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00:00:00
Kate Stevens: What's so cool about Fred's Team is you see all these people dressed in orange. I ended up running, I think the first 16 or 17 miles with some lady that I met that was wearing a Fred's Team shirt. And she had " Survivor" written across the back and I was like, " Oh my God, hi." And then we just spent that first mile going up the Verrazano Bridge. We were just chatting about our experiences at Sloan.
00:00:29
Rob Simmelkjaer: Hey everybody, and welcome to Set the Pace, the official podcast of New York Road Runners presented by Peloton. I'm your host, Rob Simmelkjaer, the CEO of New York Road Runners. We're a little busy this week at New York Road Runners and with me, always busy, my co- host Peloton instructor, Becs Gentry. What's up Becs?
00:00:49
Becs Gentry: Hi. Yeah, this is your Super Bowl. I am not as busy as anyone at New York Road Runners or New Balance or TCS at this time of year in New York.
00:01:02
Rob Simmelkjaer: Yeah. It's prime time. It's happening.
00:01:03
Becs Gentry: It's prime time, but all for amazing things. We're 10 days away from the big day when this comes out and I can't believe it. It actually feels like yesterday that we were teeing up for 2025 and now here we are.
00:01:19
Rob Simmelkjaer: The years fly by. They really do fly by.
00:01:22
Becs Gentry: The years fly by and it's such a special year. I think that's why I think this year has got extra joy and hype around it because it's the 50th anniversary of the five boroughs and there's just so much going on for you guys.
00:01:36
Rob Simmelkjaer: Yeah. And I'm really proud of the way that the city has embraced this anniversary. It really is a big deal. I think people recognize how much the five- borough marathon has meant to New York City. I can't tell you how many people have said to me it's the best day of the year in New York. And that's something that we started saying ourselves a few years ago and now I feel like the whole city says it because they know it's true. It is such an amazing day and we're so excited.
Now 10 days out is a time when an interesting thing starts to happen, Becs. That's just about when you can start to peek at a weather forecast.
00:02:13
Becs Gentry: I know, right? So true.
00:02:14
Rob Simmelkjaer: Your various apps start to give you those 10- day outs. And I try really hard not to look until say seven days out because 10 days is so far out with weather forecasting and it's not usually that accurate, but it's hard to resist taking that peek.
00:02:31
Becs Gentry: When I start to believe it is when on the weather forecast, it knows it's the TCS New York City Marathon and it will say, " Beautiful day to run a marathon." You're like, " Ooh, now I get the chills when the weather tells me it's going to be a beautiful day to run the marathon."
00:02:47
Rob Simmelkjaer: That's right. We hope that that's what they'll tell us this year.
00:02:50
Becs Gentry: It's looking good, Rob, right now. On the 10-day, it's looking okay.
00:02:53
Rob Simmelkjaer: Right now it feels okay. It feels like fall. We've had these beautiful crisp mornings the last week or two, which I'm so happy for our runners to have that. It's such a great feeling to go out and do your runs. We know you're all in your tapers now and whatnot, but man, it feels good to have that crisp fall air for a run in the morning.
00:03:13
Becs Gentry: And it's perfect because you start layered up so you're warm. This is a PSA, guys, bring your layers because it will be cold and you're not going to be moving around a lot when you're at Staten Island waiting in your corrals. It will get cold. So layer up, keep those muscles, keep those joints nice and warm with your clothes that you can donate at the start line. They all will go to good homes. Thereafter, nothing will be put in the trash. It is all donated. And then as you are running, the weather is also warming up. So if you want to keep, I love to keep gloves and a hat on. They're the last things that I will take off. I will take off my sleeve, my long sleeves. I will take off anything else, but my gloves and my hat will stay on until I'm really warm.
And I'll find a point on the course which you'll see guys along the course, there's bins and people where it says, " Throw your clothes here," sort of situation. So don't throw them on the course, throw them in the places. And it's just perfect. Then you finish and it's warm and you can sit and have a post- race treat in the park.
00:04:15
Rob Simmelkjaer: And you get that poncho too, so you can cover up with that as well.
00:04:20
Becs Gentry: Yeah, you can wrap yourself up like a turkey and get ready for Thanksgiving.
00:04:25
Rob Simmelkjaer: That was beautifully said. I love the way you painted that picture. I'm even more excited now for November 1st. Well, Becs, we talked about how special this year is. We have a lot of new things happening this year for the marathon because of the anniversary. We're going to have an amazing event at Grand Central Terminal the week before the marathon from Tuesday to Friday. You'll be able to go to Grand Central in Vanderbilt Hall on the 42nd
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Street side and have a little mini marathon over there. We're going to have a little miniature, very miniature five- borough course set up where whether you're running the marathon or just want to see what it might be like to run it, you can walk through the miniature version of the course. So make sure you check that out at Grand Central Terminal.
And Becs, this is something very exciting. One of the questions I've gotten most often since I got back to New York Road Runners is, when are you guys going to bring back the pasta party? There was a pasta party every year, including the first year I ran back in '97 at Tavern on the Green back in the day where-
00:05:29
Becs Gentry: That's where it was.
00:05:30
Rob Simmelkjaer: Yeah. And thousands and thousands of runners would come up and shovel in that carb load the night before the marathon. And it went away some years ago, I think going into COVID or maybe COVID took it out. Well, guess what, Becs? We're bringing it back, but better than ever because it is this year going to be held at the American Museum of Natural History. That's right. Where all the animals and the dinosaurs are.
00:06:00
Becs Gentry: You're having a pasta night at the museum.
00:06:01
Rob Simmelkjaer: We are having, exactly, pasta night at the Museum of Natural History. Saturday, October 31st from 5: 30 PM to 8: 30 PM, you get to go to the museum. Some of the exhibits will be open for you to check out a little bit, walk around. There's going to be great food. There's going to be great dessert.
00:06:25
Becs Gentry: Can you bring family and friends?
00:06:25
Rob Simmelkjaer: Yes, you can. You can go on our website, nyrr. org and purchase tickets for yourself and anyone coming with you. It's all you can eat, of course, as it should be for a pasta party the night before the marathon in the museum's food court with a variety of dishes to help you carb load. Lots of other marathoners of course will be there. There'll be gluten- free options and vegetarian options available as well. So check it out.
00:06:50
Becs Gentry: Do people have to dress up because it's Halloween?
00:06:53
Rob Simmelkjaer: That is entirely by choice, but I would say at the Museum of Natural History, there are many great costumes I can imagine one choosing to go with. And it's also a great neighborhood, Becs, with the trick-or-treating-
00:07:05
Becs Gentry: I was going to say, the trick- or- treating around there.
00:07:06
Rob Simmelkjaer: ... is on fire.
00:07:07
Becs Gentry: We took Tallulah there last year because I think we did something on Halloween last year in the
park, I think either with New York Road Runners or with Peloton. Anyway, I know I had to go to work. So we took Tallulah for trick- or- treating up in that exact area and boy, it was a party.
