Calli Hauger-Thackery has announced a new sponsorship deal with UCAN. The British Olympian, who is currently pregnant, posted the news on Instagram this week, saying she had been using the brand’s products throughout her Boston Marathon build and on race day itself.
Hauger-Thackery explained that UCAN’s slow-release carbohydrate formula had been particularly useful during her pregnancy. Her doctors had advised her to avoid large blood sugar spikes and maintain more stable energy levels. “UCAN has literally been a saviour during this time for me,” she wrote.
Who Is Calli Hauger-Thackery?
Hauger-Thackery is one of Britain’s most decorated distance runners. The 33-year-old has a personal best of 2:21:24 — the second-fastest marathon ever run by a British woman. She won the Honolulu Marathon in December 2025 and the Houston Marathon four weeks later in January 2026. She is a 2024 Olympian and European Half Marathon bronze medalist. Earlier this year she ran the Boston Marathon at 22 weeks pregnant, finishing in 2:43:58.
The Bates Backdrop
The signing comes a few months after UCAN’s public dispute with American marathoner Emma Bates, who alleged in March that the brand had ended their three-year partnership after she disclosed her pregnancy. UCAN denied the claim, saying the decision had been made in September 2025 as routine business planning, before any knowledge of her pregnancy.
In their statement at the time, UCAN said: “We’ve always supported and will continue to support athletes at all stages of life, including pregnancy and motherhood.” Bates’ agent disputed the timeline; the two sides never agreed on what happened. Bates has since signed with NeverSecond.
Some commenters on Hauger-Thackery’s post referenced the Bates situation directly. Hauger-Thackery did not address it, and UCAN has not commented beyond the partnership announcement.
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