Amanda Huneke decided to toe the starting line at the Shore A.C. 5-Kilometer cross country race held in Holmdel Park on the morning of October 15 even though she was nine months pregnant at the time.
The Olympic-level runner formerly known as Amanda Marino was a standout at Jackson Memorial High School. She continued her running career in college, winning back-to-back cross country championships when she was at Villanova. Marino then stretched her speed far enough as she competed in the U.S. Olympic Women's Marathon trials back in 2012, 2016 and 2020.
Huneke, who is now married and living in the city of Neptune, still ran races all throughout her nine-month pregnancy. The 32-year-old expectant mom breezed to the finish in the 5K race that October morning.
Huneke surprised with her speed and endurance during the race
Huneke told NJ Advance Media that she was really surprised when she was passing people in the second half of the race. She added that she was accelerating and she could not believe it. That final burst of speed pushed Huneke and her unborn baby across the finish line in the time of just 22 minutes and 42 seconds, which was good for fourth place in the women's division.
Huneke recalled she ran six miles the next day. She said she came in after the run, and at first she felt like she had a stomach ache. It soon became clear, though, that what she was experiencing was no ordinary stomach ache. Amanda's husband, Jarett, grabbed the baby bag and they were off to Jersey Medical Center in Neptune for the delivery.
According to Amanda, her delivery was more like a sprint than a marathon as she was in labor for only about 40 minutes when her baby arrived. Hudson Miles weighed in at six pounds and 14 ounces at birth.
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Huneke credits running for keeping her in shape during pregnancy
Huneke said she and her child are doing fine with the new mom crediting her running for not only keeping her in shape, but also for the quick delivery. She said that her doctor encouraged her to keep running during pregnancy. She added that it is important for women to keep exercising during pregnancy.
Huneke said she felt fine the whole time she was pregnant, but she backed off the pace and did not train hard during this period. She said that her running form felt the same. She added she felt like her body adjusted to the weight but her times were a bit slower.
Doctors routinely recommend that pregnant women remain active as exercise gets their blood flowing. It also helps ward off thrombosis which can be fatal during pregnancy.
Dr. Neeti Misra, who is the vice chair of OBGYN at Raritan Bay Medical Center, said that a mother has between 7.5 and eight liters of blood during pregnancy when she normally would have five. She said that if a pregnant woman does not move around, it increases her risk of clotting.
