Ali on the Run Show

855. Lauren "Fithy" Hunnewell, Animal Rescue League Volunteer & 41-Time Marathoner

Thu, 18 Dec 2025

"I run with all dogs, any dogs."

Lauren "Fithy" Hunnewell is the North America running events manager for New Balance. She is the New York Road Runners partnership lead, so she works super closely with the NYRR team on events including the New York City Half, the Fifth Avenue Mile, and, of course, the New York City Marathon. So, Lauren has a super fun job. She also does something really amazing every Monday and Friday morning: She runs with shelter dogs. Twice a week, every week, no matter the weather, Lauren goes to her local animal shelter to take the dogs for runs. Over the past two years, Lauren has logged more than 500 miles with dogs who need homes. In 2025 alone, she ran with 33 unique breeds. In this conversation, Lauren, who has run more than 40 marathons, talks about how she became an animal lover, and how she ended up volunteering at the Animal Rescue League down the street.

FOLLOW LAUREN @fithy07

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Vuori: Click here for 20% off your first Vuori purchase.
Oofos: The best in recovery footwear! Check out Oofos's 2025 Project Pink collection, where 10% of every purchase is donated to cancer research.

In this episode:

All about Lauren's run today — with Atlas the German Shepherd! (2:15)
How Lauren became a dog lover (6:10)
How running with the dogs fits into Lauren's training (14:45)
When and how Lauren became a runner (18:30)
Lauren's history with the New York City Marathon (26:20)
What Lauren's days look like at New Balance (34:05)
Lauren's racing and running goals right now (43:45)
Why Lauren takes her daughter to the Fifth Avenue Mile every year (46:50)
Lauren's advice for running with dogs (59:55)

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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.

FOLLOW JENNY @jenny_gshaw

SPONSOR:

New Balance: Click here to get your hands on the fan favorite Rebel v5!
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 holiday sale, happening now!

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.

SPONSOR:

Shokz: Use code ALI for $10 off your next headphone purchase.
The Eugene Marathon: Register now for the Eugene Marathon or Half Marathon, taking place April 26, 2026. Use code ONTHERUN for $10 off. (These races will sell out, so register ASAP!)

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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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