00:07:25
Rob Simmelkjaer: It's where the trick- or- treating along with the village is kind of most on fire. So definitely a fun night. So yeah, make sure you check it out again. You can buy tickets to that pasta party at the American Museum of Natural History on our website, nyrrr. org. Well, Becs, another thing that's special about this year's marathon, of course, is this huge charity fundraising goal that we have this year for the first time ever looking to raise $ 100 million for the over 650 charities that are a part of the official charity program of the TCS New York City Marathon.
Last week we talked to an incredibly inspiring charity called Back on My Feet. This week we want to bring you stories from the first official charity partner of the New York City Marathon, Fred's Team. They are the official running program of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. They've been around in this charity program since the very beginning. They've got the most entries by far. About a thousand runners will take on the marathon on November 1 running for Fred's Team. And they take their name from New York Road Runners' own Fred Lebow, who of course is one of the founding fathers of the New York City Marathon. He was treated for brain cancer there in 1991.
And Becs, when he was in remission in '92, that's when he ran his last New York City Marathon with the great Grete Waitz at his side. And as Fred and Grete ran past MSK at Mile 17, which we all still do, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center patients lined the sidewalks to hold up signs and his doctors ran out to hug him. And to this day, Fred's Team still has that incredible cheer zone at Mile 17. The Run Club, Fred's Team was founded in '95 following his death from brain cancer the year before. And Becs, since 1995, Fred's Team runners have raised $ 139 million to help with research on new cancer treatments. And we are so lucky today to be joined by a number of people running for Fred's Team, each of whom have their own unique cancer story.
00:09:42
Becs Gentry: Absolutely. And Rob, I think it is just unreal to me to see how far the charity has come since 1995 and to know that this year, 2026, more than 1, 000 Fred's Team runners will be on the start line on November the 1st, 34 years to the day after Fred and Grete ran together. And every single one of those runners is
going to have a story that will inspire you, make you cry, make you just live with more hope. And we have four on the show today which are utterly beautiful stories. So we're thrilled to bring them to you. And listeners, I hope that you are as excited as we are to cheer so loud for these 1, 000 runners, for their families and friends who will be at Mile 17, as well as all the other runners.
00:10:42
Rob Simmelkjaer: 100%. Let's get into it.
Shake Shack is proud to be the official burger of the TCS New York City Marathon for the third year and is bringing back Bibs for Burgers. Every marathon runner can enjoy a free Shack burger at any Shake Shack nationwide from November 1st to November 7th. It's our way of celebrating every mile, every cheer, and every finish line. To redeem, simply use your bib number in Shack. After 26.2 miles, you've earned it. For full redemption details, check your TCS New York City Marathon email or ask a Shake Shack team member when you visit.
00:11:20
Becs Gentry: Marathon Sunday is full of dreams. Runners are chasing a finish line. Small businesses along the route are hoping for a line around the block and New Yorkers are cheering them both on. As an official partner of the TCS New York City Marathon, MasterCard is too. MasterCard also helps keep businesses race ready with access to tools that identify cyber threats and simplify day- to- day payment operations, keeping your dream moving, priceless. For the business support behind it, there's MasterCard.
00:11:49
Rob Simmelkjaer: Hope Guzzle was 20 years old, a college student in New York City, when she was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer. She went home to Florida for surgery and two years later the cancer came back, this time stage 4. Hope wanted the best care she could find, so she started immunotherapy at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. And in the same stretch, she started law school at Fordham University. For two years, she had infusions every six weeks, dealt with nausea and brain fog, but kept up with her classes. Today, Hope is doing well. She's getting checked every three months and she graduates from law school in the spring. She never liked running very much. Now she says she loves it. And on November 1st, she's running the TCS New York City Marathon with Fred's Team to raise money for MSK and the doctors who saved her life. Hope, welcome to Set the Pace. An incredible story. We're so glad you're with us.
00:12:50
Hope Guzzle: Thank you all so much for having me. I'm so excited to talk to you guys.
00:12:52
Becs Gentry: Hope, what a story. I mean, just hearing the very brief overview there, you can already tell that you are so strong- willed and positive and just have so much grit behind you, which to me as a coach and a runner stands you in great stead to be a very strong runner. But let's talk about how you got here. 20 years old, you're at college in New York, finding out you have stage 3 colon cancer. I can't even imagine what went through your mind. Who did you turn to? Where was your head at when you got that news?
00:13:28
Hope Guzzle: So I was definitely really overwhelmed. I was lucky to have some family members come up when I was getting scoped. We didn't know exactly what was going to happen, but it's not generally great when your gastroenterologist calls you in for colonoscopy when you're 20. So I was lucky to have family to turn to in that moment.
00:13:49
Becs Gentry: You went back home to Florida for the surgery and cutting your college time immediately like, " Oh, I've got to get back home." And how did it feel to leave your home of New York in the middle of everything?
00:14:04
Hope Guzzle: I mean, it was pretty terrible. I was in the greatest city to ever exist, in my opinion, and I was taken out. It was devastating. I specifically had COVID hit during my freshman year of college and just the way New York had opened up, my junior year when I was diagnosed was the first quasi- normal semester we had had. So I was finally getting back into the swing of things with college and I was diagnosed and had to take the year off, which was pretty devastating.
00:14:31
Rob Simmelkjaer: So you have the surgery, you come back and find out it's back again, stage 4. Very scary, Hope. Talk about what you did then and your decision to start immunotherapy at Memorial Sloan Kettering.
00:14:48
Hope Guzzle: So I, once again, quickly went home, got surgery to deal with the cancer, but was told that unlike the time before I would be needing some form of treatment. There were a couple different options, but once again, I turned to my family and specifically my grandfather. He was a doctor and just loves to read every medical journal for fun in his retirement. And he had just heard about the amazing treatments that were being created and funneled through Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
And so he said, " No, we have to go up and at least try to talk to some doctors up there. They're revolutionizing your treatment and it's in New York." So we didn't know for sure if I'd be able to go to law school or not, just because usually
when you're getting cancer treatment, going to a law school is not an option. But he said, " At the very least, you can go up and visit your favorite city, hang out in New York." And we met with my amazing doctor, Dr. Cercek, and the rest is history. I found my amazing doctor, my amazing team, got this revolutionary treatment and was able to start law school.
00:15:57
Becs Gentry: Wow. It's true what they say. You lean on your elders and your grandfather was the exact right person. He's your angel right there to just guide you into this incredible treatment. So you did end up going to law school at Fordham at the same time when you were starting this immunotherapy treatment. But as you say, it's difficult. It's unfathomable, in my brain, to think about it.
00:16:25
Rob Simmelkjaer: And I just want to say, Becs, I'm in awe of this, okay? As someone who went through law school myself, I've been a 1L, Hope, so I know what that's like. And I cannot imagine going through cancer treatments and doing all of that outlining and the finals and everything you got to do to get through your first year of law school. How did you do that?
00:16:49
Becs Gentry: Yeah, how did you do it?
