The film “Coming to Term” opens with top trail runner Clare Gallagher sharing her deep passion for running, emphasizing the emotional fulfillment it brings her. However, it quickly becomes clear — if you didn’t figure it out from the title and cover photo — that this is not just another documentary about a professional ultrarunner training for and running races.
Instead, the narrative shifts to explore the unique challenges and experiences of a pregnant runner as it follows Gallagher through her final month of pregnancy. The unfiltered look at both physical and emotional realities of the situation sets the film apart from conventional athletic narratives.
[Editor’s Note: Click here to watch the film on YouTube.]
Gallagher is well-known as a quirky ultrarunner and conservationist. She won her debut 100 miler at the 2016 Leadville 100 Mile, famously fueled by frosting. She then went on to win the 2017 CCC. Solidifying her space in ultrarunning history, she won the 2019 Western States 100 after a 10-mile sprint battle with Brittany Peterson. Her career has only ascended from there.
Gallagher is recognized not only for her athletic achievements but also for her commitment to environmental conservation. In 2019, she dedicated two weeks to an advocacy trip in Alaska, working alongside Tommy Caldwell and Luke Nelson on a project to prevent drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
A bad fall in 2023, resulting in a major injury, set Gallagher back for almost two years. With huge plans after overcoming these setbacks, her perspective and goals changed dramatically when she became pregnant.
Gallagher had big running plans after coming back from injury.
This is not the curated, glowing Instagram version of running while pregnant. This film gives it to you real, and throughout this piece, the challenges of running while eight months pregnant are apparent. Whether Gallagher is reading an illustrated book about childbirth, studying for her Ph.D. in marine conservation, or giving viewers a quick lesson on the Antarctic toothfish, the film offers an intimate view of a multifaceted mother-to-be.
Throughout, Gallagher stresses the importance of maintaining her active lifestyle, and yet is very honest about the limitations that evolved with her pregnancy. What does running while pregnant result in? Having to pee constantly. Well, there is plenty of that.
Gallagher dashes by in spandex shorts and a cropped tank, joking, “Do I look pregnant?” She never takes herself too seriously, and with cameos from fellow Boulder runners Riley Brady and Sophie Linn, the film stays light and fun. Even if it doesn’t feel all light and fun when eight months pregnant.
While not always easy, Gallagher keeps moving through her eighth month of pregnancy.
Gallagher refers to pregnancy as the ultimate ultra. Supported by her running crew, she continues to run to stay active. She starts strength training during pregnancy with her friend Abby Levene. “I feel my lats, I have better posture,” Gallagher says of the results, noting her urge to run faded as her pregnancy advanced, so she focused on listening to her body.
This is an honest, gritty account of trying to keep moving, even when it’s hard.
The film ends rather abruptly with a poignant quote: “I feel pretty excited to be bringing a child into this world at this time because I have a lot of hope that I will continue to try and make this world a better place. And I feel really strongly that he’s [her unborn child, Trip] going to do his part. He’d better!”
The film doesn’t shy away from the difficulties of running through a pregnancy.
Gallagher’s transparency arrives at a moment in women’s sports where motherhood and the challenges it presents are a frequent topic of discussion. Several large race entities in ultrarunning and cycling have recently announced more inclusive and long-term pregnancy policies. While the “pro-runner mom” narrative used to center on returning to pre-baby form, “Coming to Term” shifts the focus toward the process itself. By showing the messy, unglamorous reality of training while eight months pregnant, Gallagher joins a chorus of athletes demanding that motherhood be viewed as a standard part of an athletic career rather than an anomaly to be hidden. Her story reinforces the idea that an athlete’s identity doesn’t disappear during pregnancy; it simply evolves.
Since this filming late last summer, Gallagher has given birth to her son and is now on the journey as a running mother, recently post-partum, with all the ups and downs that this part of life entails. Turns out, life keeps evolving.
Call for Comments
- What did you think about the film?
- How has pregnancy or becoming a parent changed your relationship with running?
