Just in time for Mother's Day elite American marathoner and Olympian Kara Goucher announced today in the New York Times that she's pregnant and due at the exact same time as her running idol Paula Radcliffe.
Radcliffe gave news of her pregnancy in April before this year's London Marathon, just as the media was starting to wonder why she hadn't signed up for a spring or fall race. Radcliffe already has a three-year-old girl named Isla.
This will be the first child for the 32-year-old Goucher. She's married to Adam Goucher who is also an elite runner and a former Olympic finalist in the 5000 meters.
After placing third at the Boston Marathon in 2009, Kara didn't compete this year, telling the press it was because she was trying to get pregnant.
Goucher's husband Adam was inducted into the Colorado Running Hall of Fame earlier this week, and appeared at the event without his wife. Because Kara is visibly pregnant now and in her second trimester, the two might have been trying to keep the secret for the Mother's Day surprise.
Radcliffe and Goucher first started training together in January in Portland, Oregon, and the two have quickly become best friends.
Goucher first met Radcliffe in September of 2007 at the Great North Run. Goucher won the race, and beat Radcliffe, who holds the world-record holder in the marathon. Radcliffe was just returning to racing after the birth of her daughter and an injury.
Goucher and Radcliffe will next run the New York Mini 10K, a women's race, on June 12. Goucher says it will be just for fun.
After they're recovered from their pregnancies, both women plan to duel it out for the gold at the 2012 Olympic Marathon on Radcliffe's home turf in London.
For more information on running and pregnancy check out Running While Pregnant: Kara Goucher and Paula Radcliffe by Philadelphia Running Examiner Natalie DiTullio.
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Comments
Great article and great news. Congrats to Kara.
Paula was who I followed and researched when I was pregnant the first time. I was so excited to hear Kara was starting a family after Boston!!
aw a marathon baby
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