ISC East 2021 is coming up Nov. 17-18 in New York City, and the Security Industry Association (SIA) and ISC East recently revealed full conference details for the SIA Education@ISC East program, including keynote presentations from top luminaries and 20-plus sessions on the most current business trends, technologies and industry developments.

The Day 1 keynote session is titled, “TCS New York City Marathon: Insights on Race Operations, Public Safety and Integrated Security Solutions.” A year after canceling the 2020 race because of the coronavirus pandemic, New York Road Runners (NYRR), the nonprofit organization that puts on the TCS New York City Marathon, will return to commemorate the race’s 50th running. In pre-pandemic years, the iconic New York sporting event attracts 53,000 runners from across the globe, making it the largest marathon in the world.

The challenge of securing a 26.2-mile cityscape road race requires extensive planning, training and collaboration among event operators, public safety departments, private business owners and community partners and other event stakeholders.

In this keynote session, Ted Metellus, vice president of events at NYRR and race director of the TCS New York City Marathon, and Todd Metro, head of safety and security at NYRR, will share insights on effectively managing safety and security operations for the 2021 TCS New York City Marathon.

Metellus first joined NYRR in 2001 as an event manager and has served in a variety of leadership roles since then. In February 2021, he was named the race director of the TCS New York City Marathon, the first-ever Black race director of an Abbott World Marathon Majors race. Metellus plays a significant role in managing NYRR’s 50-plus races each year, overseeing and enhancing start, course and finish operations, safety and security, medical teams, staffing and volunteers, youth events, experiential events and warehouse operations. His event leadership role spans from the TCS New York City Marathon, the world’s largest marathon, and Brooklyn Half, the nation’s largest half marathon, to weekly 5K and one-mile races across New York City’s five boroughs and New Jersey. Additionally, he serves as the organization’s key liaison with New York City agencies and partners, a crucial relationship for NYRR throughout the year to hold its events in the city’s parks and streets.

A Bronx native, Metellus grew up running in New York City and was a member of his high school track and cross-country teams. He graduated from the State University of New York College at Oswego with a B.A. in public relations and communications. He lives in Manhattan and has run 33 half marathons, as well as the New York City Marathon in 2008 and 2013.