Natalie Morales returned to the Today newsroom on Tuesday morning, after running in and reporting from the Boston Marathon.
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"Got the medal! It was so great, it was fantastic, it was such an emotional event," she told her co-anchors. "Really great moment, the crowd got us through it. So inspiring."
Morales tacked the 26.2-mile course in honor of those still recovering from the horrific events of last year's Boston Marathon, and reported live from the scene on the morning of the run. Dressed a bright orange outfit -- she joked on Twitter that she was channeling the newly-established Orange Room on Today -- Morales crossed the finish line with a time of 3:34:45.
When Matt Lauer asked how she feels post-marathon, Morales simply responded, "It hurts -- don't make me go up the stairs fast!"
A seasoned runner, Morales had previously completed five marathons, "but it’s been eight years and one child since my last, and I’m a little rusty and out of shape on the training," she admitted last month when she first announced her plans to participate in Patriots' Day event. She raised over $70,000 to support the One Fund and the Challenged Athletes Foundation, and also checked in before and after the run with Celeste and Sydney Corcoran, the two previously-introduced Boston locals who were harmed by the attack.
"I did this for every single person who can't run this race for whatever reason,'' Celeste said. "They don't win. Hate doesn't win. It's always love that wins, and we got our city back."
Morales also described the run as "one more step toward healing," and said the Corcorans inspired her during the race's hardest portion. "I kept thinking, if they can do it, and what they've been through over this past year, and all of the survivors, then I can make it up that hill!"
Watch the clips below:
Email: Ashley.Lee@THR.com
Twitter: @cashleelee
