Tayshia Adams once competed for roses. Now she is after a different kind of accolade: a marathon finishing medal.
This Sunday, November 7, the former lead of ABC’s The Bachelorette and current co-host of the reality series will tackle the New York City Marathon.
“I signed up for 26.2 miles, which is incredible!,” Adams, 31, told Runner’s World. “I'm so excited, but I have to say, [training] is quite the task. It’s been a little difficult.”
It has been a whirlwind year for Adams, who got engaged to Zac Clark in The Bachelorette’s season 16 finale. She and fellow Bachelor Nation alum Kaitlyn Bristowe then became co-hosts of the show’s two successive seasons, which required months of traveling and filming.
Finding time for marathon training involved a complicated balancing act, but Adams still managed to fit in long runs on the treadmill, weight training, and Pilates workouts into her busy schedule.
“It really involves a lot of time management with work,” Adams said. “Sometimes it’s draining and exhausting being on the road, but my ‘why’ has really pushed me.”
That “why” is running for World Vision, a humanitarian organization committed to fighting poverty and helping the world’s most vulnerable children. Adams began volunteering with the nonprofit in May of this year and teamed up with them for the marathon to secure donors through their sponsorship program, Chosen. Her mission is to find sponsors for children in Kenya, to help them gain access to clean water, healthcare, and education. So far, they’ve obtained more than 125 sponsors and raised around $300,000.
“Children are [who] I feel like I’ve been put on this earth to help and be involved with,” said Adams. “This run is strictly for the children and for my bigger purpose. As much as I would love to run in record time, this one’s to really show that I’m here for them.”
A cross-country runner through high school, Adams planned to pursue the sport in college until a car accident left her with a fractured pelvis, effectively ending her running career for some time. She began to revisit running during the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020. Then, as fate would have it, became the bachelorette and fell in love with Clark, an avid runner. She embraced the idea of conquering the NYC Marathon together.
When she finished filming the current season of The Bachelorette with Michelle Young and returned to New York City, Adams went on long training runs with Clark, and she’s now focusing on maintaining a positive mindset for the impending race. Nerves aren’t a bother—she’s simply ready to take in the palpable energy of the day.
“[Running] is all about the community, finding people that motivate you and hold you accountable,” Adams said. “Find a ‘why,’ something that drives your passion, that’s bigger than yourself, and I guarantee you will finish that race.”
