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HSS/NYRR Runner Health and Performance Symposium Itinerary

HSS x NYRR Runners Health Conference header gradient

Schedule: Saturday, October 3, 2026

  • 8:00 a.m. Welcome and Introduction

    Jordan Metzl, MD, Sports Medicine Physician, Hospital for Special Surgery, and Rob Simmelkjaer, CEO, New York Road Runners.

  • 8:10-8:40 a.m. Session One: Cancer and Running: A New Paradigm for Prevention and Treatment

    Moderator: Jordan Metzl, MD, Sports Medicine Physician, HSS

    • Update on the Role of Exercise in Cancer Prevention and Treatment: Jessica Scott, PhD, Director, Exercise Oncology Program, MSKCC
    • Panel discussion: Sarah Lehman, MA, ACSM-CEP, Lead Excercise Physiologist, MSKCC | Anne Cosgrove, Director, S&P Global Ratings | Barbara Trencher, PT, DPT, JD, Director of Programming at AKTIV Against Cancer
    • Questions and answers

  • 8:40-9:15 a.m. Session Two: Hot Topics in Running Medicine

    Moderator: Todd McGrath, MD, Primary Sports Medicine Physician, HSS

    • Running During and After Pregnancy: Ashley Austin, MD, Primary Sports Medicine Physician, HSS
    • Update on Cardiac Safety in Runners: Eamon Y. Duffy, MD, MBA, FACC, Director, Columbia Runners Heart Clinic
    • Do Certain Types of Running Shoes Influence Injury Risk? Adam Tenforde, MD, Director of Running Medicine and Shockwave Medicine, Mass General Brigham Healthcare
    • Questions and answers

  • 9:15-10:00 a.m. Session Three: Inspiring Stories from the Road, How Running Transforms Our World View

    Moderator: Rob Simmelkjaer, Chief Executive Officer, NYRR

    • Shoes for Africa, How a Concept Evolved into a Reality in Kenya: Toby Tanser, CEO of SHOE4AFRICA
    • How an Olympic Runner Faced a Terrifying Situation with Her Heart: Jenny Simpson, three-time United States Olympian; Chief Running Officer, Fleet Feet
    • Back on My Feet, Running for a Better Path Forward: Terence Gerchberg, Chief Running Officer at Back on My Feet

  • 10:00-10:15 a.m. Guest Keynote: Are We Born to Run or Have We Evolved to Run?

    Daniel Lieberman, PhD, Professor of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University.

  • 10:15-10:30 a.m. Break

    15 minutes.

  • 10:30-11:00 a.m. Session Four: Inside the Running Lab, How to Maximize Running Economy

    Moderator: Pamela Geisel, MS, MBA, CSCS, PCES, RRCA Coach, Director of Performance and Wellness, HSS

    • "Running Well, and Keeping It: Economy, Efficiency, and Durability": Kaitlyn Baird, M.A., ACSM Clinical Exercise Physiologist, CSCS, USATF, PCES
    • Panel discussion: Brady Holmer, Exercise Physiologist | Gordon Bakoulis, RRCA-certified running coach, NYRR
    • Questions and answers

  • 11:00-11:30 a.m. Session Five: Nutrition and Running Performance: How to Make Nutrition Work for You

    Moderator: Heidi Skolnick, MS, CDN, FACSM, Sports Nutritionist, Women's Sports Medicine Center, HSS

    • What Are the Most Common Nutrition Questions That Runners Ask Me in 2026, and How Do I Answer Them? Amy Stephens, RD, CSSD, CEDS, Private practice dietitian focused on performance nutrition and eating disorder recovery
    • Panel discussion: Amby Burfoot, 1968 Boston Marathon winner | Amy Stephens, RD, CSSD, CEDS | Richard Rosenfeld, MD, MPH, MBA, American College of Lifestyle Medicine
    • Questions and answers

  • 11:30 a.m.-11:50 p.m. Session Six: Inside the Science of Sleep for Performance: How to Get More of What We Need

    Moderator: Karen Sutton, MD, Associate Professor Weill Cornell Medicine, Attending Surgeon, Sports Medicine, HSS

    • How Can Runners Maximize Their Sleep for Optimal Performance? Ana Krieger, MD, MPH, Professor of Clinical Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, Medical Director of the Weill Cornell Center for Sleep Medicine
    • Panel discussion: Ana Krieger, MD, MPH| Steven Forti, VP Chief Wellness and Resiliency Officer, HSS
    • Questions and answers