One-Armed Athlete Trains for Boston Marathon

When you're running 40 miles a week and strength training twice weekly, you need creative solutions. For athlete Sarah Herron, who was born missing her left arm below the elbow, that creativity has unlocked athletic achievements most people only dream about.

Herron discovered her athletic potential early through swimming. By her junior year of high school, she had qualified for the 2008 Olympic Trials, giving her a glimpse of what her body could achieve.

After college, she traded the pool for pavement, signing up for a half marathon with zero running experience. The training was tough, but crossing that finish line sparked a bigger question: How much further could she go?

The answer came in the form of an Ironman triathlon. The brutal race requires a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and full marathon. Herron modified her bike so the brakes were only on the right side and spent extra time practicing in open water to handle waves with one arm.

Crossing that Ironman finish line changed everything. Seven years later, she's completed 12 half marathons, three full marathons, and three Ironmans.

Now 34, Herron is preparing for her Boston Marathon debut this April. She runs six days a week using the Runna app for training structure, covering 35 to 40 miles weekly with hill repeats, tempo runs, and long runs up to 22 miles.

Her strength training routine required the most creativity. At her local gym, The Coalition, coaches helped her discover adaptations that work. She slides weight plates onto her upper arm for biceps curls and overhead presses. For deadlifts, she wraps a Pilates ring around the barbell and grips the ring as an extension of her arm.

The supportive environment made all the difference. Having coaches willing to problem solve with her transformed strength training from intimidating to empowering.

Why This Inspires

Herron credits the Lucky Fin Project, a nonprofit celebrating people with limb differences, as essential to her success. The community she found there reminds her she's not alone and validates every struggle along her journey.

Her approach to competition focuses on personal growth rather than comparison. Setting realistic goals meaningful to her own journey has fueled real progress.

Every adapted movement, every creative solution, every mile proves that limitations are often just invitations to innovate.