2:45:01 and Beyond: Taryn Thor

Taryn kicks off my 2:45:01 and Beyond series.  I connected with Taryn on Instagram and when we were both featured as Women to Watch in the 2019 Indy Women's Half.  I really admired Taryn's tenacity to try for the standard in her debut marathon during graduate school, and have enjoyed reading messages of body positivity she posts on social media.

Name: Taryn Thor

Age: 24

City/State: Kokomo,IN

Occupation: Student DPT

Hobbies/interests outside of running: target shooting, cooking, hiking

When did you start chasing the OTQ and what inspired you to try? 

After I won first woman in Indiana at the Indy Mini I figured out I was running faster in the half than I need to run a full in to qualify. I only ran 50 miles per week at the time, so building the engine needed to be a top competitor in a full was a bit out of reach. But, I decided to give it a go and got my mileage up in the 70-80.

Tell us about the races you attempted to OTQ at and the outcomes.

Indy Monumental Marathon 2019 in 2:53:50

What did you gain from this journey?  

Lots of mental toughness! And an appreciation for the journey it takes to make it through 26.2 miles with a full time job (clinicals for me).

What are you most proud of about your OTQ pursuit? 

Doing it while pursuing an accelerated DPT 😭

Do you have any regrets or things you wish you’d done differently in your OTQ pursuit? 

More fueling practice for sure!

What message would you like to send to those following your running pursuits? 

Don't neglect the weight room, short sprints, and sleep! The little things count more than you think.

Tell us something unique about yourself.

I am a quarter Japanese 

What’s next for you?

Carmel Half Marathon and Indy Mini Marathon