In the CIAC State Opens held on Oct. 31, cross country captain Sarah Bogdan ’26 was spooked by an early fall, hitting the ground within moments. Battling the brutal hills of Wickham Park in Manchester, she forced herself to turn off every negative thought and just run. Despite the rough opening, Bogdan pushed from 20th place to cross the finish line in fourth.
This result isn’t her most flashy, but it’s her proudest. Rising back up and fighting through the race highlights the perseverance that a place can’t define.
“The entire race […] is a reflection of the strength that I had been able to build this season, as well as the hard mental work that my coaches and I have been working to execute during my races,” Bogdan said.
Finishing up her final high school cross country season, Bogdan has left her mark. Throughout her senior season, Bogdan has placed second at FCIACs, fourth at States and sixth at New Englands. Bogdan received “most dedicated” in her grade, all-FCIAC first team, all-state, all-state Academic Scholar Award, all-New England and Staples Block-S award for most valuable player.
Surprisingly, Bogdan entered cross country her freshman year completely clueless about the sport. Four years later, she’s dropped her 5K time by a remarkable 5:09, now running an 18:10.
“I didn’t know the difference between track and cross country at the start of freshman year,” Bogdan said. “My goal entering cross country was to become faster, as in being a better sprinter, thinking that I would focus on sprinting events.”
Bogdan tries to appreciate every moment she spends running, even the toughest ones. Her involvement in her church and her Christian faith form the backbone of her success, grounding her and giving her strength. She credits her grit to the belief that God continually blesses her with the power to keep going.
“I truly believe that every moment of running is a blessing and I try my best never to take it for granted, even when I may not get the result that I want,” Bogdan said.
Junior year highlighted a turning point in Bogdan’s running career. With a renewed mindset, she was able to dedicate herself more to her training and to the sport as a whole.
“Coming into my junior year season, I finally was able to visualize the potential that I had in the sport,” Bogdan said. “I no longer decided to count myself out when it came to running with faster girls at races.”
Bogdan isn’t just an accomplished runner; she is also a passionate cook. She has been cooking for as long as she can remember, but once running entered the picture, it became much more than a hobby. Cooking is where she unwinds and lets her creativity take over.
“Not only do you have to fuel really well as an endurance athlete, but it is also important to find things outside of running that you enjoy,” Bogdan said. “When I cook, I am able to implement new fueling strategies.”
Bogdan runs a food-focused Instagram account, @a.runner.who.cooks, where she posts her meals and homemade recipes. The page has become both a creative outlet and a source of inspiration, helping her discover new dishes while sharing her own. It also connects her to a wider community of athletes and teams she admires, giving her a space to learn from others.
“My mom always said, ‘monkey see, monkey do,’ which basically means if you can observe what others are doing to achieve the goals you have, you should try to gain inspiration from them in order to guide your own actions,” Bogdan said.
In the near future, Bogdan will commit to running at a collegiate level. While her long-term plans may shift depending on the NCAA path ahead, she already envisions a post-college life filled with road races, marathons and even ultramarathons.
“I think that running is going to hold a place in my life forever,” Bogdan said.
