The Zac Clark Show

What is it about running a marathon that makes it such a powerful, life-changing experience? And what can the discipline, commitment, and pursuit of a goal teach us about ourselves?

Fresh off the 2026 NYC Marathon, Zac sits down with his coach and mentor, Mario Fraioli, to reflect on a year of training that culminated in a 3:04:02 personal best -- a 23-minute improvement from the year before.

Together, they explore the fulfillment that comes from setting a goal and working toward it, the importance of patience and consistency, and why running has become such a meaningful part of so many people's lives. They discuss the parallels between running, recovery, and personal growth, and what it means to trust the process even when progress isn't linear.

They're joined by Theo Puccio, who shares his remarkable journey from a complete beginner to running a 2:52 marathon in just six months. Six months!

A conversation about running, purpose, and human connection – and why running resonates so deeply with people, whether they're in recovery or not.

Connect with running coach Mario Fraoli

https://mariofraioli.com/

Connect with Theo Puccio

https://www.instagram.com/theopuccio/

Connect with Zac

https://www.instagram.com/zwclark/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-c-746b96254/

https://www.tiktok.com/@zacwclark

https://www.strava.com/athletes/55697553

https://twitter.com/zacwclark

If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery:

(914) 588-6564

releaserecovery.com

@releaserecovery

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Recently, I had Stephanie Wittels Wachs on The Zac Clark Show, and our conversation left me wanting to go back to the beginning of her story.

Steph’s brother, Harris, was a brilliant comedian and writer whose life was ultimately taken by addiction. In this episode of Last Day, Steph shares the story of Harris, her family, and the early experiences that shaped how she came to understand addiction and eventually dedicate so much of her life to talking about it.

The episode also features conversations with Sarah Silverman and Aziz Ansari, who worked alongside Harris on The Sarah Silverman Program and Master of None, respectively. Both were friends of Harris, and their memories offer a personal glimpse into the man behind the comedy and the impact he had on those who knew him.

After hearing Steph today, revisiting this conversation feels especially powerful. It’s a reminder that addiction isn’t just a diagnosis or a statistic. It’s a story about people, families, grief, love, and the search for understanding.

If you listened to my recent conversation with Steph, this is the story that came before it.

And if you’re meeting Steph for the first time, start here.

Stephanie’s new book – Last Day: How to Stop Losing Our Loved Ones to the Opioid Crisis – is available now: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Last-Day/Stephanie-Wittels-Wachs/9781668093184

Connect with Stephanie:

https://www.instagram.com/wittelstephanie/

Listen to Last Day:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/last-day/id1468896686

More about Lemonada:

https://lemonadamedia.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Connect with Zac

https://www.instagram.com/zwclark/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-c-746b96254/

https://www.tiktok.com/@zacwclark

https://www.strava.com/athletes/55697553

https://twitter.com/zacwclark

If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery:

(914) 588-6564

releaserecovery.com

@releaserecovery

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Running the 2026 NYC Marathon? After completing the race 11 times, Zac shares everything he's learned about making the most of one of the greatest days in New York City.

In this solo episode, Zac explores the history of the NYC Marathon and shares his essential tips for race week and race day, covering sleep, nutrition, hydration, transportation, pacing, navigating the course's toughest stretches, and crossing the finish line in Central Park.

Whether it's your first marathon or your fifteenth, Zac shares the lessons, mistakes, and unforgettable moments that make the NYC Marathon unlike any other race in the world.

Good luck, runners!

Support Zac & the Release Recovery Foundation

https://fundraisers.nyrr.org/zac-clark-2026

Connect with Zac

https://www.instagram.com/zwclark/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-c-746b96254/

https://www.tiktok.com/@zacwclark

https://www.strava.com/athletes/55697553

https://twitter.com/zacwclark

If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery:

(914) 588-6564

releaserecovery.com

@releaserecovery

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What happens when a narcotics cop who spent his career fighting the war on drugs discovers his own daughter is battling heroin addiction?

In this episode, Zac sits down with former narcotics officer Kevin Simmers and filmmaker Jake Allyn to discuss the true story behind CLEAN HANDS, starring Zach Braff, Esther McGregor, and Abigail Spencer. The film is OUT NOW and available to rent on Amazon, Apple TV, and other digital platforms.

Kevin spent years believing arrests and incarceration were the answer to America's drug crisis. But when his daughter Brooke became addicted to heroin, everything he thought he knew was challenged. Brooke died of an overdose in 2015 at just 19 years old.

In a raw and emotional conversation, Kevin opens up about the guilt he still carries, the limits of a father's love, and how losing Brooke transformed his understanding of addiction. Zac reflects on his own recovery and offers Kevin a powerful message about forgiveness.

