Let‘s_Get_Uncomfortable

As the founder of Asian Trail Mix, Samantha Dong is reshaping the narrative around who belongs in the trail running and outdoor community. What started as a simple idea to bring more Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) runners together has evolved into a thriving movement, making trail running more inclusive, accessible, and welcoming for all.

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...

It was a moment 10 years in the making for Black Roses NYC member Danni McNeilly. When she crossed the Chicago Marathon finish line at 2:59:33 in 2023, she became the newest Black American born woman to join a very exclusive list. With her accomplishment, Danni joined Black Roses teammates Sharada Maddox and Erica Stanley-Dottin. On the first episode of season four, Danni shares how long distance...

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...

Mwangi Gitahi would be the first to tell you that he is naturally gifted as a runner. Growing up in Kenya, where long distance running is as common as apple pie, running is what everyone did. So excelling in South Kingstown High School in Rhode Island, was a no brainer. The unexpected challenges came when he picked up the whistle to be a coach. The red carpet that was laid out for him as a runner,...

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 fro...

The name says it all: 10IronWomen . A movement from Rowann Bowcutt and friends to bring true gender parity to the Barcelona Ironman—and so much more. Like many triathletes, Rowann began as a runner, before adding cycling and swimming, two disciplines that require access to training spaces and expensive equipment. On the latest episode, we hop across the pond to London to learn why Rowann co-founde...

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...

With nearly 40 marathons under his belt, Davon Culley has spent the last three decades running and being part of the running boom, from the track to ultramarathons and everything in between. Encouraged by the growth of Black runners, as well as the significant number of races by Black race directors, Davon joins the show to discuss his hopes of true diversity and inclusion in running, and how his...

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 perceptio...

Jean Bell, a judge for New York State and former college track runner, has been coaching girls in Brooklyn through Jeuness Track Club , the grassroots organization she founded in 1985. Jeuness athletes, ages 5-17, learn not only how to train for athletic excellence, routinely competing in national and world championships, but how to become dedicated students with the goal, often attained, of earni...

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 becom...

When Lenny Grullon and Jean Paul (JP) Fontana , former basketball players from the Bronx, founded the Boogie Down Bronx Runners in 2017, they were their group’s only members. It took a few tries, but soon a few people showed up, including Chris Guzman , who wanted to get healthy and model an active lifestyle for his son. Today, the three of them lead well over 100 members, including 50 marathoners...

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 mark...

On her calendar for 2021, Ashley Davies has marathon number 15 circled for October. It is going to be Boston. Marathon training is always a challenge, and her road to Boston is paved with learning to heal from an eating disorder at age 11. On episode 23, Ashley shares her difficult journey with anorexia , the prevalence of eating disorders in running, and why she entered a body building contest. F...

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 c...

Before the United States and practically  the entire world went into lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The 504th  hosted the Bridge the Gap NOLA in March 2020. The event, as with previous host cities, served as a gathering of like-minded run groups from all over the world. The recipe was simple: run together, run for a cause, run free, and party. All the money from the event was donated to Yo...

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...

When Mixpe Ley and Raquel Roman met through social activism circles  in Los Angeles, they knew that were kindred spirits. It wasn't long after that, the two young mothers quickly noticed how running was different as a parent. Running Mamis was founded in 2018, to give moms a place to be active and find support in sisterhood. But it is much more than a running group. Through their activism and teac...

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 run...

As one of the five co-founders of The Race , Temilola Sobomehin Marshall, is happy to celebrate the boom of Black run distance runners in Atlanta and across the world. The Race also makes it a point to run through historically Black neighborhoods in Atlanta to encourage its residents to become active. Temilola only started running in 2010, but by 2019 she had already completed nine marathons. As t...

Listening to Cesar Argueta Jr. and Michelle Mendoza of TriLatino Triat hlon 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 nonprofi...

Students Run Philly Style is a Philadelphia-based non-profit that uses running to mentor 6th through 12th graders from all over the city. The program not only introduces the students to fitness, but it also eliminates many of the barriers in running. At the end of the year, the students will either run the Philadelphia Half or the Philadelphia Marathon. The program mentors over 1,500 a year. On ou...

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...

When most people take the first step towards getting healthy, they start by following a couch to 5k program. Liz Rock is not at all like most people. The co-founder of TrailblazHers and the Bra Run dove in with a sprint triathlon in 2016. By the end of 2018 she completed 4 of the 6 world major marathons (New York, Boston, London and Chicago). As  women leaders in the running community Liz Rock, Fr...