Pregnant Sheffield runner defies odds in Boston marathon
British Athletics says simply: "She is built different."
And it is hard to argue with the governing body's assessment of Calli Hauger-Thackery's own incredible body.
Yesterday, she completed the Boston Marathon in under three hours despite being 22 weeks pregnant.
Incorporated in that 2:43:58 were two "quick medical stops and two pee breaks," she said later.
On her Instagram account, fans said she was an inspiration to women, and an athletics "machine", with one adding: "Running for two. The baby should get a medal!"
Another pondered if she had recorded a "world record for a 22-week pregnant lady."
Hauger-Thackery, who represented Team GB at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, discovered in December she was carrying a baby and made the news public later in February.
However, it has not stopped the Hallamshire Harrier.
The 33-year-old from Killamarsh has been one of Britain’s most consistent marathon performers in recent years, steadily establishing herself among the country’s elite distance runners.
She enjoyed a breakthrough in 2023 when she clocked a personal best of 2:21:24 at the Berlin Marathon, a time that placed her among the fastest British women in history and underlined her credentials on the global stage.
That performance helped secure her Olympic selection, where she went on to represent Team GB in Paris in 2024, further cementing her status as a leading figure in British marathon running.
A year ago in Boston, she finished sixth with a time of 2:22:38 in the same event, marking it as the 10th fastest time in British history and showcasing her ability to compete with the world's best on one of marathon running’s most demanding courses.
She has also claimed strong finishes across the World Marathon Majors circuit, building a reputation for toughness, consistency and the ability to deliver on the biggest stages.
Her latest effort in Boston on Monday, though, may stand apart - not for where she finished, but for the extraordinary circumstances in which it was achieved.