Therese Johaug is pregnant and expecting her second child in early January 2026. But the 37-year-old reveals she has new ambitions involving a bib number.

Earlier this week, Therese Johaug and her husband, Nils Jakob Hoff, announced that they are expecting their second child in early January 2026. The couple already has a daughter, Kristin, born on May 17, 2023.

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The desire to expand their family was one of the main reasons Johaug chose not to continue her pursuit of the 2026 Olympics. This, despite her medal haul from the World Championships last winter – three silvers and one bronze – not being what she aimed for. She was crystal clear about that.

“That 50km race in Trondheim. It’s been bothering me a lot. And I’ll admit that the dream was that 50km in Trondheim, and then the day comes, and the course and the conditions are what they are. I really feel I wasn’t able to show what I’m capable of,” Johaug said after the World Championships.

New ambitions with a bib number

Now 37 and pregnant for the second time, Johaug won’t be on the starting line at the 2026 Olympics. But the cross-country skiing star reveals she has new projects in the works.

This time, it’s the half marathon that excites Johaug, and her ambitions are sky-high.

“I want to run as fast as possible, but first, I want to go under 1 hour and 10 minutes. That’s a kind of milestone,” Johaug told VG, and added:

“I’ve run 1:11:20 in Jessheim. But I know I can do better.”

That time was set at the Grue Half Marathon in 2024, where she crushed the rest of the field by seven minutes.

Has her eyes on Copenhagen

The Norwegian women’s half-marathon record is 1:07:34, set by Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal in Copenhagen in 2023. (Ingrid Kristiansen clocked 1:06:40 back in 1987, but that record was never officially recognized.)

And it’s precisely the Copenhagen Half Marathon in 2026 that Johaug is eyeing, even though she admits it might be a logistical challenge.

“Copenhagen Half Marathon next year is already sold out because it’s the World Half Marathon Championships. It might be difficult to get a spot unless I manage to make the right connections. Otherwise, it’ll be the half marathon in Valencia,” says Johaug.

The Copenhagen Half Marathon takes place on September 20, 2026, about nine months after she becomes a mom for the second time. When Johaug made her comeback in early March 2024, it had been barely ten months since she gave birth to Kristin. The Valencia Half Marathon is scheduled for October 26, 2026.

Got beaten in July

When Johaug took part in the Lofoten Skyrace at the beginning of July, she finished in 11th place. She completed the demanding 32-kilometer trail race with 1,900 meters of elevation gain in 4:19:50, nearly half an hour behind the winner.

“I treated it as a good, long workout. I’ve been feeling a bit under the weather, so I had to take it easy,” Johaug told Langrenn.com after finishing the Lofoten Skyrace.

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