“Change of plans”
Former European champion announces baby news
October 15, 2025 – 2:37 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
She knows her way around the tartan track and over long distances. Now a new challenge awaits track and field athlete Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal.
The long haul is her home. But in the future, Norwegian Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal will not only dedicate herself to athletics: the 35-year-old is pregnant. The high-performance athlete and 2024 European Championship half marathon winner announced this via Instagram.
Grøvdal wrote: “We are very happy to announce that we are expecting a baby. This is something we have wanted, but also something that is not always so easy to plan.”
Why? The Norwegian explained: “I was in the final weeks of my marathon preparation for the Berlin Marathon (and NYC) and it was time to start tapering. The work was almost done. Two weeks before the marathon I found out I was pregnant. After consulting with the medical team, I actually thought I could run in Berlin – until the last training session a week before the race. It was during this session that I realized it was impossible “I was trying to run under 2:20 (I got a little sick), so I had to fake illness.”
The long-distance runner speaks of a “change of plans” and emphasized: “Exciting times lie ahead.” She also posted a photo. This shows a pair of small, white and green Adidas children’s shoes lying on several ultrasound images. The photo is taken on a light wooden floor.
For example, the former Norwegian biathlete and two-time Olympic champion Tiril Eckhoff commented on the post: “Oh, so beautiful. Congratulations.” Grøvdal has been married to journalist Magnus Krogsæter Aarre since 2023.