Therese Johaug to Make a Comeback at the World Championships – in a New Sport

Therese Johaug, who is expecting her second child and has officially retired from professional skiing, is already planning a new sporting challenge — and it involves a surprise return to the World Championships.

Johaug first stepped away from competitive skiing after the 2022 Beijing Olympics to focus on her family. She later made a highly anticipated comeback for the 2025 World Ski Championships in Trondheim, aiming to capture her first-ever gold medal in the 50 km race.

However, things didn’t go quite as planned. Johaug left Trondheim with three silver medals and one bronze. Speculation quickly followed about whether Norway’s ski queen would continue her career and aim for the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics.



That will not happen. Earlier this year, Johaug announced that her skiing career is now officially over. Shortly afterward, the 37-year-old legend revealed that she and her husband, Nils Jakob Hoff, are expecting their second child.

But even in retirement, Johaug hasn’t lost her competitive spirit.

Johaug’s World Championship Comeback – in the Half Marathon

According to Norway’s TV 2, Johaug revealed on the Gukild og Johaug podcast that she plans to return to competition in a new sport next autumn. Her goal: the Copenhagen Half Marathon in 2026.

“It’s going to be tough. I’m still three months pregnant, and then comes the birth — but my goal is to run 1:10,” Johaug said.

The Copenhagen Half Marathon isn’t just any race — in 2026, it will hold World Championship status.

Since there will be no Summer Olympics or World Athletics Championships that year, the international athletics federation has decided to grant World Championship status every other year to one half marathon event. In 2026, Copenhagen has been chosen.

That means Johaug’s competitive comeback will, once again, take place on the World Championship stage.

If she meets her goal of finishing under 1:10, Johaug could place among the top 15 runners at the World Championships. A medal, however, would still be a stretch — Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir won gold in 2023 with a time of 1:07:25.

Johaug already has some impressive running credentials. Last year, she won a half marathon in Grua, Norway, with a time of 1:11:27, and she has also run 10,000 meters fast enough to meet the World Championship qualifying standard for that distance.