Olympic Gold Medalist Gwen Jorgensen Is Running NYC Marathon
There's no rest for this superstar gold medalist.
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Olympic gold medalist Gwen Jorgensen isn’t just one of the best triathletes in the world, she’s also a world-class runner. We got goosebumps watching her come down the finishing stretch in Rio, and teared up with her she burst into happy tears after grasping the finish-line tape. We were stunned when we learned her 10K split: 34:09 after coming off a hard swim and brutal bike. To put that in perspective: If Jorgensen ran in the Olympic 10,000 meters on the track, that time would have been good enough to compete. “I invested four years into one day,” she says, “And to actually have that dream come true was pretty incredible.”
This morning, Jorgensen revealed that she’s going to be cashing in on that talent in the fall by running the New York City Marathon.
First announced on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” , Jorgensen also revealed that instead of taking time off, she has a busy fall planned. The American will compete a handful of triathlons, including the ITU WTS Grand Final in Cozumel on Sept. 11. She is the defending two-time world champion, but with a busy year of focusing on the Olympics she currently sits in third behind Jodie Stimpson (GBR) and Flora Duffy (BER). She will then head to the Island House Invitational Triathlon in the Bahamas to compete from Oct. 28-30 against triathlon stars from across all distances.
When Women’s Running caught up with the gold medalist, she explained, “Honestly, I don’t even remember the first time I said I wanted to do a marathon it’s been so long…I’ve had such a big goal these past four years and everything I’ve done has been because of the triathlon, so I’m excited to a completely different thing where I’m not going to be 100-percent prepared.”
Jorgensen joins a highly anticipated elite field, which includes Molly Huddle, who is also making her marathon debut. Molly Huddle placed sixth in the women’s 10,000 meters in Rio after winning the Olympic Trials in Eugene in July. Kim Conley, who raced in the 5,000 meter preliminaries in Rio, will also be running NYC.
Although her true sport may always be triathlon, Jorgenson says her heart lies in running: “When I go out for a run it’s my happy place and it’s what I love to do. For me to do something surrounded by that is what I love.” But like anyone starting to train for her first 26.2, the excitement doesn’t come without a level of nerves: “I normally race 6.2, so now I have to figure out how to race 20 more miles as well!”
Watch the CNBC interview here