Throughout the years, Sara Hall has established herself as the namesake of determination. In 2022, she faced the double whammies of bruised bones and an IT band injury. That injury kept her off the tracks for several months. However, 2022 seemed like it could have been her year, especially after her phenomenal performance the year before. But fate disrupted her magical run once again. In 2024, Hall had another chance to qualify for the Olympics, but once more, fate intervened. During the US Olympic marathon trials, she finished fifth, falling short of securing a spot. Despite this setback, her unwavering determination remains intact. Now, she has her sights set on the Chicago Marathon.

But at 41 years old and after battling a lengthy IT band injury, wouldn’t it be too much to ask of the veteran? Sara Hall thinks otherwise. She has a clear goal in mind for the 2024 Chicago Marathon and is determined to make it happen.

Sara Hall aims to push her limits in the marathon run 

On Sunday, with many others, Sara Hall will also run in the Chicago Marathon to make a place in the leaderboard. In her pre-event interaction with Citius Mag, the Olympian mentioned that she has yet to forget her 2021 performance on the same track, finishing third (2:27:19). However, three years later, she will not be chasing that record. Instead, on Sunday, she will aim to finish “long threshold runs” to stay different from the pack. Per her, that’s how she will be able to display better than what she did in the Boston Marathon this year. 

On her 41st birthday, Sara Hall entered the 128th Boston Marathon with a noble cause. The event took place after the US Olympic marathon trials, and Hall was eager to demonstrate her true potential in the race. Before the marathon, she encouraged her fans to celebrate her birthday by donating towards a goal of raising $50,000 in support of Loans for Women in Ethiopia.

However, on April 15, Hall finished the race in 2:27:58, slower than her personal best of 2:20:32. This time earned her 15th place overall and second among American runners, but it left her feeling unsatisfied. Now, for the 2024 Chicago Marathon, Hall aims to improve her timing. Still, she will face tough competition from another American veteran.

The 2024 Chicago Marathon will pose a threat to ambitions 

In 2022, Sara Hall broke the American record in the half marathon, finishing in 1:07:15 and surpassing Molly Huddle’s 2018 record by 10 seconds. However, Keira D’Amato later set a new record at 66:39, becoming the current American record holder. This year, Hall faced a tough challenge at the US Olympic marathon trials, where she had to pull out of the race at mile 20.

Despite initially leading the pack, she couldn’t maintain her momentum. Hall attributed her struggles to the intense heat in Orlando, which made her feel disoriented on the track, but she also acknowledged some shortcomings in her preparation.

Yet after almost six months, Keira D’Amato has landed in Chicago with fresh energy. She now has a new coach, a new abode, and better motivation to counter her opponents. Undoubtedly, Sara Hall comes at the top row in her list of opponents. At the same Olympic trials, the 41-year-old went past her, finishing in fifth position. In addition, she has competed in eight US Olympic trials, qualifying in five of them. Therefore, it will be a humongous challenge for Keira D’Amato to keep Sara Hall at bay on Sunday. But the competition will be a jaw-dropping track affair. Isn’t it?