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'Today' host Sheinelle Jones breaks down in tears as 'proud' Al Roker hugs her after NYC marathon

Sheinelle Jones was visibly emotional towards the end of her New York City marathon journey, sharing hugs and tears with 'Today' co-hosts

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: ‘Today’ host Sheinelle Jones was visibly emotional towards the end of her New York City marathon journey, sharing hugs and tears with co-host Al Roker as she greeted him.

Jones received unwavering support from her ‘Today’ colleagues as she participated in the New York City Marathon.

On Sunday, November 5, as the marathon unfolded, Jones encountered Roker and Stephanie Ruhle at the sidelines, where they provided enthusiastic cheers and support.

In a poignant video, as Jones reached mile 18, she appeared to be overcome with emotion and teary-eyed when she shared a hug with the meteorologist.

‘Today’ host Sheinelle Jones gets emotional during NYC marathon

Earlier in the race, Sheinelle Jones was easily identifiable with the ‘Today’ logo on her back as she ran.

In a video posted on Instagram, Jones was captured jogging along Vernon Boulevard in Queens, greeting the spectators along the 26.2-mile course.

While her ‘Today’ family supported her enthusiastically, she seemingly got teary-eyed while hugging Al Roker.

From Roker to Hoda Kotb and many other of Jones’ co-stars, each showed immense love and hyped her taking it to their Instagram.

The 69-year-old weatherman shared multiple snaps from the marathon. In one post, Roker captured Jones running as she completed 18 miles and hugged Roker with tears in her eyes.

Roker captioned the post, “Our dear friend @sheinelle_o is crushing the @nycmarathon today. Her #runcoaches, Rainy Farrell and @yosefherzog running with her and Team @todayshow has been all along the race route. So proud!!!”

In another post, Roker shared multiple snaps of Jones as she ended her marathon journey.

He wrote, “What a journey for our @sheinelle_o who has shown grit, determination and positivity as she trained for the @nycmarathon Her family and her @todayshow family could not be prouder. We love you. Thanks for these pics, @photonate.”

Jones posted several snaps on her Instagram and wrote, “One of the best days of my life. ❤️ I could NOT have done it without @yoyosafe @jeslynnyc and @rainyfarrell . They are stuck with me for life. ☺️ Did I just run 26.2 miles? My legs just responded …. why, yes I did. The longest and most rewarding 4 hours and 41 minutes of my life. ❤️ @nycmarathon.”

A look at Sheinelle Jones’ marathon journey

Sheinelle Jones has been openly sharing her training journey leading up to the marathon, as well as her motivation for taking on the challenge.

In August, she revealed to Jenna Bush Hager and Hoda Kotb, "When I turned 40, I wanted to change the narrative in my head that I can do hard things, so I ran a half marathon, and I swore I would never do it again."

However, at the age of 45, she decided to participate in the New York City Marathon, driven by her desire to "try to do hard things again."

In the days preceding the marathon, Jones took a moment to reflect on her path to the race through an Instagram post, highlighting the lessons she's gained from this new life experience and the inspiration she hopes it offers to others.

She said, “It is my sincere prayer that I encourage someone to try something new, perhaps outside of his or her comfort zone … whether it’s in the form of exercise, or even a new musical instrument … whatever it is. I have to be honest, some days have been *really* tough for me … but here we are. Running has often been the therapy I didn’t know I needed."