lake October 11-12. Embrace the challenge. Sign up today and get $80 off your team at any 2019 or 2020 race with promo code RUNNYC. Visit runragnar.com/RunnersOfNYC --------- ▶ Follow us: twitter.com/RunnersOfNYC instagram.com/runnersofnyc ▶ Follow Chris twitter.com/ChrisChavez instagram.com/chris_j_chavez www.strava.com/athletes/9032675 ▶ Follow Leigh Anne twitter.com/leighannesharek instagram.com/wicked.la https://www.strava.com/athletes/10122804

The sport needs more passionate fans like Paul Leak. The former New York Road Runners assistant events manager and current Strava marketing associate joins the podcast after a brief trip by Chris to the West Coast. Co-Host Emeritus Jeanne Mack also returns for the special episode. Paul is originally from North Carolina but spent much of the past decade in New York City getting people active within the community. In his role with NYRR, he would travel to all different parts of the city to try and help popularize running. He also was one of the co-founders of the November Project chapter in New York City. A November Project blog post on Paul described him as "the adventurer, the wild spirit, and the dreamer.” If you've seen Paul cheering on the sidelines of a race, you'd know this is all true. Even though he moved to San Francisco for his role with Strava, his presence is still felt in New York and he makes trips often. Once a Runner of NYC, always a Runner of NYC. Follow Paul on Instagram: https://instagram.com/paulleak/ Follow Paul on Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/9032675 ------- ❤️ Please consider supporting our work. We want to continue pushing out the podcast on a bi-weekly basis and bring you quality audio for our guests. we're simply asking for you to set aside a few dollars that might go toward a coffee or dollar slice to support our work. In return, we'll do our best to put together exclusive episodes, interviews and maybe some video for those supporters. The NYC running community is awesome and we'd appreciate the assistance. www.patreon.com/runnersofnyc ^ You'll have first dibs on a spot to our live show and photo exhibit on Aug. 1 with photographer Zach Hetrick. --------- ▶ Follow us: twitter.com/RunnersOfNYC instagram.com/runnersofnyc ▶ Follow Chris twitter.com/ChrisChavez instagram.com/chris_j_chavez https://www.strava.com/athletes/9032675 ▶ Follow Jeanne Mack twitter.com/jmmackattack/ instagram.com/jmmackattack/ https://www.strava.com/athletes/12008944

Cam Erhardt joins the podcast to cap off Pride Month! He is an Olympic Marathon Trials hopeful who trains with Brooklyn Track Club. He started running as a 12-year-old in Texas, found his groove in the Texas High School scene before continuing his career as an NCAA Division 1 runner at San Diego. After college, he made the spontaneous decision to move to New York and then abandoned running to join the Crossfit scene. Around the same time, he came out as gay and never been more himself and never been happier. We’re 100 percent certain that his positivity and outlook on life will be contagious. He’s totally personable, outgoing, hardworking and driven in all aspects of his life. We hope you enjoy his running story. Follow Cam on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/camzor13/ -------- NYRR PRIDE RUN VIRTUAL 5K Be a part of a monumental celebration as the world marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising and a half-century of LGBTQIA+ liberation. Sign up for the FREE NYRR Virtual Pride Run 5K Powered by Strava and run it any time between June 22nd and June 30th. Run the virtual race and part of the movement, even if you don’t live in New York City. Register for the NYRR Virtual Pride Run 5K now at nyrr.org/VirtualRacing/RunnersNYC ------- ❤️ Please consider supporting our work. We want to continue pushing out the podcast on a bi-weekly basis and bring you quality audio for our guests. we're simply asking for you to set aside a few dollars that might go toward a coffee or dollar slice to support our work. In return, we'll do our best to put together exclusive episodes, interviews and maybe some video for those supporters. The NYC running community is awesome and we'd appreciate the assistance. https://www.patreon.com/runnersofnyc --------- ▶ Follow us: twitter.com/RunnersOfNYC instagram.com/runnersofnyc ▶ Follow Chris twitter.com/ChrisChavez instagram.com/chris_j_chavez ▶ Follow Leigh Anne twitter.com/LeighAnneSharek instagram.com/wicked.la

David Kilgore joins the podcast. He is one of the most talented distance runners in New York City. He runs for the New York Athletic Club and On Running. He was a high school standout in Florida before a series of events in his life led to stops at the University of Colorado (where he was an alternate on the 2013 NCAA Cross Country Championship winning team), Florida and Oklahoma State for college. He found marathons and trail running shortly thereafter while living out of a van and making more stops in Utah, Arizona and eventually New York City. Most recently, Kilgore just finished 82nd at the 2019 Trail Running World Championships in Portugal. We discuss all of that and more on this episode. Follow David on Instagram: https://instagram.com/davidkilgore -------- NYRR PRIDE RUN VIRTUAL 5K Be a part of a monumental celebration as the world marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising and a half-century of LGBTQIA+ liberation. Sign up for the FREE NYRR Virtual Pride Run 5K Powered by Strava and run it any time between June 22nd and June 30th. Run the virtual race and part of the movement, even if you don’t live in New York City. Register for the NYRR Virtual Pride Run 5K now at https://nyrr.org/VirtualRacing/RunnersNYC --------- ▶ Follow us: twitter.com/RunnersOfNYC instagram.com/runnersofnyc ▶ Follow Chris twitter.com/ChrisChavez instagram.com/chris_j_chavez ▶ Follow Leigh Anne twitter.com/LeighAnneSharek instagram.com/wicked.la

