Most Interesting People 2019: Sarah Horbol

Why She’s Interesting: Horbol, a Westlake resident, finished first in the women’s full marathon during the 41st Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon. Then on Oct. 7, Horbol ran in the Twin Cities Marathon in a time of 2 hours, 42 minutes, 58 seconds, which qualified her for the 2020 Olympic Trials. She plans on traveling to Atlanta in February 2020 to compete against other Olympic hopefuls.

Olympic Hopeful: Horbol’s victory here in Cleveland came within 6 minutes and 36 seconds of the qualifying time for the Olympic Trials. It was something that hadn’t really crossed her mind before, but now seemed within reach. She quickly focused on her next marathon — the Twin Cities Marathon in Minneapolis-St. Paul — with one goal: qualify for the trials. “I got to work and kind of ramped up my training.”

Training Solo: While most people train for those grueling 26 miles by hiring a trainer or running within a group, Horbol does it mostly by herself — researching information online and creating her own training schedule. While she runs once a week with a friend, the solo training gets her accustomed to tackling mileage at her own pace, so when race day comes she’s prepared. “A lot of the race you find yourself completely alone. Because I’m used to that, it doesn’t add on any challenges to me.”

Soul Mate: Even when she’s training for a marathon — running six or seven days a week, clocking anywhere between 55 and 70 miles — she does it for the love of the sport. “As soon as I walk out the door, I can forget about work and my to-do list. It’s like my brain switches into a completely different mode, and I immediately feel a sense of freedom and happiness.”

Passion Project: After frequently being asked about her running career, she has finally decided to launch a blog. Horbol hopes to create a space where people can go to find advice, training plans and personal stories about the sport. “As a kid, I was constantly writing stories and plays. A blog allows me to come full circle and begin writing again.”

Chef Talk: Horbol, a sales representative at an education technology company, finds comfort in the kitchen — especially when it comes to making pastas and homemade pizzas. “I’ve always been into cooking. Even in college my roommates would comment on the meals I would make, and how I was always in the kitchen chopping up fresh produce.”

Interesting Fact: 6: Number of marathons Horbol has competed in. She’s also run in seven half-marathons.