The Run 4 Ben Podcast

Mike Piccirillo, Jamen Spitzer
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Documentary

The Run 4 Ben Podcast follows Jamen Spitzer and filmmaker Mike Piccirillo as they share the story behind their docu-series inspired by Jamen’s father, Ben, and his fight with Parkinson’s disease. What began with Jamen training for a marathon to raise awareness grew into an ongoing journey of endurance, storytelling, and purpose. Through honest conversations, behind-the-scenes reflections, and a bit of humor, the series explores how movement—both physical and emotional—keeps us connected and moving forward.

Episodes

  1. Jun 16

    EPISODE 006 - INTERVIEW - Josh Ansley (PART TWO)

    LINKS: LEAST OF THIEVES: The band that created our awesome theme song! www.leastofthieves.com THE KIRK GIBSON FOUNDATION FOR PARKINSON'S: www.kirkgibsonfoundation.com LIGHT OF DAY FOUNDATION: www.lightofday.org Welcome back to the Run4Ben Podcast. This is Part 2 of our conversation with Josh Ansley (@joshansley). If you haven’t listened to Part 1 yet, we highly recommend going back and starting there first. Here's the link: https://youtu.be/iyBn2yVT72k In today’s episode, we pick up right where we left off. We dig deeper into what day-to-day life looks like with Parkinson’s, how sobriety supports him, and what it really means to keep creating and showing up even when your body isn’t cooperating. Our hope is that, by hearing Joshua’s story in full, you’ll feel a little less alone—whether you’re living with Parkinson’s yourself, supporting someone who is, or just trying to understand this disease more clearly. Like the previous episode: this conversation has some heavy emotional stuff. Use your own discretion. We did run into a few tech hiccups with Josh’s connection, so the audio quality shifts a bit, and there are a couple of minor camera glitches—but we captured the full conversation! Thank as always for being here, for listening, and for helping us spread awareness so that people facing Parkinson’s don’t have to feel like they’re facing it alone. And now, here’s part two of our conversation with Josh Ansley. 🎧 You can also listen to the podcast at: Our podcastwebsite: https://therun4benpodcast.riverside.com/ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-run-4-ben-podcast/id1890278991 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3u10yDnjwKVLARlvHywnkW iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-run-4-ben-podcast-328906757/ Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/0d3ac680-f1f1-48db-bc2c-284f3d762ef2/the-run-4-ben-podcast Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/us/show/1002835551 and on YouTube Podcasts: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5Mrg6FKyQ8NrI1irNqtKeSmxcs73boVH This is a special interview episode of The Run4Ben Podcast, a weekly series hosted by Jamen Spitzer and Mike Piccirillo. Each episode takes a deeper look at the stories behind Run 4 Ben: The Documentary Series, following Jamen’s journey as he trains for his first marathon in honor of his dad, Ben, who is living with Parkinson’s disease.

    38 min

  2. Jun 9

    EPISODE 005 - INTERVIEW - Josh Ansley (PART ONE)

    Today, we’re doing something a little different. This is a special interview episode, and it’s also the first part of a two-part series because we cover…a lot. Our guest is Josh Ansley — musician, songwriter, and the voice behind the band Least of Thieves, who wrote and performed the very theme song you hear on every episode of the podcast! Josh’s story goes deeper than our theme song. He was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s disease. In this conversation, we dive into his journey: the music, the diagnosis, the challenges, the hope, and everything in between. Just a quick note before we begin: this conversation does get a little heavy at times. If you’re walking through something similar, or if emotional topics are tough for you right now, please be gentle with yourself. You can always pause, come back, or skip ahead. Also, we had some audio issues with Josh’s connection, so it may sound a little of at times. We kept the conversation because what Josh shared matters more than perfect audio. So let’s get into it. Here’s Josh Ansley… Please like and subscribe and follow along!  Check out our website at: https://www.run4ben.com 🎧 You can  also listen to the podcast at:  Our podcastwebsite: https://therun4benpodcast.riverside.com/ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-run-4-ben-podcast/id1890278991 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3u10yDnjwKVLARlvHywnkW iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-run-4-ben-podcast-328906757/ Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/0d3ac680-f1f1-48db-bc2c-284f3d762ef2/the-run-4-ben-podcast Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/us/show/1002835551 and on YouTube Podcasts: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5Mrg6FKyQ8NrI1irNqtKeSmxcs73boVH This is a special interview episode of The Run4Ben Podcast, a weekly series hosted by Jamen Spitzer and Mike Piccirillo. Each episode takes a deeper look at the stories behind Run 4 Ben: The Documentary Series, following Jamen’s journey as he trains for his first marathon in honor of his dad, Ben, who is living with Parkinson’s disease. The podcast also features interviews with special guests connected to the series, along with individuals who share personal experiences, insights, and expertise on Parkinson’s. Watch the full video podcast right here on YouTube, or listen on Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer, and YouTube Podcasts. #run4ben  #parkinsonsawareness  #parkinsonsdisease  #documentaryseries  #podcast

