Last year both Brooklyn Navy Track Crew and the Lost Boys each hosted a race in our traditional summer series. If you look through the photos from our talented photographers, you’ll notice an overlap. Members wore each other’s team jerseys. So in the time since TTB’s 2nd summer series, it only makes sense that both teams are now officially joining forces. Take The Bridge Boston will be their first race, running as Brooklyn Track Club. While founding members of both groups: Leigh Anne Sharek, Agustin Lastra, Darcy Budworth, and Tim Rossi, are still helping to find the main direction of BTC. Leading the charge, is Head Coach, Steve Finley. We sat down with Finley, to find out what brought the two groups together, and what his plans are for BTC in the coming year.
Photo by Zach Hetrick
Give us a little background on BTC, and what you are working on creating for the team in the next year.
The Brooklyn Track Club is the combination and evolution of the Brooklyn Navy and Lost Boys TC groups that have been racing on the scene the last couple of years. Since the summer bridge races I started to coach or work closely with most of the Lost Boys squad, and continued to coach many of our tight knit BNTC group. One day we realized if both groups ran in one jersey we would have a solid team of athletes, and people.
Crew or Club?
Club, Crew, as long as it’s a group of people chasing the same passion it makes no difference really. After discussing with the group we decided on Brooklyn Track Club because we wanted to be straight forward about our intention as a group, our home base is in Brooklyn and our main focus is on performance.
In last year's interview co-founder of BNTC Agustin compared crews to tribes and noted that clubs have a lot of rules and regulations. What measures are you taking to keep with the same feel of BNTC and LB?
We’ll be relaxed as always, you learn over time it’s hard to implement too many rules as a coach. My main goal is to help everyone get whatever they want out of the sport. Besides, the Lost Boys are like a bunch of wild animals, even with our new squad you’ll still see the occasional Lost Boys jersey on the underground NYC running circuit.
Photo by John Benitez
You've cheered at many TTB races, but you finally raced the NYC vs the World event for the NYC Marathon weekend. Are you racing or cheering in Boston?
Nothing beats lacing them up and racing. I will be “racing” Saturday night in Boston. Wouldn’t miss it.
Favorite hoods to run in NYC?
Lower East Side, Red Hook Bk, both are relatively isolated and have great track facilities
Favorite place to run in Boston?
The Franklin Park trails are always the highlight in Boston, the indoor track at the Reggie Lewis Center’s is a close second.
Favorite workout?
1000s with full recovery.
Favorite fuel after a hard workout?
Guinness and chocolate milk, respectively.
Photo by Christophe Tedjasukmana