Chari Hawkins announces major career update after competing in Paris Olympics

Chari Hawkins has announced her decision to compete in the London Marathon, years after being an athlete who represented the United States in the heptathlon and pentathlon. She made the revelation about her transformation as an athlete on her Instagram handle.

Scheduled for April 27 this year, the London Marathon is known for having one of the largest participant fields and is one of the seven World Marathon Majors.

In her latest Instagram post, the 33-year-old reflected on her transformation over the past year from competing exclusively in heptathlon and pentathlon events, where her longest run was just two miles to now involving herself in grueling long-distance training. Chari Hawkins captioned the post, writing:

“A year ago I was competing at World Championships in the Pentathlon: Hurdles, High Jump, Shot Put, Long Jump, and the 800. The farthest I had ever run consecutively in my career was 2 miles, but I could sprint, jump, and throw like crazy!"

“Now, here I am, just finishing a 20 mile workout, leaving for Florida to run a 10 mile race, all to gear up for running the London Marathon: The largest marathon in history. ✨😮‍💨," she added.

The former Utah State University track and field star further expressed pride in her physical and mental growth in this self-reflective post as she announced her major career update.

Hawkins also emphasized that she had never imagined herself taking on the challenge but acknowledged the mental and physical toughness that allowed her to push through obstacles like injuries, cramping and other difficulties.

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Chari Hawkins on becoming an Olympian after finishing inside top 3 at Olympic Track and Field Trials 2024

Chari Hawkins at 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Track & Field Trials (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Chari Hawkins reflected on becoming an Olympian following her second-place finish in the heptathlon at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials held at Hayward Field in Eugene. After securing qualification for her maiden Olympics, an emotional Hawkins expressed her thoughts in an interview with Citius Mag (1:00 onwards):

“Being an Olympian. Oh man, it's so cool. In 2021, I thought I was actually going to be done. I thought that was going to be my last year. So, I remember going home and being like I'm never going to be able to say that I was an Olympian. So, to be able and I'm such an ugly crier. This is so embarrassing, but it's real,” she stated.

She also expressed gratitude for her journey and the people who supported her including her team during the interview.

However, Hawkins' debut Olympic Games didn’t go as she had hoped as she finished 21st in the heptathlon after failing to clear a height in the high jump, which proved to be a major setback.