Each year, as the season of gratitude arrives on the autumn breeze, the rolling woodlands and reminiscent routes of Rockefeller State Park bring the Rizzo family back home. Just 30 miles beyond the mania of Manhattan, past the bustling boulevards and hustle of the city, they gather at what the family fondly calls the “Rockies”, returning to the tried and true trails that neighbor their hometown of Bronxville, NY.
For parents Charlotte and Peter Rizzo, along with their four children—Meredith, Hilary, Alex, and Matt—family gatherings involve making memories by the mile. In years past, this meant Turkey Trots and local races. Nowadays, it means the return to one of their favorite routes, followed by treats from two of their beloved post-run pit stops: iced coffee from Coffee Labs in Sleepy Hollow and cream cheese slathered bagels from Park Place Bagels back in Bronxville.
Meredith, a member of our Amateur Support Program, shared. And it seems nothing’s changed. What’s now tradition for the tight-knit family was once a casual venture into the sport for her mom, Charlotte.
Charlotte tells Meredith, "After I had all you kids, including the twins [Matt and Alex], I was curious to see what I could run if I trained. I had heard of Westchester Track Club, so I joined. From there Coach Mike Barnow encouraged me to try track and thought the mile would be my distance. So my very first indoor track meet at the age of 40 was a college meet at West Point."
The speed stuck for Charlotte, who now holds a Masters world record in the 4x800m relay (W35). Not only did it stick, but it started a love for running that would transcend a generation, with all four of the Rizzo kids taking up track & field, either by committing to the sport through their college careers or recreationally in local clubs.
Meredith tells us, “I got into running watching my mom compete. I started by doing road races with her. My sister and I were actually teammates at Bronxville [High School], both running on the team and 4x800 relay together. My first race was the Women’s Distance Festival at Rockland Lake. My mom and I competed as a mother/daughter duo. I was about 10. I won a hot chocolate maker.”
Meredith’s competitive spirit isn’t just fueled by at-home hot cocoa. Between the siblings, there is a bit of rivalry in the run. As the brothers and sisters go toe to toe, it’s all in good fun – the healthy competition is always backed by support, and if anything, it motivates each other to chase after their best efforts.
For her brothers Matt and Alex, this drive allowed them to blaze a path in their college careers at Georgetown and the U.S. Naval Academy respectively, becoming one of the very few sets of twins to run a sub-four minute mile. In January 2023, Matt ran 3:56.20 at the Boston University John Thomas Terrier Classic, which ultimately led him to his Second Team All-American Honors in the mile. For Alex, the feat came within the following month at the Boston University David Hemery Valentine Invite, where he proudly set the still-standing Naval Academy record in the mile by running 3:58.75.
Not only have the two youngest siblings made their mark in the sport, but going fast just truly runs in the family. Prior to the twins’ triumphs, Meredith’s success in the 3000m steeplechase qualified her for the 2021 Olympic Trials.
The sibling support has driven each of their success in one way or another, and that sentiment, the underlying encouragement expressed in each stride as the Rizzos wrap up their reunion in the Rockies, stemmed from what sparked this collective affinity for the sport in the first place. When Charlotte began running, her casual curiosity turned into a lifelong love, and that love led to a family affair – one that allowed Meredith and her siblings to run miles from home.
But no matter where the finish line may be, year after year they keep the promise of returning to the rolling woodlands and reminiscent routes of Rockefeller State Park, holding fast to the tried and true trails they proudly call home.
For every runner, there’s something uniquely grounding about running on familiar roads worn smooth by years of shared footsteps, holding stories in every curve and hill—stories of laughter, of quiet competition, and of bonds strengthened stride after stride. Running becomes more than exercise; it becomes a ritual of reconnection, a way to feel the pulse of home with every footfall. Friends and family fall into an easy rhythm, chatting between breaths, revisiting memories of seasons past while forging new ones with each mile. Together, reveling in the familiarity of coming home.
Continue to the US store to see local pricing and shipping rates.