"In awe of everyone who is running" - Gabby Thomas gears up for NYC Marathon 2024 after being announced as the Grand Marshal for the event

By Abhiruchi Rout

Modified Oct 30, 2024 20:57 GMT

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American track sensation Gabby Thomas recently expressed her anticipation for the 2024 New York City Marathon. This comes after she was announced the Grand Marshal for the marathon running competition.

Thomas had a successful 2024 season as she bagged three gold medals at the Paris Olympics, emerging as the most accomplished US track and field athlete at the quadrennial games. Thomas’ popularity has soared ever since, leading to appearances at various high-profile events including the US Grand Prix, CFDA Awards, WNBA playoffs, and New York Fashion Week.

Following her record-breaking campaign at the Summer Olympics, Gabby Thomas was named the Grand Marshal for the 2024 New York City Marathon on October 11. As the date for the marathon approaches, which is scheduled for Sunday, (Nov. 3), Thomas showed her excitement for the NYC Marathon. She took to X to show her anticipation, stating:

“I am genuinely in awe of everyone who is running in the @nycmarathon this Sunday!! Stoked to cheer everyone on along with the city of New York as Grand Marshal. Let’s go!!! 👏🏽🫶🏽”

It is worth noting that the NYC Marathon is one of the six World Marathon Majors (WMM), alongside Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, and Chicago. The marathon in New York is also the final WMM for the 2024 season.

In the men’s field, a few top elite runners to watch out for at the NYC Marathon are Tamirat Tola, Bashir Abdi, and Evans Chebet, while the women’s section will be headlined by Helen Obiri, Sharon Lokedi, and Sheila Chepkirui among others. Notably, Tola and Obiri are also the defending champions, who crossed the finish line in a time of 2:04:58s and 2:27:23s respectively.

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Gabby Thomas shares her thoughts on whether she has ever run a marathon

Gabby Thomas at Paris Olympics (Photo by Andy Cheung/Getty Images)

Gabby Thomas has established herself as one of the top sprinters by showing her versatility across different distances as she contributed to the USA’s gold medal wins in the 4x100m and 4x400m relay events, despite being a specialized 200m runner.

In an interview with TODAY in August, Thomas was asked whether she has ever run a marathon. To this, the 27-year-old responded:

“No, the furthest I will run is one mile."

Gabby Thomas added:

“We do a mile in the fall. It's a gut check. We do it to tap into your mental side.”

Thomas said it is challenging to run a mile when asked if she has ever completed the 1.6km race.