00:16:49
Hope Guzzle: So when I had cancer the first time, I had to really miss the entirety of my junior year. I was able to graduate on time by taking extra courses here and there, but I wasn't sure if I'd be able to do that and I had my life on pause. And that was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. It was harder than any of the treatments, harder than any of the surgeries, knowing that I was working really hard towards this goal. I knew I wanted to go to undergrad, study poli- sci, and then go to law school. And I wasn't able to do that. And that just mentally was a huge hurdle for me. And I knew I couldn't do it again. So I was going to try my very best to make it through no matter what. Also, when you're feeling sick and all you can do is lay in bed, it's a pretty good place to study. You don't have that many fun things to do instead.
00:17:39
Becs Gentry: I think you're in an anomaly of people who would say that. Most people are like, " Great place to watch Netflix." Wow, there's that grit.
00:17:48
Rob Simmelkjaer: That's pretty funny. I never thought of it that way. Yeah. So all right. Let's understand the running and where this came from, Hope. So you never liked running. I wouldn't think having colon cancer would suddenly make you want to run, but where did running come into the equation for you?
00:18:07
Hope Guzzle: So it really didn't for a while. I
had always loved working out. That was in college, something I had used as an outlet when I would have late nights studying, and I just really fell in love with it. And after I had started my treatment, I was really scared to start working out. I was already really fatigued. I was unable to move certain days as well as I wanted to, especially after my surgery. And after having abdominal surgery, I was also very scared to begin working out, risking a tear, even past the point where there was really any risk for that. So I didn't work out for basically all of my 1L, which I understand to be pretty common. And I realized that it was a very difficult experience. Losing an outlet that I had used throughout college and my life prior to law school, prior to getting sick was really difficult for me.
So I started doing low- impact workouts. I thought I might not be able to do the really high intensity of cardio that I used to love or anything like that, but I could probably pull off maybe a lower- level Pilates class, yoga, something a little slower, something that could still build muscle, help calm my mind. And I did that and it was so helpful. And I still love those workouts. They're something I look forward to every week, but I knew that I could maybe do something more. So I started to slowly add in other cardio, spin, cardio classes, the elliptical, but there was always a part of me that had wanted to start running. Every year I watched the marathon and I sobbed like a baby. I think it is so inspiring seeing people go and achieve their dreams. I love it. I cry really uncontrollably for hours. It's so moving to me.
And when I learned that there's an opportunity to run with Fred's Team to fundraise for MSK, the people who allow me to live a completely normal life while going through having stage 4 cancer in your 20s, I said, " Well, this seems like a perfect opportunity to do so." So I applied online, kind of assumed I wouldn't get it simply because I applied, I think, right before the deadline and also emphasized that I had no experience running, but they got back to me, gave me the opportunity, and here I am.
00:20:26
Becs Gentry: Oh, wow. So this year you're running, this is your first time running the TCS New York City Marathon. Mile 17 is the famous spot where there is Fred's Team cheer zone. How are you picturing running through that moment for you?
00:20:45
Hope Guzzle: Well, definitely a lot of tears, like I mentioned, I saw watching random strangers run the marathon. It's the fact that there are
all these people cheering for me, people I know, people from my team, but also people who I've never met before, but know why I'm running. That's so inspiring and I get to remind myself, and Mile 17 is where I tend to hit a wall, why I'm doing all of this and why this is my victory lap, why I'm going to finish.
00:21:16
Becs Gentry: Yeah. Is there somebody or a group of people perhaps who you're going to be thinking about when you cross that finish line?
00:21:24
Hope Guzzle: I think it's going to be my entire village, if you will, my family, my friends, my fiance, but then also the medical team that I have had put me back together again after this experience. I'm the one crossing the finish line, but it's 100% all of us crossing it because I wouldn't be here without any of them.
00:21:47
Rob Simmelkjaer: Yeah, absolutely. How's the training been going and how has Fred's Team helped? Because I know they offer a lot in terms of coaching and group runs and things like that.
00:21:59
Hope Guzzle: It's been amazing. I have learned, I've attempted run clubs. I am a solo runner. I love being on a team. I love having the Zoom calls to jump on, the group chats, the texting, but running with people feels a little bit too much like gym class for me and that is not what I'm looking for.
00:22:16
Rob Simmelkjaer: Hope, there is nothing wrong with that.
00:22:17
Becs Gentry: No, I feel you, girl. I'm the same.
00:22:17
Rob Simmelkjaer: Mostly a solo runner for most of my life, so I endorse 100%.
00:22:27
Hope Guzzle: But it's been so amazing having all their resources. I have never trained for a race before. The longest I had run before this was a run- walk of a turkey trot, I think in 2023. So having their various training plans and trying to do the most intense one and falling back to the second- most intense one was a really helpful resource and definitely a lot better than what I could have come up with myself.
00:22:51
Becs Gentry: Oh my gosh. Well, we are absolutely thrilled that A, you're here. B, that you don't hate running anymore, that you are going to be going through the five boroughs of the TCS New York City Marathon this year. Thank you for telling your story, sharing your story, and continuing to inspire people. We wish you all the best on November the 1st, Hope.
00:23:18
Hope Guzzle: Thank you all so, so much.
00:23:18
Rob Simmelkjaer: Good luck, Hope. Great talking to you.
00:23:23
Becs Gentry: Peloton has got something for whatever running mood you're in. Try instructor- led runs and walks that are built to fit into your routine with classes that help you stay consistent, build speed, and be in the moment. Track your metrics, see your progress, and train smarter. We've got it all to help you reach your goals and stay on track. Peloton, the official digital fitness partner of New York Road Runners.
Whether you're in NYC to run, cheer, or explore, planning your marathon weekend just got easier. With Get Your Guide, you can explore the five boroughs at your own pace, see more than the finish line with guided experiences in all five boroughs. And if your plans change, your booking can too with flexible cancellation options. Book today and enjoy later knowing that you have secured your spot, no bib required. Find tours, tickets, and activities in the Get Your Guide app now, the official travel experiences partner of the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon.
In 2007, Kate Stevens was five years old when she was diagnosed with acute monocytic leukemia, a form of AML. After rounds of chemotherapy at MSK Kids, doctors told her family, a bone marrow transplant was her only chance for a cure. They tested everyone, cousins included, and the perfect 10 out of 10 match turned out to be her four- year- old sister, Caroline. On November the 14th, 2007, Caroline donated her bone marrow and saved Kate's life. Today, Kate is 24, works as a clinic assistant and is interviewing for medical school. Caroline teaches third- graders in Harlem for Teach for America. This is their second New York City Marathon together with Fred's Team, and every dollar they raise goes to pediatric cancer research and support on the ninth floor of MSK. Kate, Caroline, it is such a pleasure to have you both here. Thank you for joining us today.
00:25:23
Kate Stevens: Thank you for having us.
00:25:24
Caroline Stevens: Thanks for having us.
00:25:24
Rob Simmelkjaer: And I have to say, Caroline and Kate told us they're huge Becs fans, so this is a big moment to meet Becs fans virtually. We love it when that happens. This is a really-
00:25:38
Becs Gentry: The least important part of the story.
00:25:39
Rob Simmelkjaer: No, no. It's very important. Kate, what a story. It's a beautiful story, both of you. What do you remember, Kate, from that time? Do you remember much? You were five years old.
