Meet First-Time Olympic Hopeful and Marathon Runner Calli Hauger-Thackery
Bursting on to the marathon scene, Calli is already breaking records
Calli’s family has history when it comes to running. ‘My dad was a professional runner, and he represented Great Britain in the ‘80s and ‘90s, but I got into it on a typical sports day,’ she says. ‘My tutors let me know I was really good at running and should definitely join a club. My mum never wanted to push me into it because she didn’t want to put any pressure on me, but that week I joined a club and it went from there. I raced more and more, and got athletic scholarships to America, so ended up going out there to study and train. I was in New Mexico for four years and it was a great time; that’s where I began to take it all more seriously. When I got that scholarship, I realised I could actually be really good at this and it could be a career one day.’
After spending time in Australia training and having what she calls a ‘breakthrough’, Calli began to really hit her stride (if you’ll excuse the pun). ‘I started doing well but it was only this last October that I did my first ever marathon. It went really well and I ended up making the Olympic team as a result,’ she explains. ‘It was a big shock. It was a great race, my husband (who is also my coach) was pacing me in the race and all the stars aligned on the day. I crossed over the finish line and thought, oh my god I just ran one of the fastest times in Great Britain. It was an incredible moment and I’m so glad it got me that Olympic selection.’
Your read that right, Calli’s Olympic selection performance was her very first time running a marathon. Ahead of the games, she says there’s not as much difference between training for 5,000 and 10,000m races (her usual events) and a marathon as you’d think. ‘The shift in training hasn’t been crazy at all. For a 5k run, I probably did a little bit more than the typical 5k runner, but in terms of elite marathon runners I don’t train anywhere near to the mileage that some of them would do,’ she says. ‘I’ve always loved my long runs, I’ve always loved a good high volume session and I think that’s geared me up ready for the longer stuff. So when that day came I think I was fresh, but also prepared.’
Level-headed to the last, Calli is firmly focused on her training, which can see her run anything from 80–100 miles per week. ‘At the minute I have my head down at an altitude training camp. I’m currently in Flagstaff, Arizona which is at 7,000 feet, so quite high up. It can snow a lot up here, but the good thing is you can just get in a car and 45 minutes down the road it’s boiling hot weather and a completely different environment. You do have options so you’re not stuck inside.’
Although focused on Paris, Calli’s vision for herself stretches much further. ‘I want to get as close as I can to the British record. We’ve got an insane British record in the marathon which Paula Radcliffe did all those years ago, and what she did is just crazy. I’m going to try to chase that and get as close as I can,’ she says. ‘In a few years time we have the LA Olympic Games so I want to keep making these teams and see what I can do.’
