Is it OK to run a marathon while pregnant?
Amber Miller made some headlines last week for giving birth after she completed the Chicago Marathon last October 9. She completed the marathon in about 6 hours, 25 minutes and 50 seconds. That is not her PR. She can run a marathon in 3.5 hours.
Quennie completed a 16K while she was one month pregnant. But we didn’t know at that time that she was already carrying Gab in her tummy. When we had a check up, Doc D advised her to stop running long distances and just have a regular and moderate exercise like walking. Quennie prefers walking in the mall during weekends.
So, is it OK to run a marathon when you are pregnant?
Here’s what Doc D of Filipina MD has to say.
Now, ladies, don’t be challenged and strive to copy Amber’s impossible feat. First of all, she was a seasoned athlete. She has completed eight full marathons and she had signed up for the Chicago Marathon even before she knew she was pregnant. So, she had plenty of time to prepare for this one.
In my opinion, Amber was taking a huge risk. She could have encountered all sorts of obstacles or unforeseen circumstances along the way. She could have tripped or fallen on her tummy. She could have suffered heat stroke or dehydration. Her water bag could have ruptured in the middle of nowhere.
Read the Doc D’s complete advice on running while pregnant at Filipina M.D..
About The Author
ManokanRunner
Jinoe Gavan is the founder of this award-winning blog Takbo.ph, The Filipino Running Community. Known as ManokanRunner, he is a computer addict on weekdays, a church leader on weekends and a runner in all days of the week. He wants to run and cover as many miles in many places as he could. Read more about his life in the urban jungle with all the distractions and the fun of raising his son in DaddyandtheCity(dot)com.
buwis buhay pala yung ginawa nya. . btw congrats to her!
I learned about this news last week, too. I even posted it in my blog.
I still could not figure out how she completed the marathon given her condition. She really took a dangerous risk.
I believe that running should be for health reasons. But in such situations, I think she should have not run, even if she’s an experienced marathoner. There will always be next year. 🙂
i am running the First Bucks County Marathon next month and its just been confirmed by the organizer that 2 pregnant ladies are running the marathon! What the hell are these ladies thinking? if i was the baby in the tummy and i grew up and found out that my mom ran a marathon while i was in her womb, id be pissed off! Id be wondering if my mom was trying to get rid of me… There are lots of marathons that these ladies can join in after delivering their babies..