British athlete Calli Hauger-Thackery runs Boston Marathon at 22 weeks pregnant

British Olympian Calli Hauger-Thackery completed the 2026 Boston Marathon in 2 hours, 43 minutes and 58 seconds while 22 weeks pregnant with her first child.

The 33-year-old athlete from Sheffield described the achievement as “incredible” and “more meaningful” than her previous performances, despite finishing over 20 minutes slower than her personal best.

Hauger-Thackery, who represented Great Britain at the Olympic Games, ran the same course in 2025 where she finished sixth with a time of 2:22:38. This year’s result placed her 65th overall in the women’s field.

“I’m grateful that I got through that today. 26.2 miles is no effortless feat and to do it this far into pregnancy, I’m super grateful,” she told BBC Sport following the race.

The athlete encountered physical challenges early in the race, reporting a trapped nerve in her glute at mile five that required medical attention.

“I had to dash into the medical tent because I had this crazy trapped nerve. I genuinely couldn’t even pick up my right leg properly. I was dragging it and I was like, oh no, this is not excellent and this is mile five. I was like, ‘guys, is there anything you can do?'” she recalled.

Medical staff treated the issue, allowing her to continue. She experienced a similar problem at mile 11, requiring another stop at the medical tent where staff applied freeze gel to the affected area.

Hauger-Thackery also noted the necessitate for additional breaks during the race due to her pregnancy.

“I had two wee stops, as you do when you’re pregnant, you need them more than ever, but this was all before mile 13,” she explained, noting that these occurred before the halfway point of the marathon.

Despite the difficulties in the first half, she reported feeling strong later in the race.

“The second half felt flawless, like I was in tune with my body. I felt a million dollars. I was like, OK, we’re actually doing this. Because there were many times before mile 13, which is the halfway point, I did not reckon I was going to be finished in that race,” she said.

Her split times showed improvement in the second half, with a first half of 1:23:10 and a second half of 1:20:48.

Hauger-Thackery confirmed she is expecting a boy, due at the end of August, and said she thought of her unborn child throughout the race.

“I have been thinking about him at every step,” she stated after crossing the finish line. “Already a true legend before he’s even born.”

The athlete emphasized that her decision to run was made in consultation with her medical team.

“I know my body and I know what’s good for me. I have spoken with my doctors, they know my history and they support me a lot,” she said when addressing potential critics.

This was not Hauger-Thackery’s first marathon while pregnant, though she was unaware of her pregnancy during a previous race.

She won the Honolulu Marathon in December 2025 before knowing she was pregnant, attributing any nausea during that race to heat rather than morning sickness.

Hauger-Thackery indicated that the Boston Marathon would likely be her final competitive race for the foreseeable future as she focuses on pregnancy and postpartum recovery.

“The body will need recovery more than normal at the minute,” she noted in an interview with Runner’s World.

Her doctors have been supportive of her continuing to train during pregnancy, with Hauger-Thackery recalling them asking at a recent checkup, “Are you still running Boston?” before wishing her luck.

Calli Hauger-Thackery ist schwanger – und lief dennoch beim Boston-Marathon mit. Die britische Leichtathletin schlug sich trotz einiger Schwierigkeiten sehr achtbar.

Beim diesjährigen Marathon in Boston hinkte Calli Hauger-Thackery ihrer Zeit aus dem vergangenen Jahr an gleicher Stelle hinterher. Damals hatte die Britin die Strecke in 2:22:38 Stunden bewältigt und kam als Sechste ins Ziel, diesmal brauchte sie 2:43:58 Stunden. Allerdings waren die Voraussetzungen auch ganz andere: Hauger-Thackery ist in der 22. Woche schwanger.

„Ich bin dankbar, dass ich heute durchgekommen bin“, sagte sie nach dem Marathon der BBC. „42,194 Kilometer sind keine leichte Aufgabe, und sie zu bewältigen, wenn man so weit fortgeschritten ist in der Schwangerschaft, ist eine besondere Leistung.“ Die 33-Jährige kam dennoch auf einen respektablen 65. Platz – auch wenn die Platzierung für sie eher eine untergeordnete Rolle spielte.

Vor allem ging es darum, die Marathondistanz überhaupt zu bewältigen. Schon früh im Rennen hatte sie mit einem eingeklemmten Nerv zu kämpfen, musste medizinisch behandelt werden. „Ich konnte mein rechtes Bein nicht einmal richtig anheben“, berichtete sie der BBC.

Marathon mit typischen Schwangerschaftsproblemen

Hinzu kamen Probleme, die Schwangeren bekannt vorkommen dürften: Hauger-Thackery musste unterwegs zwei Toilettenpausen einlegen – „wie man das eben macht, wenn man schwanger ist“. In der ersten Hälfte des Rennens habe sie oft gedacht, sie würde es nicht ins Ziel schaffen, erzählte die Olympia-Starterin. Glücklicherweise lief es in der zweiten Hälfte besser.

Es ist nicht der erste Marathon, den Hauger-Thackery schwanger läuft. Beim Honolulu-Marathon auf Hawaii im Dezember wusste sie allerdings noch nichts davon – und gewann das Rennen. Dass sie sich mehrmals übergeben musste, schob sie auf die Hitze.

„Ich kenne meinen Körper und weiß, was gut für mich ist. Ich habe mit meinen Ärzten gesprochen, sie kennen meine Geschichte und unterstützen mich sehr“, kontert die Britin kritische Kommentare. Weitere Rennen sind bis zur Geburt allerdings nicht geplant.

Ihr Baby wird übrigens ein Junge. „Ich habe bei jedem Schritt an ihn gedacht“, sagte Hauger-Thackery nach dem Boston-Marathon. „Schon eine echte Legende, bevor er überhaupt geboren ist.“

Quellen: BBC, Calli Hauger-Thackery auf Instagram, Boston-Marathon

As she prepares for the arrival of her son in late August, Hauger-Thackery’s Boston Marathon performance stands as a testament to athletic determination during pregnancy.

The British athlete plans to focus on recovery and motherhood following the race, with no further competitive events scheduled before her due date.

Her achievement adds to the growing list of elite athletes who have competed at high levels while pregnant, challenging traditional perceptions about physical limitations during gestation.

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