Lifestyle Health Celebrity Health Sheinelle Jones Announces She’s Running the NYC Marathon: ‘I Can Do Hard Things’ The 45-year-old 'TODAY' host opened up about why she decided to run this year's New York City Marathon By Sean Neumann Sean Neumann Sean Neumann is a reporter at PEOPLE. He has been working at PEOPLE since 2019. His work has previously appeared in Rolling Stone, The New York Times, ESPN, and more. People Editorial Guidelines and Kaitlyn Huamani Kaitlyn Huamani Kaitlyn Huamani is an editorial intern at PEOPLE. She has previously worked at local independent newspapers and her student-led publication at the University of Southern California, where she serves as the editor of Arts, Culture and Entertainment and is obtaining a degree in journalism. People Editorial Guidelines Published on August 11, 2023 02:03PM EDT Sheinelle Jones. Photo: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Sheinelle Jones says she’s running the New York City Marathon this November in order to help “change the narrative” that moms don't have time “to do hard things.” Jones, a 45-year-old mother of three, told her TODAY co-host Jenna Bush Hager on Friday morning that she first began running half marathons when she turned 40. Sheinelle Jones Embarks on 'Transformative' 'First Destination Trip Alone' “I am not an athlete,” Jones said. “In gym class, I was never picked. I was a cheerleader, I was a dancer, but I’m not an athlete. When I turned 40, I wanted to change the narrative in my head that I can do hard things and so I ran a half marathon and I swore I would never do it again." Jones said that “after it was over, my legs were like ‘What just happened?’”“And so now, I just turned 45 and I’m going to try to do hard things again and so I’m going to run the New York City Marathon!” she excitedly announced. Sheinelle Jones Shares the Mom Advice Maria Shriver Gave Her That Changed Her Perspective From left: TODAY hosts Sheinelle Jones, Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker. Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Bush Hager, 41, joked that Jones needs “to be on the cover” of Women’s Health magazine. “I’m very impressed by you because you have a million things going on and yet you are also running the New York Marathon,” Bush Hager said. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Jones, who first joined TODAY in 2014, told her co-host that “everybody’s biggest critique is that I don’t have time.”“I have three little ones, I have a high-pressure job, I travel for work, and everybody says ‘We don’t have time.’ But we do have time to make time for ourselves,” Jones said. “I have to be about that. Whether it takes scheduling, because I pick up my kids every day from school, like I am just gonna figure it out and change the narrative that we can’t do things because we don’t have time.” Sheinelle Jones Says She Was 'Really Nervous' to Embrace Her Natural Hair on the Today Show Sheinelle Jones. Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Jones is a mother to twins Uche and Clara Josephine, 10, and son Kayin, 13. She told Bush Hager she’ll be running the marathon alongside two TODAY show staffers who are experienced runners. “I wanna prove that the average girl, we can do it,” she said. “I am 4’11", I am not a model, I am not a runner, but we can do this,” Jones said, adding, “Pray for me, guys. I’m doing this for all of us to prove that we can do this.” Close