Thursday morning was all about rain in the Big Apple.
I took over Lyft Furnished quarters apartment East 69.
Fifteen minutes drive to New York Road Runners booth filled with New Yorkers watching a rainy day as the rain and wind reminded me of a hurricane hitting the Caribbean. I flashed back to Hurricane Katrina and Mayor Bloomberg’s announcement that the marathon was canceled. I shuddered and flashed back to 2025.
My attitude changed when I hit it NYRR bootha temporary structure for the Marathon weekend. The media is there, so is the entertainment.
Thursday’s event was called the NYRR Rising Star Shoe Distribution. Since 2016, New Balance and NYRR have distributed 56,600 pairs of New Balance running shoes to thousands of deserving young athletes in the New York metro area who want to run but may struggle to find running shoes.
350 students aged 8 to 16 participated in the event. NYRR Executive Director Rob Simmelkjaer began the 15-minute ceremony, talking to the kids at their level about getting new sneakers. Then there’s Nenna Lynch, president of the NYRR, a shining example of how New York metro athletes can go from being high school runners to becoming one of the most important running organizations in the world. New Balance Senior Vice President Tom Carleo spoke to 350 athletes and then presented: Sydney McLaughlin-LevronOne of the greatest athletes ever to wear a Team USA uniform (six world records in the 400-meter hurdles, American record (2 times) in the 400-meter dash, and a New Balance sponsored athlete.
I enjoyed talking to the young runners. They were excited to get new shoes and maybe meet an Olympian.
At this gathering, several things were discussed about imports. Rob Simelkjaer and Tom Carleo both noted that NYRR and New Balance have extended their long-term sponsorship deal. This deal isn’t just a sponsorship of the NYC Marathon, but New York Runner’s portfolio of event and cause sponsors shows the sophistication of the world’s largest privately held athletic shoe and apparel brand (aka New Balance, with $8.5 billion in sales).
I’m hung over NYRR Rising Star Shoe Distribution because I wanted to be inspired. It’s hard these days for someone like me to keep hammering home how fragile our precious Democracy is. However, on October 30th, I watched the next generation of our country smile and laugh with each other, from different ethnic groups, from different religious affiliations, from different economic backgrounds. In the 1950s and 1960s, we referred to the United States as the “Melting Pot.”
I saw the future of my country in the diversity that is manifested in the New York metro area as children come together and share the run, cross country and track. I was so proud to be an American.
At the #NYRR boothNenna Lynch, President of New York Road Runners, talks to RunBlogRun’s Larry Eder about the support NYRR does for over 100,000 kids in the New York metro area. On October 30 in collaboration with a partner #new balanceNYRR donated 350 pairs of New Balance shoes… pic.twitter.com/9oz9Vjg99Q
— RunBlogRun (@RunBlogRun) November 2, 2025
Nnenna Lynch, the chair of the New York Road Runners, gave me a great clip that I’m showing here. I wanted the Nnena I remember racing at Colgate Series, at Villanova and racing as a professional athlete. I was so proud to hear Nenna speak, leading the evangelism work of the New York Road Runners Council in running 24/7, three hundred and sixty-five days a year. Nnenna Lynch gets it. In the media capital of the world, Nenna Lynch does what a podium should do.
My last memory NYRR Rising Star Shoe Distribution it is very simple. Sydney McLaughlin-Levron spent some time with some of the high school athletes, giving them some tips on track and field. Sydney loves being with kids and I try to respect her. I finished a short video about Sydney McLaughlin-Levron hanging with young athletes.
On Thursday, October 30, 2025, this writer saw the present and the future. New Balance and New York Road Runners are building the sport, one pair of shoes and one new or one refurbished track and field at a time around the New York metro area.
Great experience in New York NEW: and: New balance builds the sport in New York and New Jersey.
Check out the continuation of this great experiment between NYRR and New Balance.
