Woman finishes Boston Marathon while 8 months pregnant

Eric Resendiz Image
Saturday, May 4, 2019
LA woman finishes marathon 8 months pregnant
Saying 'I ran the Boston Marathon' is easier said than done. Now put yourself in the shoes of Lizzette Perez, 34, who finished the marathon while being 8 months pregnant.

BOYLE HEIGHTS, LOS ANGELES -- Saying "I ran the Boston Marathon" is easier said than done, right?

"It was so exciting," Lizzette Perez, a Boston Marathon runner from Los Angeles, said. "It was one of my bucket list items."

Now put yourself in the shoes of Perez, 34, who ran the marathon, which took place on April 15, while being almost nine months pregnant.

"One doctor and my parents thought I was nuts," Perez said.

This is why her doctor thought she was nuts.

"He said because I could induce my labor at this stage in pregnancy," Perez said.

This Boyle Heights runner didn't find out she was pregnant until a week after she completed the qualifying race in August.

"But, I felt good and I have been running almost my whole life," Perez said. "I just continued with a refined training regimen."

Perez had a doctor's appointment two days before the day of the race.

"He told me that the heartbeat and the baby looked good, healthy, strong and to just take it easy," Perez said.

Perez did take it easy. She took water breaks, snack breaks and lots of potty breaks along the way and completed the race with a 5:49:20 time.

"It made my wildest dreams come true, it was a bucket list item," Perez said. "And knowing that I did it with my little girl and that we qualified together and we finished the journey together...I was so emotional."

Perez's due date is May 20.