00:25:53
Kate Stevens: Yeah. Yeah. I was very young, and I think that's a question that a lot of people ask, " How much do you remember?" And my answer is always, I remember a good amount because at the same time, that was my life, that was my childhood. So I don't really remember a life before cancer. And of course, like so many people know,
once cancer enters your life, it never really leaves. And so yes, I was diagnosed at five years old, but I've been dealing with a lot of cancer- related things even to this day. So I think when I think back to my time specifically on the ninth floor, I don't remember treatment details or all of the kind of smaller, maybe more medical things, but I remember slime night and bingo night and playing Barbies and playing Uno with nurses. And I just remember being a kid and that was my childhood. So yeah.
00:27:00
Becs Gentry: Wow, that says a lot about the team at MSK, that they managed to make what was probably the most terrible and traumatic time of your young life into memories of fun and laughter and games. Unreal, but we knew that. Caroline, you were just four when your sister was diagnosed and everybody in your family was tested to see if they were a match to help her. You were the one who were a 10 out of 10 match. Do you remember anything or did you comprehend anything as a four- year- old?
00:27:39
Caroline Stevens: To be honest, I don't think I comprehended how big of a deal it was. I knew that my sister was sick and that this was going to help her. I remember my parents kind of just saying that I needed to get a procedure done, and of course that was something that I wanted to do, and I was ready to help her at any second that I could in any way that I could. So I honestly, I don't remember much about the procedure, just being so young, but I do remember during it being told by my parents, " This is just a procedure and it's to help your sister." And that's when I was like, " Okay, whatever. I'll do it all." And I do remember as years passed, I started to understand how big of a deal it was to be a perfect match with her. And I mean, we celebrate it every year and every year as it goes on, I think it becomes more and more apparent in my mind how big of a deal it was and how life changing and a miracle it was.
00:28:45
Becs Gentry: Yeah, huge.
00:28:45
Rob Simmelkjaer: I have to think, I mean, that anniversary is a beautiful thing to celebrate. And how has that affected your relationship as sisters, brought you closer together? Kate, again, you were both so young, but when you look at your sister, you're looking at the person who saved your life.
00:29:06
Kate Stevens: Yeah. So Caroline loves me. We're a perfect sister duo in my mind. I think as we've both gotten older, my understanding of my treatment has also evolved a lot. So kind of getting to enter even adulthood together with knowing that
we had been through something like that is really special. And I find it fascinating also that my blood cells have her DNA. So literally she is a part of my body and it's a wild... Science is amazing and it's a wild thing to think about that she will always be in my body. She saved my life in many ways. And yeah, I owe it to her.
00:30:08
Becs Gentry: Okay. Let's go back to this incredible yet traumatic time on the ninth floor of MSK that you've already said was just a place of light for you as a five- year- old. And I'm sure Caroline, you probably spent a lot of time there too with your sister. Your doctor, Dr. Nancy Kernan, you still stay in touch to this day and you still send her Christmas cards. And tell us a little bit about her and why she's so important to you.
00:30:37
Kate Stevens: Yeah. So I had a lot of doctors, a lot of doctors at that time, and so there were a lot of people coming in and out, but Nancy is someone that will always be such a beautiful memory in my mind. And we are still in touch. And when I think about also the reasons why I want to go back into medicine, I can't help but think about all of the doctors like Dr. Kernan that just... She's dedicated her life to this. And I feel like I'm living proof of her career and her work and her dedication to such a cause. And our dad, every November 14th, which is two weeks post- marathon- ish, ever since my bone marrow transplant back in 2007, he sends cupcakes to the ninth floor, purple cupcakes, that's my favorite color. And we like to honor MSK and the people that made this possible. And so Dr. Kernan is one of those people. And yes, we're in touch. She's been definitely a mentor throughout the medical school process as well and thinking about the type of physician I want to be, but yeah.
00:32:02
Rob Simmelkjaer: Okay. I want to know whose idea it was to run the New York City Marathon together for Fred's Team. This will be the second year you've done it. So who came up with the idea for the first time and how did the other one react?
00:32:20
Caroline Stevens: I feel like I wanted to run it before Kate did. Would you say so, Kate? I feel like I did.
00:32:26
Kate Stevens: Okay. So Caroline's like a real runner. So Becs, like, Caroline is-
00:32:32
Caroline Stevens: Becs, I take all of your classes. I'm, like, obsessed. I hope you know that.
00:32:34
Kate Stevens: I do too.
00:32:37
Caroline Stevens: Every single-
00:32:38
Kate Stevens: But Caroline's like a legit runner.
00:32:39
Becs Gentry: Thank you both.
00:32:40
Caroline Stevens: I love (inaudible) .
00:32:43
Kate Stevens: We were following you during your seven marathon, seven days, seven continent.
00:32:47
Becs Gentry: Sorry about those hours.
00:32:50
Kate Stevens: Oh my God. We were sending stuff back and forth like, " Oh my God, she did it. She's in the next one," and all that. But yeah, so Caroline's an amazing athlete and played lacrosse at the University of Richmond. So she's certainly the athletic one, I would say.
00:33:05
Caroline Stevens: Don't sell yourself short. I feel like that's-
00:33:08
Kate Stevens: I mean, yes, but she-
00:33:09
Becs Gentry: You have her DNA now.
00:33:10
Kate Stevens: True.
00:33:10
Caroline Stevens: Technically, yeah.
00:33:10
Kate Stevens: Maybe that's why I decided to run a marathon. No. But I think for me, the marathon, when Caroline, she's obviously had an interest in long- distance running, and I think I've more had an interest in just doing things that test my body and doing things that at one point were not even... doing things that were really not... just wouldn't have been comprehensible at the time. And so I think I've liked to test myself in those ways, and especially running for Fred's Team. It's an honor. It is an honor. Wearing orange with them is a badge of honor.
00:34:03
Becs Gentry: Yeah, absolutely. Caroline, you teach third- graders in Harlem for Teach for America. I know at Peloton we have a lot of crossover with our teachers and we love our teachers here. Third- graders. I mean, I have an almost four- year- old. I can't even imagine teaching third- graders, but do they have any idea that aside from being their rockstar teacher that you're training for your second TCS New York City Marathon?
00:34:33
Caroline Stevens: So they actually, they do. I work in Harlem and we're right by Central Park, so I a lot of times will bring my running stuff to work because they have a school open late, so I'll change after work at the school and go out and run in Central Park. And a lot of them are in afterschool programs, so they'll see me running. And anyway, so they always get really excited when they see me running. And anyway, so I've explained to them what the New York City Marathon is and what it's about. I did tell them what I'm running for and they are very excited. They don't know miles because they know blocks in their minds, like city blocks. So we were trying to convert city blocks into how many miles that is, in 26 miles. But it's been really fun to have their support and they always ask me how my run was. They're like, " Are you going to win the marathon?" I'm like, " I don't know."
00:35:35
Kate Stevens: I love that.
