Mary Cain’s Atalanta NYC Empowers Young Runners to Thrive

Building on last week’s conversation with Mary Cain, Set the Pace explores how she transformed her experiences into a movement to create a healthier future for girls and women in sport by founding Atalanta NYC, a nonprofit that employs professional runners to achieve their goals while mentoring the next generation. Becs sits down with Atalanta NYC professional athletes Emily Richards, Susan Aneno, and Leah Anderson, along with Executive Director Devon Martin, to discuss creating a team culture rooted in community, education, and movement. Together, they share personal stories of overcoming isolation, cultural expectations, body image pressures, and setbacks. The conversation also highlights Atalanta's work mentoring high school runners in underserved New York City communities, fostering environments where young athletes are empowered to thrive on and off the track.

Content note: This episode references the death of an athlete's father. Broader themes covered in the previous episode (Ep 171) include self-harm and suicidal ideation

Learn more about Atalanta and donate at atalantanyc.org/donate

Learn more about New York Road Runners: nyrr.org
Become an NYRR Member: nyrr.org/membership

0:00 Cold Open: Leah at Jamaican Nationals
0:33 Welcome + Becs's Speedgoat 50K
4:58 Introducing Part 2: The Team Mary Built
7:34 Content Warning
8:49 Meet the Atalanta Team
11:30 Emily's Ohio Northern Near-Quit
14:25 Susan Aneno: A Fast Runner in Uganda
21:38 Leah Anderson: A Fast Woman in Jamaica
26:02 Devon on Language: What's Off-Limits at Atalanta
28:56 Susan's Iron Story + Fueling as Coaching
32:21 "Your Period Is a Gift"
34:38 Devon: No Scale, Ever
35:44 Coaching Girls in East Harlem
40:01 Lehman High School: Girls Screaming From the Bridge
43:55 Leah on Coming Back From Jamaican Nationals
46:27 Two Famous Founders, Four Pros
51:23 Showing Up When Tragedy Strikes
52:23 Funding a New Model of Women's Running
53:52 What Atalanta Has Given Each of Them
1:02:57 Closing: What Mary Built