Runners of NYC is relaunching. We're changing up the format — fewer studio sit-downs, more conversations out in the wild across the five boroughs — and we're thrilled to welcome Patryk Odedina as our new co-host. Same mission of surfacing the untold stories behind NYC's running culture, with a fresh approach to how we tell them. More soon.

First...Meet Patryk.

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"I was at the gym one day, doing the typical dude thing — asking my neighbor Kenny what he was working on. Chest? Back? Arms? He just looked at me, straight-faced, and said: 'Five or six miles on the treadmill.' I swear, I had never heard someone say something like that in my life. And Kenny's not some lean guy — he's a husky dude. So I'm standing there like, what is he talking about? Then he tells me he's training for the New York City Marathon. That's all I needed. I thought, if Kenny can do it, I can do it."

Patryk Odedina is a Bronx-based runner who picked up the sport at 29 after a gym conversation with his neighbor Kenny, and has since completed all six World Marathon Majors while chipping nearly 90 minutes off his debut time.

Background:

– Born in Poland, raised in the Bronx from age 3. Polish mother, Nigerian father.

– Played basketball at Lincoln High School (the one in Yonkers) and Lehman College. No running background.

– Spent six-plus years in tech sales

The origin story: Late 2018, lifting weights in a Harlem gym, his neighbor Kenny mentioned he was training for the NYC Marathon. Patryk had never heard anyone say something like that out loud. He signed up for the 2020 race through Team for Kids before knowing what a 5K was.

Marathon résumé:

– 2020 NYC (virtual): 4:40. Ran the actual route solo in the rain; mom as support crew.

– 2021 NYC: ~4:57. The 50th anniversary edition.

– 2023 London: 3:58. Finally cracked sub-4 on his fourth attempt.

– Six Stars: NYC → London → Berlin → Tokyo → Boston → Chicago. Wore a Yankees singlet in Boston.

– 2026 Jersey City: 3:09. Now chasing sub-3.

Beyond the race: Associate board member of the Bronx Burners, a 501(c)3 that has distributed $100K+ in college scholarships to Bronx youth. Creator of the Run Clubs of NYC video series — 49 NYC clubs and counting.

This is Runners of NYC. A podcast from CITIUS MAG. You can catch the latest episode of the podcast on iTunes so subscribe and leave a five-star review. We are also on Spotify. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter | @RunnersOfNYC

Email any comments, feedback or possible sponsorship ideas to runnersofnyc@gmail.com

“What I love about being out here and doing this is that I didn’t think it was accessible. I didn’t think I was going to run sub-3. Why would I think that? That’s crazy. But what I’ve been able to do is inspire people, which I wasn’t trying to do but I feel good about that. I just want us to all feel – especially Black American women – that we can do that. I started because I wanted to train and get faster. There’s nothing stopping anyone from doing that.”

My guest for this episode is Erica Stanley Dottin, who is a mother of two, a wife and runs with Black Roses NYC. She is a producer and also works as the Tracksmith New York City Community Manager. At 48 years old, she just ran 2:52:05 for a huge personal best at the Berlin Marathon. The time makes her the 25th Black American woman to break three hours in the marathon since 1973. It’s a list that started being tracked by Ted Corbitt and is now kept by his son, Gary. We discuss her running career from her sprinting days at Georgetown to what called her to the marathon. What started off as a fun hobby for herself in the mid-2000s, she eventually found the Black Roses and coach Knox Robinson in New York City which elevated her training. We talk about how she managed to do it all and the inspiration she serves to other women in her community.

You can follow Erica on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/estanleydott/

This is Runners of NYC. A podcast from CITIUS MAG. Host Chris Chavez looks to bring you many of the untold stories behind luminaries and legends that make up New York City’s running culture. You can catch the latest episode of the podcast on iTunes so subscribe and leave a five-star review. We are also on Spotify. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter | @RunnersOfNYC

Email any comments, feedback or possible sponsorship ideas to runnersofnyc@gmail.com

Music for the show is by Future Generations. Podcast artwork by Kyle Klosinski.

“It’s refreshing because I spent quite a long time in my career thinking about being in the top 1%. Being able to pull back and realize that there is this joy and enjoyment that people have to go out…They may not have a reason to get up other than to be with some other people or have time for themselves in the chaotic space that is New York. It was nice to engage with running in a different way. That’s why it brings me a refreshment and a perspective that there are so many different stories and reasons why people are doing this and it doesn’t always have to be about making it to the very upper echelon.”

For this episode, we welcome Rebeka Stowe. She is a hell of an athlete and has qualified for the U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships seven times in her career, including the 2012 Olympic Trials in the steeplechase. She is a former Big 12 Conference champion while attending Kansas. She trained professionally for some time with the New Jersey-New York Track Club under legendary coach Frank Gagliano. He is just one of the handful of great coaches that she has surrounded herself with throughout her career, which has played a major role in her own coaching of all levels including high school. She's someone who has led so many people through their own running ups and downs because she cares about the person before the performance and you''ll learn why. She leads runs on Monday evenings out of As Is NYC in Hells Kitchen so if you're feeling inspired after she shares her story, join her for a run out of there.

Follow Rebeka on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebekastowe/

This is Runners of NYC. A podcast from CITIUS MAG. Hosts Zac Price and Chris Chavez look to bring you many of the untold stories behind luminaries and legends that make up New York City’s running culture. You can catch the latest episode of the podcast on iTunes so subscribe and leave a five-star review. We are also on Spotify. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter | @RunnersOfNYC

Email any comments, feedback or possible sponsorship ideas to runnersofnyc@gmail.com

Music for the show is by Future Generations. Podcast artwork by Kyle Klosinski.