Ali on the Run Show

"It was nice to be in Chicago and not feel like my life was imploding." I'm just about recovered from the 2026 Chicago Marathon weekend, where I was in town as a part of the finish line announcing team and co-host of the Champions Reception. That means it's time to recap it all in exhaustive detail. In this solo episode, I'm covering everything I did, everywhere I went, and everyone I saw, from the parties and events to the 5K, the boat ride, and, of course, race day. SPONSORS: New Balance. Click here to get your hands on the just-released SC Rebel. You're going to love it! Lagoon. My favorite pillows and pillowcases! Click here to get the limited edition Ali on the Run x Lagoon Cool Flex Performance Pillowcase (!!!), and use code ALI at checkout for 15% off. IN THIS EPISODE: What life looked like heading into Chicago Marathon weekend this year, and my history with Chicago (1:15) Friday: the flight, the Off the Rails live show, and the way-too-late night (15:10) Saturday: the Abbott Chicago 5K, the breakfast date, the finish line rehearsal, the sushi walk to the Bean, and the best boat ride ever (31:10) Sunday: the 2026 Bank of America Chicago Marathon (1:05:15) Monday: the final run, and the trip home (1:34:00) Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Subscribe to the newsletter Join the Facebook group Support on Patreon SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show! If you're enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Spread the run love. And if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!

"Remember the entire journey, because it's very special." Welcome to Chicago Marathon week! The 48th running of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon takes place this Sunday, October 11, and this episode is jam-packed with information you'll want to hear before you head to the start line. (And yes, you really should plan to get there two hours early.) The elite fields are, as always, stacked, and those athletes will be followed by 55,000 of you en route to 26.2-mile glory. Get ready. Get psyched. And get that Goose Island at the finish! SPONSORS: Shokz" My favorite headphones! Use code ALI for $10 off your next Shokz purchase. (I love the Open Run Pro 2.) Oofos: The best in the recovery footwear game. Click here to check out Oofos's new CLUB+ line! Your feet are going to be so happy! In this episode: Chicago Marathon executive race director Carey Pinkowski talks about what to expect at this year's race (3:45) The 2026 Chicago Marathon by the numbers (43:15) All things pre-race: How to get in for next year's Chicago Marathon, how Chicago is committed to sustainability, and whether or not you can still change your starting corral assignment (49:15) Who to watch in this year's professional fields (1:00:55) What to know about getting to the start and navigating the athlete village (1:06:15) Chris "Coach Worm" Wehrman and Robyn LaLonde talk Chicago Marathon course strategy (1:15:10) All about the finish line experience (1:44:20) Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 Support on Patreon Subscribe to the newsletter SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show! If you're enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Spread the run love. And if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!

"I think one of my biggest problems is I finish every race and think, 'I think I can go faster!'" If you follow the sport, you probably recognize Alana Levy. The New York City-based runner and member of Brooklyn Track Club is seemingly everywhere these days. From local staple races like the New York Mini 10K and the Fifth Avenue Mile (where Alana just won the open division in a personal best 4:38) to major marathons, like the 2025 Chicago Marathon where Alana earned her Olympic Trials Qualifier, running 2:36:53, to this year's Boston Marathon, where she improved her personal best by more than two minutes, racing in the pro field and finishing in 2:34:50. She's logging 100-mile weeks, winning races, and qualifying for the Olympic Trials Marathon — while working full-time as the director of product management at Pearl Health. In this conversation, Alana talks about her relationship with running and how it has evolved over the years, and about what it's like being a part of the ever-evolving New York City running community. FOLLOW ALANA @yo_lans SPONSOR: New Balance. Click here to get your hands on the just-released SC Rebel. You're going to love it! Lagoon. My favorite pillows and pillowcases! Click here to get the limited edition Ali on the Run x Lagoon Cool Flex Performance Pillowcase (!!!), and use code ALI at checkout for 15% off. IN THIS EPISODE: What's making Alana happy today, and what she's into right now (3:20) All about Alana's job as Director of Product Management at Pearl Health (14:55) What Alana's relationship with running is like right now (16:55) Alana reflects on "Young Lans," her childhood in Chappaqua, NY, and her experience running in college (18:40) On graduating from college and trying to figure out what to do next (29:00) How Alana has found her place in the New York City running community (35:30) How Alana became a 2:34 marathoner (41:25) Alana's OTQ journey (44:50) What it was like racing the 2026 Boston Marathon in the pro field (56:40) What Alana's relationship with running looks like right now (1:04:20) Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Subscribe to the newsletter Join the Facebook group Support on Patreon SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show! If you're enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Spread the run love. And if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!