00:35:37
Becs Gentry: Kids go through a certain age block where they're like, " Did you win?" My daughter, she threw a hissy fit the other week when I came home and let slip that I didn't win. She was like, "What?" (inaudible) .
00:35:49
Caroline Stevens: Exactly.
00:35:52
Becs Gentry: It's amazing. Oh my goodness.
00:35:54
Rob Simmelkjaer: Will you two run together, Kate and Caroline, or do you kind of do your own things in the race?
00:35:59
Kate Stevens: Okay, we're in very different waves. So Caroline is in or-
00:36:03
Caroline Stevens: Just a little.
00:36:04
Kate Stevens: Just a little. I think you're in what? Wave one and I'm in wave... Or is that wave or corral? I'm forgetting.
00:36:10
Caroline Stevens: I'm forgetting. I start at 9: 10. That's all I know. I don't know. What time do you start?
00:36:14
Kate Stevens: 10:40.
00:36:14
Caroline Stevens: You start at... Yeah.
00:36:16
Rob Simmelkjaer: Different waves.
00:36:16
Kate Stevens: We do not run together. Different waves. But I don't know. I remember also what's so cool about Fred's Team is... A lot of the things that are very cool about Fred's Team, but you see all these people dressed in orange. And so even in my wave, I ended up running, I think the first 16 or 17 miles with some lady that I met that was wearing a Fred's Team shirt. And she had " Survivor" written across the back and I was like, " Oh my God, hi." And then we just spent that first mile going up the Verrazano Bridge. We were just chatting about our experiences at Sloan and it's a community that's so special and it's a community of people who are wonderful, who have been brought together by less than wonderful circumstances. But I think just seeing all the Fred's Team runners is just such a... It's a motivator and you can find anyone to talk to.
00:37:22
Becs Gentry: Yeah, absolutely. And I think there's around a thousand, I think this year, of Fred's Team running. So to everyone listening, look out for those orange T- shirts, long sleeves, whatever you're choosing to wear and make sure you cheer. And Kate, I'm sure you remember it from last year, but are you ready to run through Mile 17 cheer zone?
00:37:45
Kate Stevens: I am. I'm excited. I'm very excited. I think last year it was really emotional. I think coming up First Avenue and looking at Sloan Kettering and seeing all of the fans and even doctors and nurses that I had known when I was being treated there and seeing them all cheering, it was really, really overwhelmingly beautiful. And I just feel like running with Fred's Team is the honor of a lifetime and just something I'm every day proud to do. So I'm excited for Mile 17. It's right when you need it most too. It's like let's go all the way.
00:38:30
Rob Simmelkjaer: Maybe you can get some of your kids as they're coming down through Harlem to come cheer you as well because you need it there too, Kate.
00:38:37
Kate Stevens: Yes. That's what I'm hoping for. Yes you do.
00:38:37
Rob Simmelkjaer: And Caroline. Yep.
00:38:37
Becs Gentry: Oh my gosh.
00:38:37
Rob Simmelkjaer: That's when you really start to need it.
00:38:45
Becs Gentry: We're so honored to know that you're both lining up for the second time this year with Fred's Team and good luck out there. Enjoy every step and I hope somebody captures the hugs between the two of you at the end when you both finish the race. And for me personally, thank you for taking my classes. I really appreciate that.
00:39:04
Caroline Stevens: Oh my gosh.
00:39:05
Kate Stevens: We appreciate you.
00:39:06
Caroline Stevens: This is so cool. (inaudible)
00:39:08
Becs Gentry: You've got to come into the studio when you're recovered. Come in.
00:39:10
Kate Stevens: Yes. Oh my gosh.
00:39:11
Becs Gentry: Be my guest.
00:39:12
Kate Stevens: We'll come in-
00:39:12
Becs Gentry: Just hit me up.
00:39:12
Kate Stevens: Yes, we will.
00:39:15
Becs Gentry: We'll organize it.
00:39:17
Rob Simmelkjaer: I love it. Thank you so much guys. Good luck on November 1. We'll be rooting for you.
00:39:21
Caroline Stevens: Thank you.
00:39:21
Kate Stevens: Thank you.
00:39:24
Rob Simmelkjaer: Sheena Lawrick played first base for Canada at two Olympic Games, Athens in 2004 and Beijing in 2008. In 2024, her four- year- old son Gus was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a rare cancer of the eye. Over eight months at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Gus went through chemotherapy and more than 10 rounds of anesthesia. Today, he has kept his eye and his vision and he's gone on more than a year without any sign of cancer coming back. Now Sheena, who lives in Chicago, may be an Olympian, but she never thought of herself as a runner. Nevertheless, here she is running her first marathon with Fred's Team this year, and she's also one of New York Road Runners' 2026 Team Inspire Runners. Sheena, great to have you on the show. Welcome to running.
00:40:18
Sheena Lawrick: Hi guys. Thanks for having me. Super excited to be here.
00:40:22
Becs Gentry: Sheena, let's jump in and talk about your incredible son, Gus. Early 2024, you and your wife, Servia, noticed a small cloudy reflection in Gus's left eye. Walk us through how noticing that to... That was a Thursday in Chicago, and then the following week you're
in New York, you're at MSK, and things are starting to move. Just talk us through how that all came about and what it was like.
00:40:52
Sheena Lawrick: Yeah, definitely one of the most scary times of my life. We had noticed Gus had been really tired. He'd been taking these long naps. As a three, four- year- old, you're kind of like, " Woo- hoo, nap time." But his naps would extend in through the night and into the day, and we just started to notice that he just wasn't himself. We did the due diligence that every mom does. We went to the pediatrician and then she referred us to ophthalmologists where the ophthalmologist was like, " Well, he definitely needs glasses, but there is something in his left eye that I can't get a good look at." I can remember being in that waiting room, she's like, " I'm going to send you to a retinal specialist." I had my daughter on my hip, she's two, and I'm trying to hear what she's saying. I was like, " What's happening here?" She put her arm on my shoulder and said, " I'm worried there's a tumor."
And your life just stops for a minute. It's just any time you hear a tumor, you automatically think cancer. And then when you're thinking cancer in the eye, you're also thinking, " Where has this spread? Has this spread? How bad is this?" So luckily, she got us into a retinal specialist Friday. He had to hold Gus down, looked in his eye with a little flashlight thing, turned to us, very matter- of- factly said, " I'm 80% sure this is what's called retinoblastoma. There's a tumor. I can see it. It's large. You need to get him in to a hospital."
So we panicked. We had kind of known going into all of this, there were a few things it could be. It could be retinoblastoma. It could have been an infection. It could have been anything else. And so we're kind of hoping against hope that it's the less serious of them all. We had done our research prior to this, and we knew that if he was saying it was retinoblastoma, we were going to immediately contact Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital and Cancer Center and try to get in there as soon as we could.
