3 runners who announced they’re having a child in 2018

This year is what is known as an “off year” in running in regards to major international athletics events. There are no Olympic Games and no IAAF World Championships though there are still the world indoor championships and Commonwealth Games.

Three notable runners and IAAF World Championships medallists announced recently they will be skipping the bulk of the 2018 athletics season to have children. Canadian Melissa Bishop-Nriagu, the national record holder in the 800m, Kenyan Faith Kipyegon, the reigning world and Olympic champion in the 1,500m, and Shannon Rowbury, the American record holder in the 1,500m and 5,000m, are not expected to race internationally this spring and summer.

“I’m still training to stay healthy for me and for my baby, but my workload has of course changed for now and my racing intensity will be a lot less,” Rowbury shared on on Instagram on Sunday. “Replacing abs with a baby bump this summer and we can’t wait,” Bishop-Nriagu said via Instagram.

Below are how the pregnancy announcements were made.

Shannon Rowbury

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bex3ps_lYox/

https://www.instagram.com/p/Beybc1Anh_F/

Faith Kipyegon

Kipyegon didn’t make an announcement on social media about her pregnancy but Xinhua reports that the Kenyan will miss the 2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships in March as she’s on maternity leave.

Embed from Getty Images

Melissa Bishop-Nriagu

https://www.instagram.com/p/BeqFYK_FCuR/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BeqHPVGnb2V/
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