Keeping busy: Wozniacki to run NYC marathon alongside her full tournament schedule
Caroline Wozniacki is keeping busy: The tennis star has just announced plans to run this year's NYC marathon while keeping her full tournament schedule.
The former No. 1 player said Thursday that she long had wanted to run a marathon, and had decided before Wimbledon to take the 26.2 mile plunge: "It's always been on my bucket list," Wozniacki told CBS This Morning, before making a sly mention of her freed-up social calendar. "November opened up for me, so why not tick that off?"
(Wozniacki was supposed to get married to Rory McIlroy in New York sometime later this year before the golfer broke off their engagement in May.)
Both Wozniacki and Boston Marathon winner Meb Keflezighi announced they were running to benefit the Team for Kids charity and help raise funds to establish running programs for kids who otherwise wouldn't have the access to regular physical activity.
Excited to get my New York on as a 1st time marathoner @nycmarathon! #TCSNYCMarathon! Support me @TeamforKids http://t.co/2TTBgg1Gc8
— Caroline Wozniacki (@CaroWozniacki) July 31, 2014
While the 24-year-old Dane says the longest she's ever run is 18 km (a bit less than half a marathon), Wozniacki says she typically runs a half-hour at a time to train, and plans to add hour-long runs to prep for the Nov. 2 race.
In the meantime, she'll compete in the U.S. Open, which will go through Sept. 7, then take a week off before playing for three weeks in Asia, then another week off before a tournament in Moscow.
It's on! No turning back now!! Getting ready to run @nycmarathon. Thanks for the prep @adidasrunning #boostnyc pic.twitter.com/kVFLomOGgZ
— Caroline Wozniacki (@CaroWozniacki) July 31, 2014
Wozniacki also hopes to qualify for the WTA Finals, which run Oct. 20-26 in Singapore and end just a week before the marathon.
Though the recent Istanbul champ said this new running challenge wasn't an attempt to distract herself from her personal life.
"Tennis helped me just get through the tough times," Wozniacki said via the Associated Press. "Now I'm just feeling happy and I wanted to do something good for others. I think that this had nothing really to do with my personal life. It was something I was passionate about.
"Honestly, you know, everyone goes through hard times in life, and it's just made me a stronger person and I've got so many great things going for me," Wozniacki told CBS This Morning. "And now I'm running the marathon. ... I'm so excited for this time ahead."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