Jake shares how their story became CLEAN HANDS and what he learned about addiction's impact on entire families. They also discuss Brooke's House, the recovery treatment facility Kevin and his wife founded in their daughter's honor.

A conversation about fatherhood, grief, forgiveness, and turning unimaginable loss into hope for others.

CLEAN HANDS available to rent or buy on Amazon, Apple TV, and other digital platforms.

Watch Clean Hands

https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.cea52c72-85c2-4517-992b-637bee3a84c2?ref_=atv_cf_strg_wb

https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/clean-hands/umc.cmc.2e28qcbwcgvpzjdftsi13392

Learn More About Brooke’s House

https://brookeshouse.org/the-real-story-of-how-brookes-house-rehab-facility-came-to-be/

Connect with director Jake Allyn

https://www.instagram.com/jakeallyn85/

Connect with Zac

https://www.instagram.com/zwclark/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-c-746b96254/

https://www.tiktok.com/@zacwclark

https://www.strava.com/athletes/55697553

https://twitter.com/zacwclark

If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery:

(914) 588-6564

releaserecovery.com

@releaserecovery

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dad Gang founders Bart Szaniewski and Grant Eastey join Zac for a conversation about fatherhood, men's mental health, entrepreneurship and building a community where dads don't have to figure everything out alone.

They open up about how becoming a father changed them, navigating miscarriage and infertility, why so many new dads struggle in silence, and what it means to let your kids see you ask for help, make mistakes and keep going.

They also tell the unlikely story behind Dad Gang — from three friends making their first 100 hats to building an eight-figure brand, showing up on social media every single day for more than four years, and eventually bringing Gary Vee into the company as a partner.

Behind it all, Dad Gang was never supposed to be just another hat company. It's about giving fathers a community, challenging outdated ideas about masculinity and reminding dads that their kids are watching how they live.

Connect with Dad Gang

Dad Gang (@dadgang.co)

Bart Szaniewski (@theszef)

Ejay O'Donnell (@ejayodonnell)

Grant Eastey (@geastey)

Learn More About Dad Gang

https://www.dadgang.co/

Connect with Zac

https://www.instagram.com/zwclark/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-c-746b96254/

https://www.tiktok.com/@zacwclark

https://www.strava.com/athletes/55697553

https://twitter.com/zacwclark

If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery:

(914) 588-6564

releaserecovery.com

@releaserecovery

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Michael McCormick, Chief Medical Officer at Release Recovery and our resident doctor on The Zac Clark Show, returns for an urgent conversation about today’s rapidly changing drug supply.

Following the suspected overdose deaths of two students at Ole Miss, Zac and Doc discuss what they’re seeing firsthand in addiction treatment – from kratom and concentrated kratom-derived products to counterfeit pills, nitrous and emerging synthetic opioids – and why experimentation today carries risks it didn’t a generation ago.

Importantly, Doc explains why you do not have to have a substance use disorder to overdose, and why someone experimenting for the first time may be especially vulnerable.

As a doctor, person in long-term recovery and father with a son in college, Doc also shares how he talks to his own kids about drugs – and why “don’t do drugs” is no longer enough.

Zac and Doc close with three practical messages: test your drugs, carry Narcan and have the hard conversation. Thisi is an important conversation for parents and young people alike.

Connect with Dr. Michael McCormick

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-a-mccormick-d-o-2131269/

https://www.instagram.com/drmichaelmccormick/

Connect with Zac

https://www.instagram.com/zwclark/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-c-746b96254/

https://www.tiktok.com/@zacwclarkhttps://www.strava.com/athletes/55697553https://twitter.com/zacwclark

If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery:

(914) 588-6564

releaserecovery.com

@releaserecovery

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Benton McClintock built an online following by being loud, outrageous, funny – and often completely fucked up. Behind the characters and viral videos, though, his relationship with drugs and alcohol was getting harder to control.

In his early 20s, Benton was waiting tables in New York City while trying to build a career online. Drinking became part of the job, drugs were readily available, and eventually he says he couldn't go to work without drinking. At the same time, the wild persona he created while using was beginning to attract an audience.

Then, at 27, Benton met the man who would eventually become his husband. When he learned that he was sober, something clicked. Benton decided he wasn't going to drink anymore – and he hasn't since.

Benton joins Zac to talk about growing up with depression and a chaotic family life, using alcohol and drugs to quiet his mind, getting sober without a traditional rock-bottom moment, and the fear that sobriety would make him less funny and creative. He also opens up about finding his own path in recovery, his complicated relationship with AA, marriage, acting, social media, and realizing that getting sober doesn't necessarily mean you're finished confronting addictive behavior.

