Across a two-year stretch, Terrell Thorne broke one national record, made five Australian teams and spent over 12 months injured. The timeline makes it easy to forget he is still only 19.
Thorne’s running style is the most relaxed thing on earth until you meet the man himself. The Queensland teenager is as casual as they come, but more competitive than most.
In his second season of athletics, Throne blazed to a time of 45.64-seconds to break the Australian Under 18 record for 400m, just months after finishing seventh at the 2024 World Athletics Under 20 Championships.
The following year he stood on the podium at the World Athletics Relays as a silver medallist in the Mixed 4x400m, before earning selection to represent Australia again at the FISU World University Games and World Athletics Championships.
But he hasn’t been seen since.
“I won my first Nationals five months into doing athletics, so my confidence in this sport is super high.” Thorne says.
“I started getting sore feet in like September last year and I wasn’t really worried about it. I had played [rugby] league my whole life and never been injured.
“I got it scanned and they told me that both feet have navicular stress fractures and the more they looked at it, the worse it got.”
Most athletes get their first injury before their first Australian record, but the 19-year-old has taken the setback in his stride, which appears capable of conquering just about anything.
“I feel like I have handled it pretty well considering I haven’t raced in a year and a half,” Thorne says.
“That doesn’t mean it hasn’t been hard, especially because everyone else has been running so well.”
Everyone refers to his 4x400m teammates and rivals, four of which broke the 45-second barrier in 2026 while Thorne sat idle on his 45.54-second personal best.
Aidan Murphy led the charge at 44.44-seconds, followed by Reece Holder (44.63), Thomas Reynolds (44.69) and Cooper Sherman (44.85).
“Everyone was dropping 44’s and competing well. I wasn’t jealous or mad, I just felt like that’s something that I should have been doing with them,” Thorne says.
“I never used to think that anyone could possibly beat me. The confidence is a bit down at the moment, but that’s where I need to get back to if I want to achieve my goals.”
Those goals include three Olympic Games and the Australian Open 400m record, which has provided motivation for the rising star who spent months on the bike before he could return to the track.
“I hated it! My quads were burning and everything was just lactic,” Thorne says.
“When they were telling me the sessions I thought I would be fine, but I was cooked.”
A reward came in the form of selection for the 2026 World Athletics Under 20 Championships in the 4x400m squad, but it was short lived as Thorne ramped up his training to prepare for the competition.
“I felt like I had shin splints and when I got it scanned, it came back with stress reactions in both shins,” Thorne says.
“I could have run at World Under 20’s but I didn’t want to put on a green and gold outfit if I knew I couldn’t give anything close to my best.
“I honestly probably would’ve run 49-seconds.”
Rescans have since showed steady progress as the sprinter with Barbadian and Anglo-Indian family ties regains confidence in his body, but he says his confidence in his ability will return after results.
His first opportunity will arrive when he races 200m in November – his first race since August in 2025.
“Obviously the World Championships is the big goal. It’s cool to chase fast times but for me it’s about being consistent and building into the Olympics in 2028,” Thorne says.
“Training without knowing when you are going to race next is not the best feeling. I’m glad that I can just focus on the season now.”
By Lachlan Moorhouse, Australian Athletics
Posted 29/10/2026
