“I have to say this is the highlight of my week,” says Therese Johaug. It’s now official: she’s heading to the 2026 World Championships.

Therese Johaug is celebrating the invitation she received earlier this week.

She got a call from the organizers of the Copenhagen Marathon, offering her a spot in the elite field at the Copenhagen Half Marathon 2026.

“That’s definitely the highlight of the week,” says the heavily pregnant ski star in the latest episode of her podcast Johaug & Gukild.

Counts as a World Championship

The Copenhagen Half Marathon will take place on September 26, 2026, and it has been Johaug’s main goal since she announced in late May that she would not be aiming for the 2026 Olympic Games.

The race will count as the World Championships in the half-marathon 2026, and the former cross-country legend is setting the bar high. Earlier this fall, Johaug revealed her ambition to run under 1 hour and 10 minutes.

The World Record for women is 1:02:52, set by Letesenbet Gidey at the Valencia Half Marathon on October 24, 2021. The Norwegian record stands at 1:07:34, set by Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal in 2023 — also in Copenhagen.

Also Read: Pregnant – but reveals new ambitions

“It’s going to be tough”

The time goal Johaug has set is ambitious, and she admits it will be challenging to fit in the necessary training with a newborn and a toddler turning three in May.

“It’s going to be tough. But at the same time, running doesn’t take as much time as skiing. You train for shorter and a bit fewer sessions, but the strain is greater in running than in skiing. It’s about finding the right balance,” says Johaug.

Johaug and her husband, former rower Nils Jakob Hoff, already have a daughter, Kristin, born on May 17, 2023.

Heavily pregnant and impatient

The 37-year-old, who is expecting her second child with a due date of January 17, has been unable to train properly for several weeks.

Recently, she’s been struggling with severe back pain, which she admits has affected both her mood and patience — and she knows she’ll have plenty of training to catch up on after giving birth.

“I’m starting to feel a bit of pressure with this body and back that’s been completely out of order the past month, and I haven’t been able to train. It’s making me a bit anxious. I just must make sure to stay calm until the birth, and then focus on getting into top shape by September,” Johaug says in the podcast.

Comes with conditions

Johaug also reveals that the invitation to the elite field came with a small condition. When the organizers called, they had a favor to ask.

“They wondered if I wanted to run in the elite class — and if they could use me a bit in their marketing,” says the ski star.

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