Shalane Flanagan Hopes To Run 6 World Marathon Majors In 42 Days
BOSTON (CBS) -- Running legend Shalane Flanagan is coming out of retirement, and she's doing so in grand fashion.
The Marblehead native announced in an Instagram post that she is setting out on running six World Marathon Majors in just 42 days, including the Boston Marathon. She had announced her retirement in 2019.
In her Instagram post, Flanagan expressed how retirement and the pandemic made her love running again.
"Dear Running, It's me again, and I have fallen back in love with you," she said.
She later stated that the opportunity to run six marathons in seven weeks was something she didn't want to pass up.
"Six World Major marathons, taking place over seven weeks. A total running eclipse that will never happen again in my lifetime. Coming off of a year and a half where so much was taken away from the world, I thought…could this be a chance for you and me to take some of it back? This goal is hard. But I need it to be. It's what makes me feel most alive."
The timing of running six marathons in 42 days was only made possible by the pandemic, as several races were postponed,
Here are the major marathons that the 40-year-old will be attempting to run:
- Berlin - September 26
- London - October 3
- Chicago - October 10
- Boston - October 11
- Tokyo (virtual) - October 17
- New York City - November 7
Flanagan is a four-time Boston Marathon elite runner. In 2017, she became the first American woman to win the New York City Marathon since 1977.