Asked and answered! Year 38 of THE MARATHON will be here ridiculously soon!

The 2026 edition of Jon Solomon’s 25-Hour Holiday Radio Show on 103.3 fm WPRB arrives Christmas Eve at 5:00 pm ET and departs Christmas Day at 6:00 pm ET. 

Since it was such a success last year, following the latest lengthy broadcast (which can thankfully go long if we need), a second BEST OF THE MARATHON show will air playing greatest hits and your past favorites until 10:00 pm ET on Christmas night.

All the traditions are scheduled to return in 2026…

Of course this means Snaildartha, Lindstrom’s Little Drummer Boy and Ramones-o-Clock! It would not be Christmas without them.

We can pull from a growing thematic pool that includes ever-evolving Xmas segments inspired by The Misfits, New Order / Joy Division, Black Sabbath, The Velvet Underground, Kraftwerk, Beastie Boys, Neil Young and The Fall (The Fall, The Fall, The Fall)! 

Joel RL Phelps! Maggie’s Reindeer Rumble too! 

…plus hours upon hours upon hours of new material I should really be previewing presently.

The Kraftwerk holiday tribute set was such a hit in 2025 that this year’s theme is DEVO! 

(That’s superb inspiration if you’re trying to come up with something to record.)

Find a fresh line of marathon-inspired shirts here, plus all the prior years’ graphics.

Thank you Patrick Rapa for the inspired marathon artwork.

If you have any shirt variant ideas, I wanna hear ‘em.

Press folks, reach out to me directly.

Now, let’s get to my absolute favorite marathon tradition… 

Your Christmas Stories!

The last 15x years I’ve asked friends, musicians, comedians, fellow DJs and others I respect to record their definition of an original “Christmas Story” to be interspersed throughout my marathon, alongside other annual favorites.

These pieces then premiere frequently thought the marathon. Surprise submissions and pieces by listeners / strangers are often the best of the lot. That’s why I’m inviting YOU to be part of the show!

Listen to past favorites here.

The submission deadline for 2026 is Monday, December 21st. 

This is the year you record something! I just know it.

What is a Christmas Story?

Well…it can be a reading of a favorite Xmas tale, a cover of a holiday song you love or an original piece. I leave that in your hands. Be creative. Have fun. Don’t curse.

Submissions can be sent to this email address.

My one request is that you do not post your piece elsewhere before it airs during the show! Please! Afterwards go wild, just mention the show when you do share on Bandcamp / Soundcloud / etc.

Have a safe holiday season, everybody.

Jon Solomon
103.3 fm WPRB