For elite distance runner Calli Hauger-Thackery, crossing the Boston Marathon finish line in 2:43:00 represented one of her most meaningful athletic achievements—despite being over 20 minutes slower than her personal best. The 33-year-old British Olympian completed the grueling 26.2-mile course while 22 weeks pregnant, navigating unexpected physical challenges along the way.
"I'm grateful that I got through that today," Hauger-Thackery told BBC Sport. "26.2 miles is no easy feat and to do it this far into pregnancy, I'm super grateful."
The race presented immediate obstacles: at mile five, she required medical treatment for a trapped nerve in her glute that left her struggling to lift her right leg properly. She returned to the medical tent at mile 11 for further treatment. Additionally, she made two bathroom stops before the halfway point—common necessities during pregnancy.
"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 think I was going to be finished in that race."
Hauger-Thackery's pregnancy journey with running began unexpectedly. She discovered she was pregnant after winning December's Honolulu Marathon, where she attributed vomiting during the race to heat rather than morning sickness.
"I joked to Nick, my husband, and said 'imagine if it is morning sickness,'" she recalled. "We just laughed it off, genuinely didn't think anything of it. It was Christmas Eve we found out and we were like 'oh, that makes sense now.'"
She went on to win January's Houston Marathon at eight weeks pregnant with a time of 2:24:17, describing it as "probably the hardest marathon for me."
The decision to start a family came after Hauger-Thackery didn't finish October's Chicago Marathon. She and her husband Nick, who also serves as her coach, transformed that disappointment into opportunity.
"We just turned it into a happy time," she said. "I was like, 'wow, are we actually gonna do this? Is this the year we wanna start a family?' Nick and I both agreed that it was a perfect year."
With an impressive career that includes setting the joint second-fastest marathon time for a British woman and winning bronze at the 2024 European Athletics Championships half-marathon, Hauger-Thackery found the timing ideal given the absence of major championships this year.
"If we do it this year, I'll have a two-year-old for the Olympics," she noted.
She describes running while pregnant as "even more meaningful" than her previous athletic accomplishments.
"It's a different kind of hard, for sure, than what I've ever done, a lot harder than the European medals or these other things that I've achieved. But in a different way, in a more meaningful way, and I think it's just given me more purpose than ever before."
While receiving overwhelming support from fellow runners, spectators, and medical professionals, Hauger-Thackery has encountered some criticism from "people behind the keyboard." She emphasizes consulting with doctors and understanding her own body's capabilities.
"There's been more research than ever before on why you actually should run while you're pregnant, especially if it's all you've known," she said, pointing to predecessors like Paula Radcliffe, Liz McColgan, and Sonia O'Sullivan who continued running careers around motherhood.
She sees her experience as part of a growing trend of athletes balancing family and elite sport, citing examples like Manchester United's Celin Bizet Donnum and England rugby captain Zoe Stratford, both currently expecting.
"It means so much to me. We can be a mother and also shoot for these crazy big goals, more than ever," Hauger-Thackery said. "I think, if anything, it's going to push me to show my son what is possible."
For now, the marathoner plans to take a break from racing, acknowledging that "the post-marathon recovery takes on a whole new level when you're 22 weeks pregnant."