Wayne State law dean runs Boston Marathon in just over 6 hours, while 8 months pregnant
It took Jocelyn Benson more than six hours to complete the Boston Marathon this year, more than double the time of the fastest female runners.
But, unlike the Wayne State University law dean, they presumably weren’t eight months pregnant.
Benson, 38, qualified for the Boston Marathon by completing the San Diego Marathon last year in 3 hours, 37 minutes. A month after she learned in September that she had made the cut for Boston, she found out she was pregnant, the Detroit News reports.
“Initially, I thought that eight months would be too far along for me to compete,” she said in a written statement provided to the newspaper. “But then I read a story about Amy Kiel, who had my same due date, was in her mid-30s and had finished Boston in 2015. Her story inspired me to realize what seemed impossible was possible. So, I started training and, with the blessing of my doctor, flew to Boston to run.”
Benson hoped by participating in the 26.2-mile race to demonstrate that women can do extraordinary things. But until she actually crossed the finish line, she wasn’t sure she could complete it, she told WXYZ.
“Absolute euphoria when I finished the marathon even as I was approaching the finish line,” Benson said. “I can’t believe I was actually finishing it because in my head, I was thinking I hope I can but I don’t know if I can.”
She and her husband expect a son in June.