So they opened on Monday. My wife called. They were amazing at getting us in on the phone. They got us pushed through insurance. We made an appointment for Tuesday to see the doctor. I think we booked our flights Saturday or Sunday. We were booking our hotel as we were flying there with him. My family came to the rescue. Servia's family came to the rescue. They joined to take care of our daughter while we flew to New York with Gus, and
that Tuesday it was confirmed that it was in fact retinoblastoma. It was a large tumor. It was a grade E, which is actually very large. At that moment, I heard my wife's breath kind of leave her body because she had done a lot more of the research into this and grade E was not a good diagnosis from the beginning. So that's where we landed and we stayed there obviously. Dr. Abramson and his team gave us a 90% outlook as they could treat the tumor and save the eye. So Wednesday or Thursday, I think he went in for his first treatment. Whirlwind.
00:44:04
Becs Gentry: Yeah, I was going to say exactly that word, a whirlwind and a rollercoaster of emotions. But the outlying message I'm getting is MSK were, again, and this is a theme throughout every guest we've had on this show, angels.
00:44:20
Sheena Lawrick: Angels.
00:44:21
Becs Gentry: They were absolute angels getting you in with one call and understanding the severity of Gus's diagnosis and your need to get him treated quickly, but the 90% chance of getting it absolutely gone, that must have felt like somebody lifted this very sudden weight back off your shoulders a little bit.
00:44:47
Sheena Lawrick: Yeah. Luckily, we had a weekend to sit and stew and wonder, but we also had the weekend to do the research. And my wife, bless her heart, she read every possible publication she could. She still talks with Dr. Abramson about new publications and research studies. She's awesome. I can't... It's all above my head, but she did. It's very clear that he is the best in the world at this, and we were so extremely lucky to be a two- hour flight away, and it was no question where we were going.
00:45:18
Rob Simmelkjaer: Yeah. And I know that part of what Fred's Team raises money for in the marathon and all the work they do is to pioneer new treatments. And these doctors, Dr. Abramson, Dr. Gobin, who you had at MSK, they weren't just doctors. They pioneered these treatments. Talk about that and how you learned about what they were going to do, the prognosis. You told me it was pretty good, but what did it mean to have not just the doctors, but the people who created the treatments working on your son?
00:45:53
Sheena Lawrick: Yeah, exactly. I mean, that's the stuff you want to... When we're reading the publications, you're like, " I want this guy. I want the best in the world." And this is why Fred's Team is so important to me. I mean, what is it? Since 1995, over $ 139 million raised for studies like this that saved my son's eye and his life. Heck yeah, sign me up for however I can help be a drop in the bucket to that. It's so incredibly special, and that's why I'm doing this. That's why I applied to Fred's Team. I want to give back and help raise money. And the money obviously all goes towards cancer research, and this is the research that saved my son, and I consider it just truly an honor to be able to contribute to that in any way.
00:46:41
Becs Gentry: I love that. Let's talk about Gus himself, because from what I've read, he sounds like a complete trooper and a little positive ray of light. He had eight months of treatment, anesthesia more than 10 times, and just a constant stress on his body, but yet he fell in love with traveling to New York and being in the hotels and seeing his medical team and found his positive. So what are his favorite things about New York and who on his team does he still talk about?
00:47:15
Sheena Lawrick: He is a trooper. If I get a little emotional here, you got to forgive me. I will keep powering through, but anytime he comes up, it all comes out. I joke with my wife, I don't remember crying when he first got diagnosed. She cried, everybody else around us cried. I kind of went into a different mode, but it's now later, it's two years later that everything seems to be coming out of me. I think it was because of all the travel, we tried to make it fun. His family pitched in and got him a travel scooter, so anytime we got to go to the airport, he's got his luggage. It's like a scooter luggage. He's going through LaGuardia Airport on a scooter with his little bag. It's adorable. He loved that. He loved the hotel experience. He just thinks hotels are the coolest thing, like a little room to ourselves. Maybe it's because he gets to sleep in bed with us again. It's fun for him.
He loves his team at MSK. We love the nurses there, Jackie, Christina, Edith. I mean, all of them, he sees them and he knows what questions to ask. He knows, they're so good about giving him prizes when he does his eye drops, when he does the... He calls it the mask, going under anesthesia. They're so good about just making it a team effort for us. We always give him a prize if he does the mask when he does the mask, and they know his routine and they know what to expect, and I think they just helped make the experience for him as doable as possible.
And this is a quick little story. I mean, it's amazing. One of our first trips to New York in the hotel we went to on a random Tuesday, the woman at the desk knew nothing about us, but she saw me and Gus
and she's like, " I'm going to put you guys, you're getting an upgrade today." And we're like, " Okay, that's kind of cool. Whatever, an extra bed or something." She sent us to the penthouse in this hotel, 3, 000 square feet. That was maybe our third trip. So now Gus, anytime we go, 3, 000 square feet in New York is insane. He had a view of Central Park. He got to take a bubble bath with a view of Central Park. So now he thinks that this is a possibility every time. So I think the anticipation of that is really fun, but it was just a nice kindness from a stranger act that we will forever remember. So I think he thinks New York is full of fun surprises if he goes through some hard things.
00:49:31
Becs Gentry: Yeah, makes sense.
00:49:31
Rob Simmelkjaer: Yeah, that's beautiful. How's he doing now?
00:49:32
Sheena Lawrick: He's great. Yeah. The cancer shows or the tumor shows no sign of regrowth for, I think it's over a year and a half now. It's dead. Dr. A has like, " We've beaten this thing. We've kicked it while it's down. It's not coming back." So that makes my heart calm. I mean, sometimes you still have moments where you worry about your kids, but yeah, he's doing great. He's in kindergarten, he's thriving, he's living a normal little life as a kindergartner, and that's all we've ever wanted for him.
00:50:06
Becs Gentry: Yeah, exactly. That's the goals. All right, let's talk about you because you've got some accolades to your name here. As we said, you've played for Canada, two Olympics, Athens and Beijing. Your national team coach called you one of the team's emotional leaders. So when it comes to fitness, you've done a lot for your country, you've hiked the Inca Trail, you've done years of competitive CrossFit. You'd rather pick up heavy things and put them down than run, but here you are. Here you are standing on the precipice of the TCS New York City Marathon 2026. What has been the hardest part of becoming a runner for you?
00:50:51
Sheena Lawrick: Good question. Yeah, I think not loving running, but having it be such a challenge. I think in my adult life now being 43, I love challenges and I know I'm at my best when I'm working towards something and I can challenge my body in some way, and having the marathon be something that I never ever thought I would do, it planted a seed in my brain of I can do this. Gus went through something hard. I can do something hard for him that's going to benefit everybody. And yeah, it's been tricky. I'm not going to lie. I've kind of learned to fall in love with it. I
think having the time to myself too, to be able to leave the house when it's crazy and go and get... I started with three miles and I was like, " This is enough, 30 minutes of running." But every time I did those 30 minutes-
00:51:44
Rob Simmelkjaer: Unfortunately, it is not enough.
00:51:46
Sheena Lawrick: No, it's not going to be enough. Every time I did those 30 minutes, I felt a sense of accomplishment and then I did 40 minutes and then it was like, I remember my first time I ran seven miles. I was like, " The marathon is four more of those. There's no way." And then I didn't want to tell myself there wasn't a way because there is always a way and you always have a choice. So I kept at it and as I kept doing it, again, I think the sense of accomplishment, every run is like a PR for me, and maybe that's a egotistical way of looking at it. I just want to go out and feel better about myself. But I did, and I do love it now, and it'll definitely be a part of my life past the marathon as well.
