Read Joanna Gaines' sweet, supportive note to Chip ahead of his first marathon

Julie Pennell

This Sunday, "Fixer Upper" star Chip Gaines will run his first ever marathon, in what will probably be more of an adrenaline-filled moment than any Demo Day he's ever experienced (and that's saying a lot).

His wife and co-star, Joanna Gaines — who's carrying the couple's fifth child! — is already cheering him on, posting a sweet and supportive message on Instagram Friday night.

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It all started with a lofty goal that he first considered while writing his book Capital Gaines. Then last October Chip randomly ran into @gigrunewald in Central Park where she shared some of her story. It was then that Chip was inspired to take this goal of running a marathon and turn it into something bigger: raising money and awareness for rare cancer research. This weekend 6,000 runners from all 50 states and 7 countries will participate in our first annual #SiloDistrictMarathon right here in Waco, TX. All profits from this race will go to her foundation @bravelikegabe. ⠀ ⠀ Chip, I couldn't be prouder of you. I am thankful for your big heart and big vision. Go get 'em this weekend, and you better believe I'll be the first in line at the finish to give you the biggest hug! #yourbiggestfan #yougotthis #26.2miles

A post shared by Joanna Stevens Gaines (@joannagaines) on May 4, 2018 at 4:39pm PDT

"I am thankful for your big heart and big vision," she captioned a photo of Chip running down a wide, empty road. "Go get 'em this weekend, and you better believe I'll be the first in line at the finish to give you the biggest hug!"

Joanna also recapped the story behind the inaugural Silo District Marathon, which the Gaineses are hosting in their hometown of Waco, Texas.

Related: Cutest photos of the couple

Running a marathon was a goal Chip first considered while writing his book, "Capital Gaines," according to Joanna's post. But the idea was taken a step further when he met Gabriele Grunewald (Gabe for short) in New York City last fall.

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The Silo District Marathon, half marathon and 5K are ONE month from today! Our half is getting close to max capacity, so now is the time to sign up and ensure your spot. Remember, Chip is giving out prize money totaling $88,000 to the top three men and women finishers for the half and full marathons! #SiloDistrictMarathon (magnolia.com)

A post shared by magnolia (@magnolia) on Apr 6, 2018 at 9:13am PDT

Grunewald, a professional runner who's been fighting a rare cancer since 2009, inspired Chip, who explained in a January blog post that, after meeting her, he didn't want to spend another second standing on the sidelines.

"Given what she's gone through, I didn't have any excuse not to give this a shot," he wrote. "So I committed."

Grunewald has been helping Chip train from her home state of Minnesota. He's also been getting lots of support and messages of encouragement from his four kids.

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All of the profits from the marathon will go toward the Brave Like Gabe Foundation, which aims to help further research on rare cancers like Gabe's.

Joanna added in her post that 6,000 runners from seven countries and all 50 states will participate in the event that will include a full marathon, a half marathon and a 5K.

She ended her Instagram message with hashtag #yourbiggestfan.

Even though Joanna won't be running the marathon, Chip has found ways to cheer her on, too. He was spotted in the TODAY plaza holding a sign that read "I [heart] Joanna Gaines!" while she was discussing her new cookbook on the show.

Good luck, Chip! We're all rooting for you!

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