"It's running friendship in true form. We would not otherwise be friends. We're different ages, our kids are different ages, we live completely different lifestyles. She's as organized and type A as it gets, and I could not be further from that. And it works. Running brings people together, and it's so special to have that connection. We make fun of how different we are in the rest of our lives, but in running, we jive." On the day we recorded this episode, Arielle Chernin dropped her three daughters off at school. She has three girls ages five and under, with three different drop-off and pick-up locations. Then, she completed her 20-mile training run for the upcoming Chicago Marathon before putting in a day's work at the Brookline Food Pantry, where she is the organization's operations manager. The Newton, MA-based 3:02 marathoner is booked and busy, but she's having so much fun along the way. In this conversation, Arielle talks about finding her mom strength, and how that's changed her life on the run and beyond. She talks about running a personal best (3:02) at the Boston Marathon earlier this year, when she was six months postpartum, and about the big goals she's ready to share for next month's 26.2 in Chicago. Plus, all about her career path, her wild first birth story ("baby born on bathroom floor!"), and how she approaches training and racing. SPONSOR: New Balance. Click here to get your hands on the just-released SC Rebel. You're going to love it! IN THIS EPISODE: All about Arielle's friendship with fellow runner Emily Oster (2:55) What's making Arielle happy today, and what she's into right now (7:40) How Arielle's relationship with running has evolved over the years (10:25) Arielle's earliest Boston Marathon memories (16:15) What motivates Arielle on the run (19:20) Arielle's wild first birth story (29:30) How Arielle's Chicago Marathon training is going (36:00) All about Arielle's job as the operations manager at the Brookline Food Pantry (44:15) Arielle talks about why she loves running whimsy (48:00) How Arielle ran a marathon PR six months after having her third daughter (51:50) Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Subscribe to the newsletter Join the Facebook group Support on Patreon SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show! If you're enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Spread the run love. And if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!

"Sometimes you've gotta just get a little messy." Caroline Moss has long had a dream: to run the New York City Marathon. As a New Yorker, it's her favorite day of the year. The catch: Caroline has never been a runner — until recently. In this series, we've been following author, creator, theater producer, Saved by the Bell super-fan, proud millennial, and professional shopper Caroline Moss as she embarks on a quest to start running and run the race of her dreams. Caroline Moss Wants to Run a Marathon, Episode 1 Caroline Moss Wants to Run a Marathon, Episode 2 Caroline Moss Wants to Run a Marathon, Episode 3 In Episode 4, Caroline updates us on whether or not she still does, in fact, want to run a marathon. Plus, the usual pop culture chatter, talk of root canals and colonoscopies, and Caroline's read on the running community after attending a live show during NYC Marathon weekend last year. FOLLOW CAROLINE @geethanksjustboughtitpod SPONSORS: Lagoon. My favorite pillows and pillowcases! Click here to get the limited edition Ali on the Run x Lagoon Cool Flex Performance Pillowcase (!!!), and use code ALI at checkout for 15% off. Vuori: Click here for 20% off your first Vuori purchase. IN THIS EPISODE: What's making Caroline happy today (4:30) What Caroline's into right now (12:50) How Caroline's life has — and hasn't — changed in a year, and what life has been like with a puppy (20:30) An update on Caroline on the Run (30:00) Caroline's experience at the New York City Marathon Final Finishers celebration (34:15) Caroline shares her perspective on the running community (54:35) Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Subscribe to the newsletter Join the Facebook group Support on Patreon SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show! If you're enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Spread the run love. And if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!

