WHITEFISH BAY — A couple from Whitefish Bay is in Paris, not only attending the 2024 Paris Olympics, but also to participate in a unique event in the days ahead.
Alex and Beth Gloeckner spoke with TMJ4's Ryan Jenkins on Saturday after they watched both gymnast Simone Biles and Swimmer Katie Ledecky win Gold at events.
"To be able to watch Simone today win Gold in the Vault was so cool," said Beth. "The whole place was on its feet. It was so exciting."
Both Alex and Beth are lifelong Olympics fans and Alex is an avid runner.
For years, he has competed in marathons around the United States, including both the Boston and New York City Marathons.
All of that running helped him qualify for a unique experience during their trip to France.
"When they announced there was going to be a public marathon on the marathon course before the race, I was like, 'I have to do this like it's a once-in-a-lifetime thing," said Alex.
The Marathon Pour Touswill be held on August 10. The course follows the exact 2024 Paris Olympics Marathon route, offering amateur runners a chance to run the full marathon or a shorter 10K.
"I turn 40 in a few weeks, this was kind of the big celebration for that," said Alex.
Alex is running the 10K. His wife, Beth, will be cheering him on.
"When I told all my friends and coworkers like, 'Yeah, we're going to Paris and Alex is actually kind of running a race there, They'd be like, 'What he's running at the Olympics?'" said Beth. "A lot of our friends are following along at home and yeah and family, of course, and everyone's real excited."
An exciting trip to the Olympic Games for a local couple cheering on Team USA, while Alex also lives out a dream of his own.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
