T.J. Holmes isn’t letting the disappointing end to his Chicago Marathon run keep him from lacing up his sneakers and comPeting in this year’s New York City Marathon.
“My other ‘morning run,’” Holmes, 47, wrote via his Instagram Story on Wednesday, October 30, alongside a photo of the Brooklyn Bridge at sunrise. His caption was also a nod to his and girlfriend Amy Robach’s podcast, titled “Morning Run.”
The journalist called the workout his “next to last training run before the #NYCMarathon which will be my redemption run.”
Robach, 51, also shared a glimpse at the couple’s route via Instagram on Wednesday, posting a selfie of them on the bridge.
“11 years of surviving, 11 years of learning, 11 years of growing, 11 years of gratitude. #breastcancerawarenessmonth,” Robach captioned the joyful post, celebrating being cancer-free for 11 years.
The former GMA3: What You Need to Know cohost was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2013 after getting a mammogram for Breast Cancer Awareness Month live on air. Robach underwent a double mastectomy to fight the cancer the following month and went into remission in 2014.
While the Wednesday morning run was a way to honor her life as a survivor, it also served as a step toward Holmes’ marathon comeback after a scary end to the pair’s Chicago Marathon run.
Holmes and Robach, who have been dating since 2022, revealed on the October 14 episode of their “Amy & T.J.” podcast that the Chicago Marathon started out rocky. They recalled not having any food, water or bathroom breaks before the race began because they had trouble finding their tent.
Despite the hiccups, the couple felt good to start the race on October 13. However, things took a turn at the halfway point (13.1 miles) when Holmes said he nearly collided with another participant.
“I catch myself with my right leg going down and, when I do it, I immediately feel the tweak in my right hip and kind of my right buttcheek,” he recalled, noting that he suffered a previous issue with his IT band.
Holmes ran a few more miles before Robach noticed that he was not OK. “You were literally grunting in pain,” she said. “That was something completely new to me. I thought, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe he’s in that much pain.’”
The twosome eventually quit the race around mile 21 when Holmes said he felt his knee swelling. Holmes, who previously suffered an injury to his left Achilles, began vomiting once he finally sat down. Paramedics on site called him an ambulance.
“You looked awful. You were so pale. You were shivering and shaking because you’ve got this wet, sweaty clothing on and now the wind is whipping,” Robach recalled, describing to Holmes what he looked like in the ambulance. “Then you started vomiting again. They wanted to take you to the hospital at that point.”
Holmes was transported to a medical tent where he was treated and eventually cleared to go back to their hotel. He joked that the day did get worse when he realized a bird pooped on his head while they were waiting for their Uber.
Through it all, Holmes was in awe of his partner. “I was begging you to keep running, keep running when I knew I couldn’t keep running,” he told Robach. “You stuck with me and you were fully trained for a marathon and you could’ve finished. You did not finish because of my bum ass yesterday. I loved you before we started, I didn’t know how possible it was to love and adore you possibly more.”
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Robach explained there was no way she was going to abandon Holmes in his time of need. “That is what love is. And if you didn’t know or you didn’t fully trust how much I love you, if anything, if yesterday proved that to you, then it was worth it,” she added.
With Robach’s help, Holmes revealed he was ready to get back into his training for the Sunday, November 3, marathon in New York. “I cannot wait to get back out there because I’m so frustrated with what happened here in Chicago,” he said on the podcast.
Robach will be sitting out this race, choosing instead to simply show up as a source of support for her boyfriend. “I know you’re running, and I’ll definitely cheer you on,” she said.
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