You've probably seen her on the latest cover of Runner's World. There's a chance that she's blown past you during a race while wearing her Streets 101 singlet. Maybe you've taken one of her classes at The Fort or Mile High Run Club? Jess Movold is everywhere and now you get to learn her story. We were honored to welcome and host Jess for our first-ever LIVE podcast in front of an audience. She takes us all the way back to Hermann, Missouri to tell us about her upbringing with her father and two sisters. Her journey makes its first stop in New York City as an unexpected intern for Tommy Hilfiger and that's when she picks running back up as a means of commuting and not getting bored. On this show, she'll take us through some of the challenges from her professional and personal life as well as funny stories about her first marathon, getting lost and having just $4 for a Gatorade during a 22-miler and the big reveal of being on the cover of Runner's World. If you want to follow Jess on Instagram, check out her profiles below: https://instagram.com/jessmovold https://instagram.com/runnersoworldcoach -------- Thanks to our listeners for making GLOBAL RUNNING DAY a success. We aimed to pledge 1,000 miles on June 5th to celebrate running and encourage others to get moving. We ended up running 1,028. There's still a chance to participate in the NYRR Virtual Global Running day one-mile Powered by Strava. All you have to do is sign up for the virtual race and run one mile hard anywhere, anytime before June 9 and you’ll be entered to win a round-trip flight on United Airlines to fly and of course, run anywhere in the world. Hotel accommodations are also included. More details will also be available on https://globalrunningday.org/RunnersOfNYC -------- Don't forget to pay a visit to CUSTOM PERFORMANCE – They are the best running and sports physical therapy center in New York City with physical therapists that specialize in orthopedic injury treatments and running injury treatments. They also feature performance and recovery services for all runners of all abilities. Follow them at @nycustompt or check out nycustompt.com. We highly recommend them and encourage you to visit them at 295 Madison Ave #1026, New York, NY 10017. --------- ▶ Follow us: https://twitter.com/RunnersOfNYC https://instagram.com/runnersofnyc ▶ Follow Chris twitter.com/ChrisChavez instagram.com/chris_j_chavez ▶ Follow Leigh Anne https://twitter.com/LeighAnneSharek https://instagram.com/wicked.la

Lucy Paez Stelzner of Distance Project NYC and We Run Uptown joins the Runners of NYC Podcast. On Instagram, she describes herself as a "Runner. Obsessive traveler. Public health advocate. Proud Latina. Reading nerd." Lucy is an emerging sub-elite in the New York City women's running community and has made an impact on the uptown running community. Lucy ran 2:58 at the 2019 Tokyo Marathon, which is a major improvement from the 4:29 that she ran at the 2009 New York City Marathon. We discuss how she's elevated her running talent to the next level, why she surrounds herself with fast women in a newly-formed women's running crew, how she motivates those in the uptown community and much more. She also shares why she ran the Tokyo Marathon in memory of Marquita Francique. --- GLOBAL RUNNING DAY – Mark Your Calendars! Join us on Global Running Day on June 5, 2019, as we celebrate running and encourage others to get moving. No matter how fast you run or how far you go, what’s important is that you have fun being active and inspiring others in the community to join you. Leigh Anne and Chris want you to pledge to run and join the Runners of NYC team to see how many miles we can stack up. It's simple. Visit globalrunningday.org/RunnersofNYC. Make the pledge and join the Runners of NYC team when you select your team name. Don’t forget to share your posts on Global Running Day by using #GlobalRunningDay and following @globalrunningday on Instagram. RUNNERS OF NYC LIVE On June 6th, we are hosting our first-ever live show. We're keeping the Global Running Day festivities going at Custom Performance. Jess Movold, who is a coach at Mile High Run Club and was most recently featured on the cover of Runner's World will share her running story with us. Check-in starts at 6:30 p.m. at 295 Madison Ave #1026, New York, NY 10017. Join the waitlist here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/runners-of-nyc-podcast-live-hosted-by-custom-performance-tickets-61866225546 ▶ Follow us: https://twitter.com/RunnersOfNYC https://instagram.com/runnersofnyc ▶ Follow Chris twitter.com/ChrisChavez instagram.com/chris_j_chavez ▶ Follow Leigh Anne https://twitter.com/LeighAnneSharek https://instagram.com/wicked.la