World Class Marathon Runner Commits To 87th Manchester Road Race

MANCHESTER, CT — One of the world's top marathon runners has committed to the 87th Manchester Road Race.

Race officials Thursday announced that Sara Hall, who placed fifth at the World Marathon Championships last year with a time of 2:22:10, has entered the Thanksgiving Day run. This year marks her first appearance in Manchester.

Hall, 40, was the runner-up at the 2020 London Marathon with a time of 2:22:01. Her personal best time for the 26.2-mile event is 2:20:32, and she has also run the half-marathon in 1:07:15.

A seven-time All-American when she competed for Stanford University, Hall was formerly a steeplechase competitor before stepping up to the marathon distance. She won the gold medal in the steeplechase at the 2011 Pan American Games in Mexico.

Hall is married to retired Olympic marathoner Ryan Hall. Ryan, who also competed for Stanford, set the United States records for the marathon and half marathon. In 2017, the couple adopted four young sisters from Ethiopia. The family resides in Flagstaff, AR.

"Sara is a wonderful addition to this year’s race," said Jim Harvey, the MRRs elite runner coordinator. "She is a very accomplished athlete and a great person."

The 87th Manchester Road Race, which has been designated a World Athletics Label Event by World Athletics, the international governing body of the sport of track and field, will be staged at 10 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day (Nov.23 this year). The 4.748-mile-long road race is run on a loop course through Manchester’s central district that starts and finishes on Main Street, in front of St. James Church.

More details and on-line registration are available at www.manchesterroadrace.com.