Let‘s_Get_Uncomfortable

As a DJ, Charlie Dark MBE has traveled the world bringing people together on the dance floor. Getting people to find community through movement has always been his passion, whether as founder of the Urban Poets Society, a mentor for Bikestormz, through Bridge the Gap, and certainly with his London-based running group Run Dem Crew. Run Dem Crew was born out of his burnt-out from the music industry, when on Christmas Day 2006, Charlie decided to go for a run. Fast forward to 2024, and Run Dem Crew continues to transform running by encouraging the vulnerable and outsiders to take up space in running. "It's a sport not just for the professionals, elite or fast runners," as he describes it, "but also for those who run marathons in over five hours, because there, that's where you see the will power to and inner strength."

Tom O'Keefe started his non-profit Stride for Stride in 2018, and to date the group has secured bibs for over 500 runners into the New York City, Boston and Miami marathons, the NYC Half, the Falmouth Road Race in Cape Cod and many other races across the country. The bibs to date, are over $138,000. With $54,000 this year alone, when the yearly average is $46,000 a year. Tom stumbled into running by having a very popular twitter account dedicated to Boston. From his experience, he recognized that a major hurdle to running is financing, and that has become his motivation for running. Stride for Stride creates a space for minorities, immigrants, and low income people to find themselves in the frontline of races. Running helps build communities, and it's that community that now will support Tom as he waits for a kidney transfer.

In the first episode of season three, the Chinatown Speed Kooks join the show for a behind-the-scenes look at The Speed Project. If you've never heard of TSP, it's an unsanctioned and unsupported race from the Santa Monica Pier to the Las Vegas sign. Sebastian Chiu and Let's Get Uncomfortable cohost Jaime Chien break it down the planning, financing, and running logistics, with a surprise visit from a special guest -- and a full action plan for how to escape a desert dog mafia.

Today we step off the track to go behind the scenes into the business of running with Sol Rivera and Alex Felicier of Race the Bronx. Proud Bronx residents, Sol and Alex give us an inside look at how and why they bring races to their borough, which has the worst health rating of any county in New York State. They’re on a mission to make running races affordable and inclusive, and we’re along for the ride.

Art and running have a lot in common. Depending on your social connections or access to the outdoors, they can both be exclusive clubs. For Nacho Valle, the founder of Snake Run and volunteer/coach with Achilles International, art and running are about inclusion. On the latest episode of Let’s Get Uncomfortable, the Valencia, Spain, native shares his love for art and how it changed his perception of the world while growing up in an art gallery thanks to his father. That same passion for color, beauty, and heartbreak then led him to running and exploring the world. From being a guide for runners with disabilities in Spain, London and now New York, it’s all part of his master plan to blend all his passions, and ultimately open doors for others.

While attending Tilden High School in Brooklyn, Kim Rodrigues ran the 600-, 800-, and 1,200-meter dashes, and the 400-meter hurdles, mainly to stay out of trouble. Years later, as she celebrates her 57th birthday with 15 marathons under her belt and more to come, she reflects on how running not only set her on the right path in fitness, but also helped her manage bouts of depression. Kim has become a premier fixture in the New York City group running scene, but she continues to find solace in the internal nature of the sport. Join us to hear how Kim is redefining expectations for master’s runners—and doing it with an unmatched sense of style—on the first 2022 episode of the Let’s Get Uncomfortable running podcast.

Mitchell Silver’s drive and determination is the kind of story that inspires generations. The kid from Brooklyn who dropped out of high school after just two years, made his way back to earn degrees in architecture and urban planning, the first black president of the American Planning Association to then become New York City Parks Commissioner. His road had many turns and valleys, and deeply marked by the his mother's death at a young age, and the death of his brother and best friend Sam as an adult. His legacy as a runner and Parks and Recreations Commissioner will be felt for generations to come. His goal at the helm of the agency was to make public spaces more equitable. His decision to rename the Central Park loop after Ted Corbitt, the co-founder of New York Road Runners and its first and only black president is one of the many outdoor spaces he renamed under his tenure. Silver is training for the Chicago and New York City marathons in 2021, and memories of running with Harlem Run and the diverse NYC running community is what keeps him going.

The foundation for why Resident Runners was started in 2013 is pretty simple: three men who enjoyed each other's company, getting together for run and then grabbing a beer. In 2021 the bond between Rashaan Rogers, Eric Blevens and Raymond Hailes is stronger than ever, a global pandemic and fatherhood during social unrest would do that. Because now as fathers, they understand the impact of their contributions in running will have for their children, on and off the course. Whether it is supporting a local business like Gueros for their taco runs, collaborating with other crews under the Under Armour family, and hosting the best after party for the New York City marathon. Were you there when Method Man performed? or Jadakiss? Or Busta Rhymes? IYKYK

When Leland Yu found himself unemployed due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, he decided it was a good time to start running. Then Asian hate crimes became a byproduct of the pandemic, and Leland saw running as the best tool to raise awareness against Asian hate crimes. Running also became an outlet to support the businesses in Chinatown and essential workers. With the help of running coach Kai Yu, Leland went from being comfortable at running 5 miles, to one day running 61 miles in 12 hours and raising $25,000 for Chinatown businesses. You can catch them every Monday night with their new group, Run for Chinatown.

Everyone has a different origin story for why they started running. For Gerardo Rodriguez, it was the death of a former student to cancer at just 24 years old. Gee aka El Oso Blanco then decided to turn his own life around and dive into running. It was 2015, and he has not looked back. The founder of the WEPA run crew in Queens, now has the 2017 NYC Marathon and multiple half marathons on his running resume. On our latest episode, he discusses sharing the running journey with his students, creating the Queens Running Collective, and never letting the naysayers get the last laugh.

Listening to Cesar Argueta Jr. and Michelle Mendoza of TriLatino Triathlon Club, you can't help but be just as passionate as they are in their efforts to create access to the triathlon disciplines. We know that financial barriers can limit access to sports, but TriLatino is unfazed at the prospect of helping their members excel at running, biking and swimming. Their Bronx, New York-based nonprofit was founded in 2009, and the mission to bring minorities into triathlons is stronger than never. The Covid pandemic has exposed the lack of resources in many communities, and at a time when mental health is finally grabbing headlines, the importance of physical activity for all is a life changer for individuals, families and communities.

Like many leaders, Nguyen Thi Minh Huyen was catapulted into activism by life. When she returned to Berlin in 2018, there were no running groups where she found Asians or other minorities. Huyen wanted to create the same energy and community that she experienced in New York City, and teamed up with ex-pat Daniel Medina to form WayvRunKollevtiv. Leadership has come with its ups and downs, a global pandemic and the rise of hate crimes against Asians. Today, Huyen opens up about growing up in Germany as the child of Vietnamese immigrants, how running helped her find her super power and her work with ichbinkeinvirus wocforward globalwomenruncollective. Editor's note: Nazis attacking a refugee home in 1992 in Rostock-Lichtenhagen, Germany and the two boys who were murdered by a racist arson attack were Nguyen Ngoc Chau and Do Anh Lan, this happened in 1980 at Halskestrasse near Hamburg. Huyen references the attack at the 25 minutes mark.