Episode 70 - Sam Grotewold of NYRR

"I didn't realize at the time, but the chance Coach Ellingson gave me, it changed the trajectory of my entire life. I realize that more and more every year that I wouldn't be at NYRR today without that opportunity.” Have you wondered how the fields at the NYC Marathon and Fifth Avenue Mile are put together? Sam Grotewold and his team are responsible for putting together the world-class of the events you love. It also happens that Sam went to a D3 college and wouldn’t be doing what is he today with the opportunity Coach Keith Ellingson gave him at Simpson College. Sam chose his path to college without running influencing his decision. He had his mindset on going to Simpson College to study graphic design and journalism. It wasn’t until a meeting at orientation where the athletic director asked the incoming class if they were interested in doing a sport. Sam raised his hand and a few days later, Coach Ellingson called Sam to ask him to join the team. While Sam didn’t go on to win National Titles or become an All-American, his opportunity to join the Simpson Cross Country team shaped his life and career trajectory. After Sam graduated, he joined New York Road Runners as a web editor. As NYRR began to have professional races, he transitioned from his web editing role into the Professional Athletes space. Sam explains the process of filling the fields, memorable stories, and fills us in if Kipchoge will run NYC. The impact of Sam’s D3 experience shaped his life into what it is today. He gives credit to Coach Ellingson for giving him an opportunity when he didn’t have to. Follow Sam on Twitter D3 Glory Days Patreon We launched a Patreon! As we said, we will never go behind a paywall - so any support is greatly appreciated. This past season was a great undertaking in our labor of love. We enjoy bringing you this content and we realized we could do so much more with a little bit of backing. We want to ensure D3 gets the coverage it deserves and keeping this website paywall free! If you have enjoyed this podcast and the articles we have put, please consider becoming a Patreon of D3 Glory Days. In full disclosure, the money will go directly into the show: equipment, subscriptions we need, and most importantly, money to our writers. If you are able, we would appreciate your support. How to Support D3 Glory Days As always, we really appreciate your support of this podcast. If you’d like to help spread the word, share the podcast with a friend, or leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. If you would like to help support the podcast or say thanks to our writers, please consider making a donation on the D3 Glory Days Venmo. This helps offset some costs, hosting services, and help out our new writers. If you want to rep D3 Glory Days on your next run, head to our Merch Store. And finally, follow us on social media! We’re on Instagram, Twitter and Strava.