Knish, Tostones, And Marathon Chaos | Food Fight Friday at the Aid Station
Laughing Through the Miles:
How “Eat, Toss, or Carry” Makes Marathons More Fun
Endurance athletes spend countless hours training, grinding, sweating, recovering, repeating… and occasionally questioning their sanity. But every now and then, something reminds us that part of what makes endurance sports magical is the laughter we share along the way.
On today’s episode of Food Fight Friday at the Aid Station, presented by our friends at 7 Summits Snacks, the hosts deliver that reminder beautifully, by asking one simple, unhinged question:
During a marathon, if you had to choose between a potato knish, four tostones, or a cold slice of New York City pizza… which would you eat, which would you toss, and which would you carry to the next aid station?
It’s the kind of scenario only endurance athletes could appreciate and only this show could turn into pure comedic brilliance.
A Mile 19 Mental Breakdown We Can All Relate To
The episode centers around a familiar moment for anyone who’s ever signed up for a race they swore would be “fun.” Jason Bahamundi and Adam Lee set the stage: You’re deep into the New York City Marathon, drifting somewhere between enlightenment and collapse. Your legs hurt. Your soul hurts. You’ve forgotten why you voluntarily paid money for this.
And then you reach an aid station stocked not with gels, bananas, or pretzels—but a knish, tostones, and a cold slice of pizza.
This is where guest Amanda Katz, coach, runner, and all-around cultural powerhouse, steps in with perhaps the most logical breakdown ever given on Food Fight Friday.
Eat: The Potato Knish
Amanda’s reasoning? The knish is basically the endurance runner’s dream disguised as a Jewish deli classic.
Soft. Warm-ish. Zero chewing required.
A high-carb, low-effort shot of energy with the textural consistency of a gel made by a grandmother who loves you.
Decision: Eat it. Immediately.
Even Jason admits the knish has big “slurpable fuel” energy, making it the surprise hero no one trained for.
Carry: The Tostones
Twice-fried plantains. Crunchy enough to give you joy, portable enough to tuck into your running shorts without judgment.
Amanda calls them “confidence boosters,” the type of snack that reminds you you’re strong enough to survive the rest of the marathon. She even explains the sauces (green or white) that could elevate your entire race strategy, if only you had the use of your hands again.
Decision: Carry them like they’re precious cargo.
Toss: The Cold NYC Pizza Slice
This one hurts, especially for the New Yorkers in the room, but Amanda doesn’t flinch.
Cold cheese. Greasy fingers. Folding a slice at speed. Choking hazards. Regret.
Sure, pizza has fed millions of runners post-race, but mid-marathon? That’s a gamble even seasoned runners know better than to take.
Decision: Toss the pizza. With love. But toss it.
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Culture, Comedy, and Carbs Collide
What makes this debate hilarious isn’t just the choices, it’s how deeply the trio leans into the cultural stories behind them. Amanda breaks down Dominican tostones like a culinary historian. Jason calls the knish a pierogi-dumpling hybrid in a way that will make deli purists gasp. Adam, ever the voice of reason, simply tries to imagine running with pizza grease on his hands.
If endurance athletes had a version of “The View,” it would look exactly like this…..equal parts education, chaos, and camaraderie.
Why Fun Matters in Endurance Sports
This episode delivers a message that’s easy to forget but essential to remember:
Training is serious. Running is hard. Marathons are harder.
But joy? Joy keeps us moving forward.
As runners, we thrive on silliness. Aid station jokes. Middle-of-the-night hallucinations. Debates over food choices that would mortify non-athletes. Episodes like this remind us that community and connection are just as important as miles and metrics.
So the next time you’re out on a long run, climbing a hill, wondering why your quads hate you…..think of this game.
Eat. Toss. Carry.
Laugh a little.
Because endurance sports are better when you’re laughing about a funny marathon food debate.
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