Marathons have always been about having something worth running for, whether it is a personal best, a long-awaited goal, or simply proving to yourself that you can make it to the finish line. But for Oklahoma runner Ali Andrews, the Sydney Marathon carried a very different kind of motivation. At eight months pregnant, Andrews completed the 26.2-mile race in 2:58:43 while carrying her baby girl, who had her own way of making her presence felt throughout the race.

The 29-year-old was 32 weeks pregnant when she lined up for the Sydney Marathon on August 30. She finally finished the race in 2 hours, 58 minutes, and 43 seconds, an accomplishment that is achieved by only some 1% of women who compete in marathons. But for Andrew, it was full of challenges. As she stated her baby was moving throughout the race, and she was feeling her daughter’s movement.

Despite being heavily pregnant, she said, “I’m obviously heavier, so the hills were a little bit more intense. But I felt really good, and I wasn’t pushing too hard.” However, this marathon was Andrew’s seventh overall and her second while pregnant.

She had already experienced running 26.2 miles during pregnancy earlier this year when she competed in the Boston Marathon at 13 weeks. There, she produced a 2:41:58 personal best. But her Sydney entry had actually been secured before she knew she was pregnant. After finding out she was expecting, Andrew consulted her doctor about whether she could continue running and eventually decided to keep her place in the race.

“My doctors and midwife were supportive,” Andrew said, according to reporting from the Oklahoma outlet KOTV. “If you are low-risk and healthy, then there is no reason to stop what I am already used to. That is the messaging I got across the board.” But at the same time, the Sydney course really tested her.

The additional weight of pregnancy and going to the bathroom too often was a problem for her while running. She eventually finished the race in about a six minutes and 51 seconds per mile pace, just seconds short of the three-hour mark. After the race, Andrew announced that Sydney will be her final marathon before giving birth. “I have put her through two marathons now and that is enough for her,” she said, according to The Running Week.

Her running goals, however, do not end with pregnancy. Andrew had originally planned to pursue a qualifying time for the 2028 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. The women’s qualifying standard is 2:37:00, meaning her 2:41:58 Boston personal best was already less than five minutes away from the mark. She now plans to focus on recovery after giving birth before returning to serious marathon training.

Sure, her experience in Sydney ended without any major complications, but marathon history shows that running at an advanced stage of pregnancy can bring unexpected moments.

The Marathon that ended in labor

Back in 2011, Amber Miller, a 27-year-old runner from suburban Chicago, took on the Bank of America Chicago Marathon at 38 weeks and five days pregnant. An experienced marathoner, Miller had even competed in races during an earlier pregnancy. She had registered for the Chicago Marathon before finding out she was pregnant, and given how close she was to her due date, she initially did not expect to complete all 26.2 miles.

Miller had been cleared by her doctor to participate, with a plan to run and walk rather than push for her usual marathon pace. Once race day arrived, however, she felt well enough to continue and eventually completed the entire course in 6 hours and 25 minutes. But the bigger surprise came after she crossed the finish line.

Soon after the marathon, Miller started having contractions. She and her husband didn’t rush to the hospital immediately, but stopped to eat before contractions became more regular and called for medical care. She completed the race around 3:30 p.m. and her daughter June was born about 10:29 p.m., seven hours later. The baby weighed 7 pounds, 13 ounces and mother and daughter were said to be healthy.

While Miller’s story ended with the arrival of her daughter just hours after the marathon, Andrew’s Sydney race marked the end of her marathon journey for now, with motherhood and recovery taking priority before her return to training.