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Al Roker Hugs a Tearful Sheinelle Jones as She Runs the NYC Marathon
TODAY colleagues support each other both on and off-screen!
Another day, another example of why Al Roker is a national treasure.
Is there anything more heartwarming than two friends sharing a moment of unbridled support for each other? That's exactly what happened in November 2023, when Roker attended the New York City Marathon to cheer on his TODAY colleague Sheinelle Jones as she participated in one of the most famous races in the world.
Who wouldn't want a mid-marathon pep talk from Al Roker?
Roker went above and beyond just cheering Jones on — he greeted her with one of his trademark bear hugs at the 18-mile mark of the marathon. It takes a special kind of person to get a long-distance runner to stop running in exchange for a big, sweaty hug, but then again, Roker is that kind of guy.
A visibly emotional Jones couldn't hold back her tears as she embraced Roker. After a few quick words of encouragement from her colleague, she returned to complete the remaining eight miles (and change) in the 26.2-mile race.
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We love nothing more than seeing friendships formed on television blossoming into authentic relationships off-camera, and the bond between Roker and Jones is clearly something special.
Al Roker also supports his wife, Deborah, in her marathon endeavors
Fans of Roker (and his wonderful family) will be happy to know that Jones wasn't the only person he was rooting for that day – he also made sure to cheer on his wife of 28 years, Deborah Roberts!
In true Roker fashion, he commemorated his wife's accomplishments with another endearing social media post:
We must admit, being there to congratulate your wife as she crosses the finish line of the New York City Marathon is an all-time great husband move. Deborah is clearly happy her husband is there to see her finish!
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Al Roker is no stranger to running marathons himself
Don't worry; Roker isn't shy about pushing his body to the limit himself — he's been outspoken about his remarkable health journey throughout his career and memorably competed in the 2010 New York City Marathon, finishing in an impressive seven hours and nine minutes.
Since then, he's competed in various smaller races around the New York City area, most recently the Brooklyn Half Marathon in 2022, which he completed in three hours and 19 minutes — that equates to a pace a full minute faster than his 2010 marathon time. The rumors are true, people: Al Roker is only getting faster over time.
Not bad for America's favorite weatherman, huh?
