From weekly group runs and monthly pub runs to regular social runs and group training, Prospect Park Track Club is noted for its many group events.

But when a global pandemic was declared and our world turned upside down, PPTC canceled all in-person events. Our club has since rallied and we have a number of virtual events on the calendar: yoga sessions with Emily, plank-offs, strength training, injury prevention seminars with Andrew, and more to come.

In the midst of all this, we still had some new members join us. Who joins a running club when there is no group running permitted and races have been canceled? Well, these two did.

One of the rituals at PPTC’s monthly membership meeting is the introduction of new members. While we’re holding our first virtual monthly membership meeting on Monday, April 6, this month we are shining the member spotlight on Adrian Brune and Ryan Cote, who joined PPTC in late March. You’ll have to wait until we’re back at Da Nonna Rosa to get a slice of ravioli pizza, but read on to meet Adrian and Ryan.

ADRIAN BRUNE

Born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Adrian is a journalist living in lower Manhattan, but she once lived in Fort Greene. Adrian was so enthusiastic about PPTC that she signed up her older brother James as well.

Why did you join PPTC, especially now?
I decided to join PPTC in February, actually, as the coronavirus situation was unfolding overseas, but I wanted to do a Wednesday run with everyone before. PPTC has a great reputation among the teams in the city, and that includes a general sentiment that it is a big tent place with all sorts of runners, from elite to masters marathoners like me. I’m 44, a 4:30 marathoner, and a big traveler. I was in a good club, but it was becoming smaller, more elite in training, and less familiar. I put my priorities over the team’s this time around.

How did you hear about PPTC?
I lived in Brooklyn from 2002 to 2013, so I know the place and its people well. I now live in downtown Manhattan. But I know the club through its track series, the Turkey Trot, and those distinguishing bright red jerseys that flood NYRR races. I have met a few people on the team, and I am looking for women my age and my pace to run with.

Adrian Brune (along with proof that she’s a bionic woman!)

Have you ever attended any PPTC events? Are there any PPTC events that you are looking forward to?
I have attended many, including the Cherry Tree 10-Miler and the Turkey Trot. I have never done the summer track series and I am looking forward to that. It’s been on my list.

What are your running goals?
I have traveled around the world doing marathons: the Middle East, Lagos, Nigeria, Tokyo, South Africa, and I’ve run the Marathon Majors. I have written about racing to rebuild the Middle East and running in Lagos. I am looking to do more of that. I am looking for like-minded people who might want to join me. I am also looking to knock a few minutes off my time, train smarter, learn better race nutrition, and cut back on the number of toilet stops during a race.

What one thing would you like us to know about you?
I am bionic. In other words, I have a bolt, a plate, and two screws in my femur to hold my hip together after a stress fracture gone horribly wrong while running and doing a story in northern Iraq. I used to hate to run; I am a tennis player. I thought the race in Iraq followed by the emergency surgery in 2015 would mark my swan song. But my physical health and more importantly, my mental well-being, dictated that I get back on track, so to speak. Running, I think, is one of the best things a person can do for their lives, especially if that person is in a slump. I overcame the injury, although it’s annoying when I set off the metal detectors. Titanium doesn’t alert all of them, but most security agents just don’t understand!

RYAN COTE

You may recognize Ryan’s name as one of the 16 competitors who have moved on to the semifinals of PPTC’s virtual plank-off. Ryan was born in Maine. As a child, Ryan moved 11 times, living in such exotic locales as Wisconsin, Oregon, and Dubai. Ryan is a city planner and prefers to focus mostly on tackling inequality that persists and is often furthered by the built environment.

Why did you join PPTC, especially now?
I moved to NYC this past August and have been looking for ways to get more involved and meet new people. I have found success in both of those arenas through running clubs in other cities and have heard time and time again that PPTC is the absolute best, so I figured it’s time to find out!

And more to the point of why now: I am really eager to help those most vulnerable during this crisis and heard PPTC has many members who are driven to do the same.

How did you hear about PPTC?
While I initially found PPTC through Facebook, PPTC member PaFoua Hang enthusiastically shared tidbits about the wide range of lovely members and events that PPTC’s community hosts, and she convinced me to join. She is an excellent persuader.

Have you ever attended any PPTC events? Are there any PPTC events that you are looking forward to?
I have not attended any PPTC events yet, although I was looking forward to the Pi Day run. For now, I am looking forward to some virtual yoga classes and for the not-so-distant future when we can join for runs again!

What are your running goals?
None at the moment. Really looking to meet good people and stay healthy. Maybe check out some new trails along the way.

What one thing would you like us to know about you?
I’ve moved 19 times in life so far. But fair warning: Plan on seeing me often, because I don’t plan to make it 20 anytime soon!

Text by: Linda Chan
Edited by: Carla Benton
Photos: Courtesy of Adrian Brune and Ryan Cote
Produced by: Alison Kotch

New Member Spotlight: Adrian Brune and Ryan Cote