Gabby Thomas emerged as one of Team USA’s most successful athletes at Paris 2024, winning three gold medals in the 200m individual event and the 100m and 400m relays. Although she is the woman to beat in the 200m, the sprinter admits she struggles to run a mile. “The furthest I will run is one mile,” Thomas told USA Today. Yet, that didn’t stop the New York Marathon organizers from bestowing the sprinter with a unique role.

The 27-year-old will lead the TCS New York Marathon in a ceremonial role on Sunday. “Tomorrow is the day! Leading the way at the New York City Marathon as Grand Marshal is such an honor,” the former relay world champion wrote on X. The Olympian also posted about the opportunity on Instagram where she uploaded a short video from the ceremony.

The Olympic gold medalist wore a white jacket and skirt with the ‘Grand Marshal’ ribbon draped around her torso. Meanwhile, the images she uploaded on X showed her in a different outfit. The stills captured the ceremonial leader of the marathon posing with cheerleaders and fans. “I can’t wait to support and celebrate all the runners taking on this challenge along with the city of New York.” Gabby Thomas wrote.

“Let’s freaking go, NYC!” the Olympian added, expressing her excitement in the caption. However, the ceremonial role won’t require Gabby Thomas actually to run the World Marathon Majors course. The Harvard University graduate may not have been so thrilled if the Grand Marshall role entailed running the 26.2 miles (42.16 km) through the five boroughs of New York.

While it may sound surprising, the longest distance the sprinting icon runs each year is one mile. “We do a mile in the fall. It’s a gut check. So we do it to tap into your mental side—can you finish a mile? And I know it’s funny because, for you guys, you’re like, ‘Oh, a mile.’ No, it’s really difficult for us,” Thomas told USA Today during her interview.

That’s because, despite ranking among the best female athletes in the world, distance running is not Gabby Thomas’s forte. Sprinters like the five-time Olympic medalist train to achieve maximum speed over a few hundred meters, which makes long-distance running particularly challenging for them. However, you might be even more surprised to learn that Thomas didn’t enjoy running any distances as a teenager.

Track and field wasn’t Gabby Thomas’ first love

While the University of Texas graduate has earned five track and field medals after competing in two Olympic Games, the champion didn’t grow up with a passion for the sport. Although the 27-year-old loved sports, running didn’t pique her interest. Instead, the Epidemiologist loved softball and even had ambitions of progressing in the sport alongside her friends.

However, Thomas’ mother Jennifer Randall had a different idea. The psychometrics scholar had seen her daughter race and knew she would excel in the sport. “She [Jennifer Randall] knew that I was fast because I grew up doing recreational sports… So she actually took it upon herself to take me off the softball signup sheet and sign me up for track.” Gabby Thomas said on the NYRR Set the Pace podcast.

The 27-year-old also clarified that despite his mother’s instance, she never felt pressured to pursue track and field. “I never felt like I was being forced to do any type of activity or be a great athlete,” added the Olympic gold medalist. Instead, Randall hoped that by getting her daughter into track and field training, the youngster would also realize her potential, and that’s exactly what happened. So while the Grand Marshal of the NYC marathon may struggle to run long distances, she dreams of earning even more accolades in her discipline.