Ali on the Run Show

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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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.

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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!

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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.

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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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849. Katie Couric, Journalist

Thu, 13 Nov 2025

"I just feel like when I see injustice, at this point in my life, I have to call it out."

Katie Couric has been my idol since I was in high school, and it's truly an honor to welcome her to the Ali on the Run Show! We recorded this episode in person together on the Monday after the 2025 New York City Marathon, at Katie's home on the Upper East Side. Katie is a journalist who is best known for her 15-year career on the Today Show. Today, she is the founder of Katie Couric Media, where she publishes a daily newsletter (Wake Up Call), and hosts the podcast Next Question with Katie Couric. She is the author of Going There, she's a mom of two, and she's an avid pickleball player who, despite my best efforts, will not be signing up for a marathon anytime soon!

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:

Katie's day spectating the 2025 New York City Marathon (3:20)
Katie's history with running, and how she stays active now (6:00)
What it's like being Katie Couric in New York City (12:00)
On Halloween, NYC trick-or-treating, and Taylor Swift (14:00)
Everyone has a Katie Couric story (22:15)
Katie reflects on her breast cancer diagnosis, and what her care looks like now (33:00)
On "feeling very strongly about certain things" (55:00)
Katie's take on The Morning Show (1:04:00)
Katie looks back on some of the highest and lowest points of her career (1:08:15)

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