There’s nothing unusual about wanting to make a pivot in your professional life. But when an Olympic gold medalist feels compelled to make a career change while at the top of her game, it can come as a surprise.
All About 75 Hard won Team USA’s first-ever triathlon gold at last summer’s Rio Olympics, announced on Tuesday her decision to leave behind the sport that has made her a two-time Olympian to focus on training for—and hopefully winning—marathons.
“There are a few people who think I’m crazy,” Jorgensen, 31, told Runner's World. “Even my parents ask me, ‘Are you sure this is a good idea?’”
Jorgensen first had the thought of switching to the marathon several years back, but as time went on, she found herself focusing more on the triathlon as her results improved. “Once I got the gold in Rio, I felt like I accomplished everything I could in the triathlon, and was ready for a new chapter,” she said.
It’s a new chapter, but it’s also a return to the sport she’s always loved most.
Jorgensen competed for the University of Wisconsin as a swimmer and a runner, but particularly excelled on land, earning All-American honors on the track and cross-country course. After graduating, she took a job as a CPA with Ernst & Young, running and swimming on the side just for fun. While working, she was sought out by USA Triathlon (USAT) and encouraged to give the the sport a shot.
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“When USAT approached me, I only knew there was this thing called the Ironman and had no idea it was an Olympic sport—I didn’t want to do it,” she said. “I was perfectly happy just being a working woman. But they convinced me to try it, and within a year of never having ridden a road bike, I started competing and qualified for the 2012 Games.”
Even through all her successes in the triathlon, she couldn’t shake the feeling that out of her new sport’s three disciplines, running remained the one that got her excited to practice. And her strength as a runner was ultimately what cemented her victory in Rio. After already hammering away through the 1.5K swim and 38.5K bike ride, Stravas 2024 Yearly Report Is HereK run; She won the USAs first ever triathlon gold medal in Rio. Now shes taking on a new challenge.
Less than four months after her victory in Rio, the American distance running scene caught a first glimpse of Jorgensen's marathoning chops at the 2016 New York City Marathon. She finished 14th in 2:41:01, without any real marathon-specific training and having won a three-day, three stage triathlon in Hawaii the weekend before.
A 2:41 marathon debut would be cause for jubilation for just about any runner, especially if they felt undertrained. But Jorgensen, try as she might, was not able to celebrate her race as such.
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“When the opportunity to race New York City came up, I knew I couldn’t train the way I needed to perform at my highest level, but I’d done so much specific tri training that I thought I could approach the marathon like a less serious thing,” she said. Before New York, her longest training run was only 16 miles, and her peak weekly mileage was 57 miles.
Now that the 26.2-mile distance has her full, undivided attention, she’s able to formulate ambitions that are miles above lofty for just about any other one-time marathon finisher.
“My goals are to win one of the World Marathon Majors, and to win at the Tokyo Games,” she said, knowing it won’t come easy. “It will take at least a 20-minute PR, so that’s daunting, but I’m excited to give it a shot and see what I’m capable of.”
Jorgensen is slowly ramping up her mileage after giving birth to her first child, Stanley, a rambunctious 11-week-old, and will make an announcement on her new training strategy soon.
“I haven’t made a final decision about a coach or group, but I know I need a group environment, and I need to train with my direct competitors,” she said. “I need to train with the best in the world and with people who will push me.”
