THE DIAGNOSIS
At twelve years old, Karin Thorburn was diagnosed with scoliosis, a curvature of the spine. Doctors told her she would likely never play sports, work, or have children. She underwent surgery to have a metal rod implanted in her spine, a rod that remains there to this day. She was bedridden for seven months in a full-body plaster cast, and for years, she gave up running altogether.

THE COMEBACK
It wasn't until she turned 30 that Karin laced up her running shoes again, determined to prove that she could achieve anything she set her mind to. That single decision changed the course of her life.

RECORDS & MILESTONES
Since then, Karin has become the most prolific marathon runner Australia has ever produced. Her racing has taken her across Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Japan, Thailand, South Africa, and throughout Europe. Between 2007 and 2012, she completed eight Ironman triathlons, and she has tackled numerous ultra marathons and trail races, though road marathons remain her greatest love.

Karin has been awarded the Abbott World Marathon Majors Six Star Medal for completing the six largest marathons in the world, including Boston, London, Berlin, Tokyo, New York and Chicago. She is currently working toward completing all six for a second time.

She has completed the Magnetic30in30 Challenge in Townsville, running 30 marathons in 30 days, four separate times, and in 2024 she set a milestone by finishing all 30 with an average time under 4 hours 30 minutes, a feat no one else has matched. Her fastest marathon time stands at 3:36.

LIFE TODAY
Karin shows no signs of slowing down. Alongside chasing her own milestones, she has been invited to be an official pacer at major international marathons, helping first-time runners achieve their own finish-line dreams. It's a role she says she loves just as much as racing for herself.

THE ROAD TO 600

Karin was the first Australian to run 500 official marathons and is on track to become the first Australian to complete 600 official marathons, a milestone she'll hit in 2027, the year she also turns 60 years old.