00:52:27
Becs Gentry: That's so good to hear.
00:52:27
Rob Simmelkjaer: I love listening to this because it really does take me back, a way back. My first marathon, Sheena, was in 1997, a very long time ago. But I remember those same thoughts like, " Wow, I just did seven. I've got to do that close to three more times." But then what's even more fun is to look back and to think when you've done the 18- mile run, the 20- mile run, whatever your longest training runs are, to think about how far you just came and what that means. The one moment I'll never forget is the first time I flew into New York City after the marathon, and I could see the whole course from Staten Island all the way through Brooklyn and the Bronx and everything I'd done. It's like, "Whoa, I ran that." It's an incredible feeling, so maybe you'll get that opportunity when you're flying back to Chicago.
00:53:21
Sheena Lawrick: Love it.
00:53:22
Rob Simmelkjaer: How does Gus feel about your running? What's his take on it?
00:53:26
Sheena Lawrick: He's been pretty encouraging. There's times in the morning when I have to get up, he's like, " Are you going for your morning run?" He doesn't want me to leave the house, and I always give him a hug and I tell him I'm running for him. And he tells people that I'm going to be running all over the world, which I think that's what it's going to feel like. No, just New York City, buddy. But he's excited. He knows that he's getting that medal as soon as I finish. It's going right around his neck. I told him he's earned it, and when we do hard things, there's usually a reward at the end of it, and I'm just the one that I get to go get it for him. So he's very excited about that.
00:54:03
Becs Gentry: Oh my goodness. Well, Sheena, I think you've made every parent out there shed a tear of both a little bit of stress, but also hope as well. So thank you for sharing yours and Gus's story with us today and for running with Fred's Team. It is going to be an absolute joy to see you complete it and to see Gus with that medal shining around his neck from his mom. So have the best day out there. We can't wait to cheer you.
00:54:32
Sheena Lawrick: Thank you guys.
00:54:34
Rob Simmelkjaer: Hope to see you at the finish line, Sheena.
00:54:36
Sheena Lawrick: Thank you.
00:54:36
Rob Simmelkjaer: I'm going to be tracking you. Good luck.
00:54:37
Sheena Lawrick: All right, sounds good.
00:54:38
Becs Gentry: Mike Kloepfer didn't run his first marathon until he was 42 years young. That was the 1996 New York Marathon. Since that first marathon, Mike has completed a total of 117 marathons, including 83 world marathon majors. He has run the Boston Marathon 27 times in a row, making him one of only about 117 active quarter- century members in the world for Boston. And this November the 1st will be his 30th New York City Marathon in a row.
Two years after his very first race in 1996, Mike joined Fred's Team, and he and his team have now raised more than a million dollars for cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. This year alone, Mike's team has raised $ 227,320 so far, which is the third- highest total of all of Fred's Team. In 2024, after more than 25 years of raising money for MSK, Mike was diagnosed with a melanoma and became a patient there himself. He had surgery, he's in complete remission, and he's still running. Mike, welcome to the show today.
00:55:57
Mike Kloepfer: Thank you very much. Pleasure to be here.
00:55:59
Rob Simmelkjaer: Mike, your story's incredible. What started this? How did this all happen? When you ran your first marathon here in '96, how did that turn into 117 marathons?
00:56:14
Mike Kloepfer: I guess I got the bug, but I ran-
00:56:17
Rob Simmelkjaer: I guess so, yeah. I think that's fair to say.
00:56:18
Mike Kloepfer: I always thought I should run one before I'm 40 years old and too old to run one. I didn't accomplish that because I started at 42, but I ran the New York City Marathon that year and I had a goal of just finishing, right? And I thought, " Well, if I break four hours, it's good." We didn't have chips back then,
so the gun went off and it took me 10 minutes to get to the starting line. I'm like, " Oh my gosh, my first mile shows 18 minutes." So I was concerned, but I accomplished those goals and I finished and I told my wife, " You wouldn't believe what I saw on these five boroughs and the spectators. It was just out of this world. I felt like I'd won a gold medal." I said, " We're going to come back here every year, the rest of my life, as long as I can run." And knock on wood, so far I'm staying true to that.
00:57:08
Becs Gentry: Oh my gosh. Wow. Well, we're very happy that you continued that incredible feat for 30 years this year. Let's talk about 1998 coming around two years after your first marathon. How did you end up on Fred's Team?
00:57:26
Mike Kloepfer: Back then, it was the only charity associated with the marathon, and they sent a postcard to everyone that got into the marathon, " Hey, you want to run?" I thought, " Well, it'd be a good..." I didn't have any cancer story in my family, fortunately, but I though, " This is a good cause, put the miles to good usage." And I thought, " I'm not really good at asking people for money." So that was really hard because back then it was licking stamps and mailing letters to people and they'd mail you a check. And today it's a lot easier when you can just hit send. So that's how I got started.
00:58:01
Rob Simmelkjaer: That's really interesting, Mike, that story. So you were already in, you got in through the drawing or something like that, and then they reached out and asked you to raise money. So you were what we would now call an altruist, which is someone who didn't get in through the charity. You already got in and then you raised money.
00:58:21
Mike Kloepfer: Yes. And to become a streaker, which I'm very appreciative to NYRR for continuing that program, Rob, there were times when I didn't get in the lottery or the drawing, and that helped me keep that streak going.
00:58:38
Rob Simmelkjaer: Amazing.
00:58:38
Becs Gentry: Absolutely amazing.
00:58:41
Rob Simmelkjaer: So the marathons just kept coming and coming for you, Mike, and how did you find that changed you as a person, as a runner too, to run so many marathons, over 100 marathons over 80 world marathon majors?
00:58:59
Mike Kloepfer: I never had a goal of a certain number. I mean, I wanted to keep New York going and I wanted to keep Boston going every year. Those were important, but it just kind of crept up on me. And then somewhere along the line, when I'm beating up a couple, 300 people every year to get into their
checkbooks for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, it gave me an opportunity to connect with those friends and family once a year. They knew they were going to get an appeal, and there's some emails back and forth. So it changed my life in a sense that I'm still keeping in touch with all those people, and it's a wonderful cause. MSK does a phenomenal job.
00:59:42
Becs Gentry: It truly does, and that's a really lovely way of looking at it, that you get to keep those relationships thriving year after year because of this, instead of it being a burden. Mike, you'd spent 25 years, more than actually, raising money for Memorial Sloan Kettering. Take us to the day when you were in New York. You were, if I'm correct here, running a half- marathon. You actually had your biopsy results as well that day, you learned that it came back positive for melanoma. Just talk us through that day and how everything is interconnected in a way.
