By Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com
Colin Thorne — the globally celebrated centenarian parkrunner and beloved Whangārei figure — has died aged 102, leaving behind a legacy of resilience, service and extraordinary determination.
Thorne completed 265 parkruns over nine years, becoming one of the movement’s most admired participants worldwide. He was the first person on the planet aged over 100 to reach the 100‑parkrun milestone, a record unlikely to be matched any time soon. Even this month, after shifting to a wheelchair, he continued turning up on Saturday mornings, insisting on crossing the finish line on foot.
Former Whangārei mayor Sheryl Mai and fellow parkrunner Jeremy Browne said his commitment to “just showing up” made him a powerful example of active ageing.
Mai said the community had been “incredibly blessed to have had this international champion in our own backyard”, describing him as a global ambassador for staying active later in life. “He inspired people to think, ‘If Colin can do it, maybe I can too.’”
A lifelong Northlander, Thorne was still living independently at 100 — mowing his own lawn, driving to the gym and quietly defying expectations about age and ability. His humour remained intact too; on his 100th birthday he joked he felt “only 99”.
Born in Cambridge in 1924 and raised during the Great Depression, Thorne left school at 15 and spent decades dairy farming — work that built the physical base for a remarkable sporting life. He played rugby, cricket, soccer and hockey before turning to running at 64.
Despite the late start, he completed 50 marathons, 102 half marathons and numerous long‑distance events, clocking a 3:18 marathon at age 69. A knee replacement in his 80s didn’t stop him either; he became the oldest competitor in the New York Marathon at 89 and collected medals at World Masters events.
After retiring from formal racing at 92, he embraced parkrun, completing events at 21 locations and volunteering 16 times. The movement became especially important after the death of his wife Betty in 2021, his biggest supporter through 70 years of marriage.
Thorne’s milestones drew international attention. Parkrun Australia and the wider global community sent crews to film his centenary, and videos of him circulated worldwide, introducing audiences to the Northland man who redefined what ageing could look like.
Browne and local filmmaker Jesse Slykerman recently interviewed Thorne for a series of new videos capturing parts of his life not previously documented. These will be released on YouTube once completed.
This Saturday’s parkrun coincides with Anzac Day, adding poignancy to the tributes. Thorne trained in North Africa during World War II and later served with the first occupational forces in Japan, contributing to post‑war rebuilding efforts. The Last Post, already planned for the event, will now also honour him.
Thorne’s parkrun family plans to carry his photo across the finish line in the coming weeks — a final nod to his last goal: reaching 270 parkruns.
