COLLEGE STATION, Texas — A local mother is one of 20,024 athletes around the world running a mass marathon on the same course as Olympic marathon runners.
- Noel Gomillion has completed weekly challenges for the past two years to have a chance to run in the Paris Marathon Pour Tous, the mass marathon.
- The starting times are from 9:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Saturday evening.
- You can follow Noel’s progress live here.
Broadcast script:
From College Station to Paris. A local mother runs among the best athletes in the world.
“I’m so excited, but also so nervous… and the kicker is that it’s supposed to be one of the hardest marathon courses ever at the Olympics.”
Noel Gomillion is one of 20,024 runners from around the world who have completed various challenges over the past two years to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Mass Marathon in Paris.
“(It) starts at 9:50 a.m. and then we have to finish by 4:30 a.m..”
On Saturday night, these athletes will run the same course that Olympic marathon runners use during the day. And for this runner from College Station, that course will be a little different.
“I think they said it was 300 meters of elevation gain or something, so almost 300 meters of elevation gain and 300 meters of elevation loss. And you know, College Station is really flat. So I’m always wondering, ‘Have I done enough to prepare my legs for this?’ But I’m super excited.”
The marathon takes runners along a historic route through Paris: the Arch of Women at Versailles during the French Revolution. And this Saturday, after years of training, Noel will have the chance of a lifetime to run this route.
“I’m pretty sure I can do it in the time they’ve given us. So mostly just have fun, relax and enjoy it and make some new friends.”
