An Australian woman who was once told she’d never be able to participate in sports has just finished the Sydney marathon – her 551st marathon completion!
Growing up, I was a total athlete – I actually won stuff at Little Athletics when I was 12! But then I found out I had scoliosis, which meant I needed surgery. They had to put a steel rod in my spine, which was pretty intense. After that, it wasn’t about winning races anymore, it was about learning to walk all over again.
Doctors told her she’d never be able to have children, hold a job, or participate in sports. But after getting married, she unexpectedly became pregnant with her first child. This success made her question what other challenges she could overcome.
Thorburn has completed more marathons than any Australian
It all started with simple runs around the block with her young son. From there, she progressed to a 14k race, then the Gold Coast marathon. Now, she’s an accomplished marathon runner, having completed the prestigious six-star marathons – Tokyo, Chicago, London, Paris, Berlin, and Boston. Remarkably, she qualified for Boston for the fourth time at the age of 55.
So, between all the marathons I’ve been running, I decided to learn how to swim! I wanted to tackle an Iron Man triathlon – you know, the super tough one with a nearly 4km swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and then another marathon! It’s been a crazy journey, but I’ve actually finished 8 Iron Mans now, and if you can believe it, I’ve run a total of 551 marathons in my life!
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Karin Thorburn (@independentrunnerevents)
In an interview with ABC News, Thorburn explained that running has greatly improved his health and gives him a sense of liberation. He said he feels good while running, even in bad weather, describing it as a freeing experience.
Thorburn now plans and leads running events, including a challenging race in Townsville, Australia where participants complete a marathon each day for 30 days – a total distance of 1,265 kilometers.
People often ask Thorburn when she plans to stop her endeavor. She says she’ll reassess after reaching 750, and if she’s still feeling good, she’ll continue towards a goal of 1,000.
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2026-05-31 18:48