Ali on the Run Show

854. Jenny Grimshaw, 2:32 Marathoner

Thu, 11 Dec 2025

"I had this sense of nostalgia, of we're going to look back on this as something special. We all felt a little bit of something magical going on."

She's come a long way, baby! Jenny Grimshaw returns to the Ali on the Run Show, this time as a 2:32 marathoner. Jenny just ran four-minute personal best at the California International Marathon, qualifying for the 2028 Olympic Marathon Trials with room to spare. This is the same Jenny who spent years trying to break three hours. The Jenny with a long history of race anxiety. The Jenny who dropped out of CIM in 2022. In this episode, Jenny, a mom to two young kids who lives in San Francisco and works full-time, talks about how she made that 2:32:50 happen, and how she has kept chipping away at her marathon time and enjoying herself along the way. Jenny also has the BRCA1 gene: She had a preventative prophylactic double mastectomy a few years ago, and will have her ovaries removed next year.

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In this episode:

Jenny's snapshot moment from CIM 2025 (2:50)
All about Peninsula Distance Club, and the power of female friendships (5:20)
How Jenny fits running and training into her days, and on learning to get over mom guilt (10:00)
How being a mom has made Jenny a better runner (15:15)
What it felt like to run a 2:32 marathon (17:40)
How Jenny reacted when, at six weeks postpartum, she learned that the Trials standards had changed from 2:45 to 2:37 (21:10)
On running 2:36 at the London Marathon this year — before the OTQ window opened for 2028 (25:50)
How Jenny has navigated big running dreams and family planning (27:40)
The decision not to run this year's Chicago Marathon, and why Jenny chose to do CIM instead (30:20)
How Jenny knew it was going to be a special day at CIM (34:20)
What it felt like standing on the CIM start line, and Jenny's goals for the day (38:30)
What happens when the CIM finish line clock hits 2:37 (50:00)
What's next for Jenny on the run (51:10)
How Jenny is feeling about needing to have her ovaries removed as a result of having the BRCA1 gene (55:15)
Jenny's advice for people who have big goals and dreams and are feeling stuck (58:20)
All about Jenny's job at Equip, which provides virtual eating disorder treatment (1:00:15)

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853. The Support Squad Series: Round 8 with Danielle "Dee" Mastronardi

Thu, 04 Dec 2025

"You prioritize your life for the people who mean the most to you. And that's how it's been since day one for us."

Two days before Thanksgiving, I was up at the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center for my eighth round of chemotherapy. This time around, I was joined by my college roommate and one of my favorite people of all-time, Danielle "Dee" Mastronardi. This is our recap from the day at the infusion center, with a whole lot of detours for stories [we probably shouldn't be sharing] from our college days.

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Shokz: Use code ALI for $10 off your next headphone purchase.
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852. Ask Ali!

Tue, 25 Nov 2025

"If they come up with a Dancing with the Stars and it's Dancing with the Podcast Hosts, and it's tap dancing, put me in, coach."

Welcome to Ask Ali, a monthly series where I answer all of your questions submitted on Instagram (I'm @aliontherun1). This time around, we're tackling cancer stuff, running stuff, work stuff, and more.

SPONSORS:

Lagoon: Click here to take Lagoon's 2-minute sleep quiz to see which pillow is right for you, and take advantage of Lagoon's massive Black Friday sale, in effect now!

In this episode:

Cancer questions (1:40)
Motherhood questions (18:40)
Running questions (23:20)
Work questions (29:35)
Grab bag questions (49:40)

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851. Jordan Litz's 2025 New York City Marathon Recap

Thu, 20 Nov 2025

"Running the marathon and doing two Broadway shows in the same day — I've never felt more New York than that day."

Did you hear about the man who ran the 2025 New York City Marathon and then went on to star in two performances of Wicked on Broadway that same day? That man is Jordan Litz, who is currently starring as Fiyero in Wicked on Broadway. He's the longest-running Fiyero in Wicked history, having performed the role more than 1,500 times. And two of those times were immediately after he crossed the finish line at his first marathon, the New York City Marathon. In this conversation, Jordan talks about how he pulled off this tremendous physical and mental feat — and how it felt to run 26.2 miles and then get through "Dancing Through Life," twice!

FOLLOW JORDAN @litzjordan

SPONSOR:

New Balance: Click here to get your hands on the just-released Rebel v5!

In this episode:

How Jordan is feeling post-NYC Marathon, and why he wanted to run a marathon and perform in two Wicked shows in one day (2:35)
What it was like being spoofed on Saturday Night Live the night before the marathon (5:30)
Jordan's snapshot moment from Sunday, November 2 (7:30)
What it's like starring in Wicked right now (14:00)
How, when, and why Jordan — a former competitive swimmer — became a runner (19:30)
Jordan's impressions of the running community (25:05)
How Jordan met his now-wife, Julie (26:45)
All about Jordan's NYC Marathon training (32:55)
How Jordan spent the days before the race (38:20)
Jordan recaps his race (44:00)
What it was like going from the finish line to the Gershwin (53:00)

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850. Carl Radke's 2025 New York City Marathon Recap

Tue, 18 Nov 2025

"Running single-handedly saved me during this last year."

Carl Radke is best known as a longtime cast member on Bravo's Summer House. Through nine seasons of the reality show, he's been open and honest about his mental health struggles and his history with drug and alcohol addiction. Carl got sober in 2021, and this year, he opened Soft Bar, a non-alcoholic bar and café in Brooklyn, NY, where he lives. His memoir, Cake Eater, comes out next month. And this month, Carl added another title to his resumé: marathoner! In this conversation, Carl talks about how he found running and the role running plays in his sobriety journey, and he shares every detail from his first 26.2-mile race at the 2025 New York City Marathon.

FOLLOW CARL @carlradke

SPONSOR:

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In this episode:

How it feels to be a New York City Marathoner (1:50)
On the fear of not finishing (11:30)
Carl's history with the New York City Marathon (13:05)
Carl's journey to becoming a runner (15:30)
All about Carl's training (21:45)
How Carl fit training into his busy life (26:55)
Is a Soft Bar run club in the works? (32:35)
How Carl spent the days leading up to the marathon (41:00)
The stress of race morning (44:35)
Carl's sights and sounds from the start line (52:45)
Carl's high points from race day (1:00:45)
What Carl wishes people understood about him (1:13:15)
Carl's advice to first-time marathoners (1:16:45)

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