RED Episode 316 Part 1 of a Runcation Recap with Cheri Whitt

·43 min·2 clips

Sherry Witt says she started marathons after a stroke, sepsis, and renal failure, then had to learn to walk and talk again.

Run Eat Drink Podcast welcomes Sherry Witt. The episode opens with patron support and the community that keeps the show moving. Sherry introduces herself as Sherry Witt, and the hosts bring her into the Runcation Nation. From there, the talk turns to race travel and what it really costs to chase big events. Sydney comes up as a clear example of airfare and premium seating driving the price up fast. The hosts treat that as part of the practical arithmetic of race life. Boston comes next, with the cost tied to fundraising and how much runners have to raise just to get there. New York adds another angle, since a lottery miss meant taking the fundraising route instead. That makes it plain that the most expensive race is not always the one with the biggest plane ticket. It depends on how you get to the start line. The episode stays grounded in that runner mindset. Sherry says she is 60 and does not want to spend 15 hours wedged into a tiny seat, so she is willing to pay for the pod. The hosts meet that with recognition, not pushback. They trade notes about comfort plus and comfort minus, and the realities of flying for races. Alaska comes next, with Anchorage Run Fest bringing back memories of long-haul travel and why coach does not always make sense. One story from that race opens into a broader picture of how races are social as much as athletic. Jeff, Barb, and another friend all show up in the memory. The hosts laugh through a moment when food talk starts before the finish line is even out of sight. A friend working through shoulder spasms reacts badly to the mention of pizza, which only makes the scene feel more real. That is the episode's strength. It is less about polished performance and more about how runners actually talk once the miles are behind them. Food, travel, pain, and post-race reward all sit in the same conversation without feeling forced. By the end, the episode feels like a shared table after a race weekend, with everyone comparing notes on what the miles cost and what made them worth it.

As heard by us

A grounded race-travel recap about airfare, fundraising, and the comfort tradeoff of long-haul racing.

Sherry Witt keeps this Run, Eat, Drink episode focused on the practical side of racing: what it costs to get to Sydney, the fundraising grind tied to Boston, and the lottery route into New York. It also returns to a plain, useful question.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

If your longest races are really about the flight, this one will land.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Run Eat Drink Podcast