Two years into sobriety, Benton says plainly that his life today wouldn't exist without it.

Connect with Benton

https://www.instagram.com/bentonmcclintock/

https://www.tiktok.com/@bentonmcclintock

Connect with Zac

https://www.instagram.com/zwclark/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-c-746b96254/

https://www.tiktok.com/@zacwclark

https://www.strava.com/athletes/55697553

https://twitter.com/zacwclark

If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery:

(914) 588-6564

releaserecovery.com

@releaserecovery

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Stephanie Wittels Wachs is the CEO and cofounder of Lemonada Media, host of the award-winning podcast Last Day, and author of Last Day: How to Stop Losing Our Loved Ones to the Opioid Crisis. But none of this work would exist without her younger brother, Harris Wittels.

Harris – the beloved writer, producer and comedian known for Parks and Recreation and Master of None – died of an opioid overdose in 2015 at just 30 years old. Before his death, Stephanie watched someone she loved cycle through addiction, treatment and relapse while her family struggled to understand what they were supposed to do.

In this deeply personal conversation, Stephanie tells Zac about the call when Harris first revealed his OxyContin addiction, the mistakes she believes her family made with the information they had at the time, and the moment she finally understood that her brother wasn't choosing to hurt them – he was sick.

More than a decade later, Stephanie has devoted much of her life to understanding the questions she couldn't answer then. She and Zac talk about opioid addiction, relapse, medication-assisted treatment, 12-step recovery, harm reduction, Narcan, boundaries, grief, guilt, and why there may not be one path to recovery.

At its heart, this is a conversation about something millions of families struggle with: how do you help someone you love when you can't make them get sober?

Stephanie’s new book – Last Day: How to Stop Losing Our Loved Ones to the Opioid Crisis – is available now: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Last-Day/Stephanie-Wittels-Wachs/9781668093184

Connect with Stephanie:

https://www.instagram.com/wittelstephanie/

Listen to Last Day:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/last-day/id1468896686

More about Lemonada:

https://lemonadamedia.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Connect with Zac

https://www.instagram.com/zwclark/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-c-746b96254/

https://www.tiktok.com/@zacwclark

https://www.strava.com/athletes/55697553

https://twitter.com/zacwclark

If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery:

(914) 588-6564

releaserecovery.com

@releaserecovery

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tony and Grammy-nominated performer Lena Hall joins Zac for an honest conversation about addiction, sobriety and the side of success people rarely see. A Broadway veteran who won a Tony for Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Lena has built a career spanning theater, music, film and television, including her current role on Apple TV’s Your Friends & Neighbors.

Lena opens up about how wanting to fit in eventually became a cycle of drinking and using to the point of blackout – even as her career was reaching new heights.

She shares how debilitating panic and anxiety finally led her to question her relationship with substances, and how curiosity helped carry her into sobriety.

Now 10 years sober, Lena reflects on childhood pain, AA and Al-Anon, mental health, her experience with ayahuasca and the complicated question of what “sober” actually means – along with creativity, Broadway and why she continues to share her recovery publicly.

Connect with Lena

https://www.instagram.com/lenarockerhall/

https://www.instagram.com/labiahead_band/

Watch Lena on Your Friends & Neighbors

https://tv.apple.com/us/episode/this-is-what-happens/umc.cmc.36i6dji213wclhgotvqb214b8?showId=umc.cmc.74o37kzay0yuuub8iumddjsg&action=playSmartEpisode

Connect with Zac

https://www.instagram.com/zwclark/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-c-746b96254/

https://www.tiktok.com/@zacwclark

https://www.strava.com/athletes/55697553

https://twitter.com/zacwclark

If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery:

(914) 588-6564

releaserecovery.com

@releaserecovery

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What happens when the race probably should be canceled — but nobody stops running?

Zac breaks down one of the wildest races of his life: the Paramus Race Faster Half Marathon, where torrential rain turned the course into knee-and waist-deep water, rushing currents, slippery trails and even a detour into traffic. Despite it all, Zac and hundreds of other runners kept going.

After footage from the race went viral, Zac reflects on why he never considered stopping, the strange tunnel vision that takes over when you're chasing a finish line, and the unexpected sense of community that came from getting through something difficult together.

This is the story of the craziest half marathon Zac has ever run — and why he'd probably keep running until someone physically pulled him off the course.

Connect with Zac

https://www.instagram.com/zwclark/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-c-746b96254/

https://www.tiktok.com/@zacwclark

https://www.strava.com/athletes/55697553

https://twitter.com/zacwclark

If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery:

(914) 588-6564

releaserecovery.com

@releaserecovery

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices