For the Love of the Grind: A Memoir

Sara Hall shares the story of her record-breaking career and her unconventional path to motherhood via adoption, all while battling insecurities, injuries, and doubters.

Sara Hall has been a fixture atop American distance running for more than two decades: first as a national high school champion, then as an NCAA star at Stanford University, and later, as the only pro runner to ever win U.S. titles in the mile and the marathon. She's held the American record in the half marathon, clocked the fastest marathon in the U.S. by a woman aged 40 or older, and represented her country in multiple World Championships.

But success has never come easy. Fear of failure set in during high school. In college, Sara competed through a results-obsessed culture that carried into her professional career. She battled anxiety and imposter syndrome, alongside outside pressure to quit the sport and instead devote herself to supporting her husband, Olympic marathoner Ryan Hall, and later, her kids. Yet Sara never gave up on the dream of reaching her potential.

Fueled by faith, family, and an unbridled love of exploring her limits, Sara has proven the doubters wrong at every turn. When she and Ryan adopted four daughters from Ethiopia, motherhood only made her faster, running personal bests year after year and landing on podiums at the world’s most competitive races. Along the way, she discovered that choosing love over fear allowed her to take risks. She let go of results and embraced the pursuit of excellence instead.

For the Love of the Grind is a love letter to running, and the story of Sara’s growth as an athlete, wife, and mom. Through her unflinching honesty and keen introspection, readers will be inspired to chase their dreams, to reimagine what might still be possible, and to embrace their own love of the grind.