    52 min

  3. Jun 1

    EPISODE 004 - Documentary Review - "Moving" (Ep. 4)

    Jamen and Mike discuss “Moving,” the fourth episode of “The Run4Ben Documentary Series.” In this episode, Jamen and Mike discuss the making of "Moving" as Jamen reflects on Ben's progression with Parkinson's disease and the start of a new chapter in his life with his wife, Britta. Here's a link to "Moving,” available on YouTube! https://youtu.be/oArGNpD9wms Please like and subscribe and follow along! Check out our website at: https://www.run4ben.com This is Episode 4 of The Run4Ben Podcast, a weekly series hosted by Jamen Spitzer and Mike Piccirillo. Each episode takes a deeper look at the stories behind Run 4 Ben: The Documentary Series, following Jamen’s journey as he trains for his first marathon in honor of his dad, Ben, who is living with Parkinson’s disease. The podcast also features interviews with special guests connected to the series, along with individuals who share personal experiences, insights, and expertise on Parkinson’s. Watch the full video podcast right here on YouTube, or listen on Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer, and YouTube Podcasts. #run4ben #parkinsonsawareness #parkinsonsdisease #documentaryseries #podcast

    52 min

  4. May 19

    EPISODE 003 - Documentary Review - "One Step At A Time" (Ep. 3)

    Jamen and Mike discuss “One Step At A Time,” the third episode of “The Run4Ben Documentary Series.” In this episode, Jamen and Mike discuss the making of "One Step At A Time" and revisit Jamen’s sobriety journey, his first contact with baseball legend Kirk Gibson and the importance of showing up. Here's a link to "One Step At A Time,” available on YouTube! https://youtu.be/N6FgqoGfr3E Please like and subscribe and follow along! Check out our website at: https://www.run4ben.com 🎧 You can also listen to the podcast at: Our podcastwebsite: https://therun4benpodcast.riverside.com/ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-run-4-ben-podcast/id1890278991 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3u10yDnjwKVLARlvHywnkW iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-run-4-ben-podcast-328906757/ Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/0d3ac680-f1f1-48db-bc2c-284f3d762ef2/the-run-4-ben-podcast Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/us/show/1002835551 and on YouTube Podcasts: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5Mrg6FKyQ8NrI1irNqtKeSmxcs73boVH This is Episode 2 of The Run4Ben Podcast, a weekly series hosted by Jamen Spitzer and Mike Piccirillo. Each episode takes a deeper look at the stories behind Run 4 Ben: The Documentary Series, following Jamen’s journey as he trains for his first marathon in honor of his dad, Ben, who is living with Parkinson’s disease. The podcast also features interviews with special guests connected to the series, along with individuals who share personal experiences, insights, and expertise on Parkinson’s. Watch the full video podcast right here on YouTube, or listen on Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer, and YouTube Podcasts. #run4ben #parkinsonsawareness #parkinsonsdisease #documentaryseries #podcast

    56 min

  5. May 5

    EPISODE 002 - Documentary Review - "Off & Running" (Ep. 2)

    Jamen and Mike discuss “Off & Running,” the second episode of “The Run4Ben Documentary Series.” In this episode, Jamen and Mike discuss the making of "Off & Running" and revisit Jamen’s early marathon training runs, including his first 14- and 20-mile efforts. As Jamen reflects on turning his dad’s Parkinson’s into a public commitment to complete a virtual marathon, he also talks about raising funds for the Kirk Gibson Foundation and finding purpose, connection, and momentum through COVID, job upheaval, and the making of the documentary.

    38 min

  6. Apr 20

    EPISODE 001 - Documentary Review - "Beginning" (Ep. 1)

    Jamen and Mike unpack Episode 1 of the documentary series, "Beginning," and how their journey making "Run4Ben" started.

    41 min

  7. Apr 2 ·  Bonus

    EPISODE 000 - An Introduction

    In this intro episode of The Run4Ben Podcast, Jamen Spitzer and director/filmmaker Mike Piccirillo pull back the curtain on the marathon-turned-documentary inspired by Jamen’s dad, Ben, and their work with the Kirk Gibson Foundation for Parkinson’s. They share how a simple idea to film one Detroit Free Press marathon became a six-year “interactive documentary” about family, Parkinson’s, running, indie filmmaking, and what you can expect from the YouTube series, companion podcast, and community around it.

    15 min
  • 7 Episodes

About

The Run 4 Ben Podcast follows Jamen Spitzer and filmmaker Mike Piccirillo as they share the story behind their docu-series inspired by Jamen’s father, Ben, and his fight with Parkinson’s disease. What began with Jamen training for a marathon to raise awareness grew into an ongoing journey of endurance, storytelling, and purpose. Through honest conversations, behind-the-scenes reflections, and a bit of humor, the series explores how movement—both physical and emotional—keeps us connected and moving forward.

Information

  • Creator
    Mike Piccirillo, Jamen Spitzer
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    7
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Mike Piccirillo, Jamen Spitzer