01:00:16
Mike Kloepfer: So I was in New York for the NYC half and it happened to be St. Patrick's Day that year, March 17th. And I got the call from San Francisco and I got ahold of right away one of my friends, he's an oncologist at Sloan Kettering and I've paced him in the race five times previously. And he said, " Hey, give me all the emails, all the reports." And I did that. And then the next morning I had a phone call from him and he said, " Hey, call this doctor. He's the head of the melanoma oncology department at Sloan Kettering. He's expecting your phone call."
So I called the guy and he said, " Mike, where are you?" I told him I'm on the Upper West Side. He said, " When are you going back to San Francisco?" I said, " Tomorrow, Tuesday." And he said, " Well, problem is I'm out at our hospital in Westchester County today." And I said, " Doctor, it doesn't make a difference where you are. You just tell me what time and where to be and I'll be there."
And I went and made my way up to Westchester County and they put me in a machine that is kind of like when you go through TCS at the airport, but it's a huge orb and you're standing there with nothing on and in three seconds it takes images and it blows them up of every single freckle, every spot in your entire body in three seconds. And then they gave me a thumb drive to bring back to San Francisco. And now it's all AI. You can go stand in that machine again for three seconds and it doesn't take the human eye. The AI will tell you this freckle's larger, you have an additional freckle, you have a spot here. It does the whole report for you. It's just amazing.
01:01:56
Becs Gentry: My gosh. I feel like everybody should have that. That is unreal. Oh my gosh. So you chose to delay your surgery, correct? So you could keep your Boston streak alive, which I'm not laughing. It's a morbid situation, but at the same time I'm smiling because I'm a runner and I get it.
01:02:18
Mike Kloepfer: Well, the doctor, I said, " Could I delay?" And he said, " Why would you want to do something like that?" And I said, " Well, the Boston Marathon." And he said, " So?" They're like, " Who cares about the Boston Marathon?" I said, " It's the only opportunity I'm going to have in my life to do 25 in a row on this run." It was going to be my 25th. I said, "I won't be around in another 25 years."
01:02:39
Rob Simmelkjaer: Wow.
01:02:41
Becs Gentry: And he understood. I love that.
01:02:46
Rob Simmelkjaer: So how is it going? How has it been going with the treatment and talk about your experience with MSK? Yeah.
01:02:54
Mike Kloepfer: Well, MSK is, I can't say enough good things about MSK and opportunities that they provided for me. But as a result, I have lymphedema and I didn't even know what lymphedema was, but they remove lymph nodes and my leg won't drain. So I use basically those Normatec boots, but it's a fancier thing. And I elevate my leg and I pump it for one hour every night to get the fluids to drain out of the leg. And it works fine. I'm just older and slower, but I'll use any excuse I can get.
01:03:29
Rob Simmelkjaer: How has being a cancer patient yourself changed your perspective on all this time running for Fred's Team and the work that Memorial Sloan Kettering does?
01:03:40
Mike Kloepfer: Well, for me, it's a disease that's touched most families. And if it hasn't been your family, it's a friend or a neighbor, and it can happen to the healthiest of people. It could happen any time. I see a really good friend from Westchester County who is really healthy and he was diagnosed two years ago with pancreatic cancer and eight weeks later he's gone. I am truly blessed and grateful for every single day and for the care that I've received and for the friendships that I've made along the way. And both of that's because of NYRR and also Sloan Kettering.
01:04:30
Becs Gentry: Yeah. And I can imagine you've run past the Fred's Team cheer zone at Mile 17 for almost 30 years. And I'm sure this is a difficult question to answer with that in mind, but do you have a year that was a moment you can't forget running through Mile 17?
01:04:49
Mike Kloepfer: I think probably the
biggest was I planned it to my hundredth marathon would be the TCS New York City Marathon in 2019. And that was just a huge celebration. And to see those kids out there, they're out there struggling for their lives and they might have the IV drip in their arm and they're counting the number of high- fives they can get from the runners. And it's hard to go by and not cry and not feel how fortunate we really are.
01:05:21
Rob Simmelkjaer: Yeah. I don't know if you know this, if we've talked about this, but the last time I ran the New York City Marathon was with Fred's Team in 2013. And I ran it because I'd had an aunt, my only aunt who passed away from cancer a little bit before that. And it was such a great experience, not only raising money for the great cause that Memorial Sloan Kettering is, but just the experience you get running for Fred's Team. They do a great job creating a sense of community. I had a great group of people that I ran with, some of whom I'm still in touch with. And the whole experience was great. It's one of the reasons I think I had a good day that day. It was my PR for a long time in the marathon until I ran Berlin a couple years ago in 2013. But just talk about the experience of running with Fred's Team. I don't know how much you're able to train with them because I think you're out of town, but what's it like to actually run with Fred's Team?
01:06:25
Mike Kloepfer: Well, I've kind of grown up with it because when I started in 1998, I think we probably had 100 runners and afterwards we would all gather at a sports bar on Central Park South for a beverage and a massage. And that was called Mickey Mantles at the time. And that was our big greeting. And Fred's Team had to decide if we morphed now to two busloads of runners from one bus. Well now, as you know, it's 1, 000+ runners coming up next week and it's grown quite a bit, certainly with all of the support with NYRR. And I think it's maybe the second- largest charity now next to Team for Kids.
01:07:09
Rob Simmelkjaer: That is correct. That's right.
01:07:11
Mike Kloepfer: And the numbers are very different, but Fred's Team is very fortunate. I mean, we'll raise over $ 10 million with these 1,000+ runners. And I have made so many friendships over the years with these people and I stay in touch with them all year long. And when I travel around the country, I'm welcome in their homes to stay with them and take a run with them. And it's changed my life. There's a lot worse midlife crisis's.
01:07:43
Becs Gentry: Absolutely.
01:07:44
Rob Simmelkjaer: Yeah.
01:07:44
Becs Gentry: Well, Mike, thank you so much for joining us today and sharing your story. And thank you for the years and years of fundraising. I can't wait to cheer you on for your 30th TCS New York City Marathon this year. So have the best day out there and everybody running it, make sure you high- five the Fred's Team at Mile 17.
01:08:06
Mike Kloepfer: Great. Thank you both for what you do.
01:08:08
Rob Simmelkjaer: Good luck, Mike. Thank you for everything. Appreciate you. Good luck with your recovery as well.
01:08:13
Mike Kloepfer: Appreciate it.
01:08:13
Rob Simmelkjaer: Well, Becs, that does it for another episode of Set the Pace. Man, I'm so glad that we had a chance to speak to those incredible people, hear about their experience with Fred's Team, their experiences with cancer. That is exactly what we had in mind, Becs when we thought about trying to set this milestone of $ 100 million in charity fundraising for the marathon this year. And I'm so proud of all of our charity partners for bringing these incredible people to become part of TCS New York City Marathon Weekend.
01:08:51
Becs Gentry: Yes, absolutely. We want to send a big thank you to our guests from Fred's Team, Mike Kloepfer, Hope Guzzle, Kate and Caroline Stevens, and Sheena Lawrick.
01:09:03
Rob Simmelkjaer: If you like this episode, make sure you subscribe, rate, leave us a comment. It's great to have you with us. Enjoy the miles. For those of you running, not so many miles. Enjoy that taper and we will see you marathon week next week.