A Journey of Resilience and Determination
Kaz Thorburn’s story is one of triumph against all odds. Once told she would never play sport or have children, she now stands as a testament to the power of perseverance. In 2001, she completed her fourth marathon, but this was just the beginning of an extraordinary journey that has seen her run 551 official marathons, the most of any Australian.
Her path to becoming a marathon legend was not easy. At the age of 12, she was a Little Athletics champion, but her life changed when she was diagnosed with scoliosis. A steel rod was surgically fused to her spine, and doctors told her she would never be able to play sports, have children, or even hold a job.
“I thought I couldn’t do anything,” she recalls.
Proving the Doctors Wrong
Despite these challenges, Kaz defied expectations. After marrying young, she became pregnant and gave birth, which challenged the notion that her medical prognosis was absolute. “If I can have children, surely I can do other things,” she said.
She started running with her one-year-old son in a pram, proving to herself that she could still move. Her first major race was the 14-kilometre City2Surf in Sydney, which she completed three years in a row. This sparked a new passion for longer distances, leading her to take on the challenge of a marathon.
Tackling a Marathon Cluelessly
Kaz’s first marathon, run on the Gold Coast in 1999, was filled with uncertainty. “I thought, ‘If I get through this today, it will be a miracle,’” she said. She had no idea what to expect, only that she wanted to push herself beyond the limits others had set for her.
Over time, she learned about running and about herself. Today, she has completed the prestigious “six star marathons”: Tokyo, Chicago, London, Paris, Berlin, and Boston. “Never even in my wildest dreams would I think I could qualify for Boston at 55 years old,” she said.
Breaking Records and Setting New Goals
In 2024, Kaz ran 70 official marathons, setting a record for an Australian woman in a single calendar year. That’s one marathon every five days, a feat made possible by multi-day marathon events. She organizes one such event in Townsville, where competitors from around the world run 30 marathons in 30 days, covering a total of 1,265km.
“The only way to get through is to keep going,” she says. “Every day is day one. Even on day 29, I’m saying, ‘Today is day one.’”
Balancing Life and Running
Kaz balances her intense training schedule with full-time work, something doctors once told her she would never achieve. “My husband has to stop me from running,” she laughs. Scoliosis affected her mental health, but running has given her a sense of freedom and strength.
In between marathons, she decided to learn swimming so she could complete an Ironman triathlon. She has now completed eight, combining swimming, cycling, and running into one incredible challenge.
A Passion That Keeps Growing
Rick Patzold, who has run more than 450 marathons, describes Kaz as someone with a burning passion. “It’s a determination to want to achieve something, and she’s gone a bit crazy with it recently,” he said.
The two recently ran together in a marathon in Sydney, marking the first event where two Australian runners with over 1,000 marathons between them competed together.
“People don’t realize what she’s achieved,” Mr Patzold said.
Turning Weakness into Strength
Kaz still carries the metal rod fused to her spine, but she believes it has helped her maintain an upright posture. “I get sore legs. Everyone gets that. I get tired, I get hungry. But I don’t get a sore back,” she said.
What was once a weakness has become a strength. “The very thing that was the big issue has been the thing to push me through to where I am today.”
The Road Ahead
There are moments when Kaz feels like quitting, but she keeps going. “People ask me: ‘How many? What’s the number you’ll stop at?’” she said. “I’ll get to 750 and see how the body is. If I’m still going OK, I’ll push on to 1,000.”