"Don't let bodily things make you not show up." Welcome to the fourth episode in a new series on the Ali on the Run Show called "No Stupid Questions." This is where experts come in to answer everything you've always wanted to ask about running. Eric Jenkins and Aisha Praught Leer kicked off the series answering questions about professional running (and so much more); Jinger Gottschall, New Balance Director of Sports Research, answered questions about shoes and sports bras; and professional runner and coach Kim Conley offered loads of advice about how to be a better, stronger, faster, happier runner. Today, we're talking TMI, with the always honest, always unfiltered Ashley Desanno, content creator and cofounder of the Creepy Book Club. Ashley is a mom to two teenage boys. She lives in Oregon, and she's been running for more than two decades. In this episode, we're here to assure you that with runners, there's no such thing as too much information. But if you have questions about bathroom emergencies on the run, chafing, underwear, and more — and we know you do — this episode aims to talk about it. SPONSOR: New Balance. Click here to get your hands on the just-released SC Rebel. You're going to love it! IN THIS EPISODE: How to deal with GI stuff on the run (10:00) Underwear, going commando, and more (32:25) Skin, sweat, and chafing (41:00) …and more (54:00) Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Subscribe to the newsletter Join the Facebook group Support on Patreon SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show! If you're enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Spread the run love. And if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!

"Chaos can be a part of the journey." For the first time since 2019, lululemon's wildly popular SeaWheeze half marathon and festival returned to Vancouver, British Columbia — and I was there! I hosted a live show the day before the race with lululemon professional athlete and fan favorite Phily Bowden, who went on to win the race the next day. We talked about big dreams and goals, dealing with disappointment, and managing the very real post-race blues. Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Subscribe to the newsletter Join the Facebook group Support on Patreon SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show! If you're enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Spread the run love. And if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!

"I'm starstruck every time I'm at a track meet and I get to be side by side with some of these incredible athletes. That has not worn off and I don't think it ever will. And I hope it never does." It's been a few years since Jay Holder has been on the Ali on the Run Show, and today he returns as USA Track & Field's Chief Content & Communications Officer. Jay talks about how he got the job a year ago, what the first year in the role has been like, and what impact he hopes to have on the organization, the sport, the athletes, and beyond. He reflects on his time going from New York City newsrooms to the Atlanta Track Club to being Executive Director of Running USA, and shares his advice for people looking to break into the running industry. Plus, his recap from this year's U.S. National Championships at Icahn Stadium in New York City, including what it took to get New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani at the meet, and what it was like once he was on site. Jay lives in Severna Park, MD, with his wife, Lauren, and their two children. SPONSORS: Lagoon. My favorite pillows and pillowcases! Click here to get the limited edition Ali on the Run x Lagoon Cool Flex Performance Pillowcase (!!!), and use code ALI at checkout for 15% off. Vuori: Click here for 20% off your first Vuori purchase. Oofos: The best in the recovery footwear game. Click here to check out Oofos's new CLUB+ line! Your feet are going to be so happy! IN THIS EPISODE: What's making Jay happy today, and how he found his local running group (3:20) Jay shares his take on running streaks — including one of his own — and what's next on his race calendar (8:20) The books, music, movies, and TV shows Jay is into right now (12:40) Jay's lows from 2026 USAs (19:40) What was the main feedback or critique from this year's USAs? (23:30) Jay's highlights from USAs, and how they got NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani at the meet (28:00) On racing the New York Road Runners Team Championships 5-miler in Central Park during the meet weekend (41:00) Who are the biggest stars in our sport right now? (45:35) How Jay got the job as USATF CCCO (50:30) What impact does Jay want to have on the sport? (56:30) What does a Chief Content & Communications Officer do? (1:04:30) On being starstruck at work (1:07:00) What will LA 2028 look like for Jay? (1:13:00) Jay's advice for people who want to work in the running industry (1:19:50) On Jay's recent health diagnoses, and how he has processed them (1:23:45) Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Subscribe to the newsletter Join the Facebook group Support on Patreon SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show! If you're enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Spread the run love. And if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!