Sara Hall at 43: What Her Chicago Marathon Build Teaches Australian Runners

Team UCAN · Chicago Marathon 2026

Read how Sara Hall fuelled the 2026 Chicago Marathon, where she finished first in the Masters division. She used UCAN almost every day of her build, and UCAN is what we ship from our warehouse in Victoria.

The UCAN Company sat down with Sara before the race. Her answers are reproduced word for word. Between them, we have added what an Australian runner can take from her build, whether the next start line is Melbourne, the Gold Coast, Sydney or a first half marathon.

Why a race in Chicago matters to runners here

Chicago is a flat, fast course run at sea level, a similar profile to the Gold Coast Marathon. The fuelling questions it raises are the ones you meet at home: a long wait in the start corral, a pace that costs more from 30 km, and a finish that rewards steady fuelling.

Then there is the practical part. The brand she names is the brand on this site, and her three fuelling moments line up with the UCAN marathon fuel plan, which is why her answers are worth reading twice.

Sara Hall on Chicago, in her own words

Sara Hall, Team UCAN. Interview by The UCAN Company, conducted before the 2026 Chicago Marathon. Quotes unedited. Original on ucan.co.

What was your goal going into Chicago?

"My main goal was to be as present as possible and to let go of my ego and focus on the feeling of being out there. I hope to be able to enjoy the moment no matter what the external result. But I would also love a chance to lower my Master's American record."

What's one thing you've learned during this marathon build?

"I'm learning to give grace to myself and adjust my expectations when I don't hit workout times quite the same as my best-ever and still enjoy the process."

The record she mentions is her own American record in the Masters division, and she treats it as a hope rather than a demand. The same approach works in training. If a hard session leaves you flat two days later, recovery is the first place to look, starting with what you eat in the hour after the session.

The quiet miles

What advice would you give someone running Chicago for the first time?

"The quiet miles are the hardest miles. Get past 21 and you're home free."

Mile 21 is about 34 km. If you have run Melbourne or the Gold Coast, you know that stretch, the part where the crowds thin, the pace stops feeling free and the finish is still too far away to pull you in. It is also where the fuel you took earlier in the race pays off.

Plan for it. In the UCAN marathon fuel plan, one Edge gel every 45 to 60 minutes means a gel lands at roughly 24 km and again at roughly 32 km, so you run the quiet miles on fuel you took in before they started. If you use caffeine, that second gel is where a caffeinated Edge earns its place.

How Sara fuels, and how to do it with the Australian range

How has your fueling strategy changed throughout the build toward Chicago?

"I am taking in much more carbs during and outside of training than I ever have. My stomach has always handled lots of carbs well, but I've really pushed that upper end."

How are you using UCAN during training and how did you use it on race day?

"I've used UCAN almost every day of this buildup. I used it as part of my breakfast, right before heading to the line, and at intervals throughout the race."

What's your go to pre race routine?

"Carb loading 48 hours out. Rest and working on my mechanics."

Sara describes three moments. Here is how to cover each one with what we stock in Australia.

Sara's point about pushing the upper end of carbohydrate intake is a reminder that the gut adapts with practice. Build your race-day intake across your long runs, not on the morning itself.

The part that has nothing to do with fuel

Read her first answer again. The goal was to be present, let go of ego and enjoy the moment, with the record as a hope rather than a demand. For a runner with her results, that is a deliberate choice, and it is worth borrowing.

Set the fuelling up so it runs itself. Then give the race your attention. That is the method, and it works as well at Albert Park as it does on Michigan Avenue.

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