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Laura Thornton

@_lauraonamission_

8.4K

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🏃‍♀️ Wife | Mom | ⭐️ ⭐️/7 🔜 NYC + London • #RADRabbit • LeagueofGarmin • SweaterCrew • @missioncrewrunclub Founder🎙️ @heareverymile Podcast Host

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Somewhere along the way, “that’s impossible” quietly becomes “that’s not that bad.”

Running just happened to be the first place I noticed it.

Now I’m wondering how many other things in life I’ve normalized without even realizing it.

What’s something you never thought would become your normal?

#MarathonTraining #RunningThoughts #EnduranceMindset #LifeObservations #LauraOnAMission by @_lauraonamission_

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2 months ago

Some news I can’t believe I get to to share…

I’m so excited to announce that I’ve been invited to join the Shokz x NYC Marathon Chasing Stars Team for the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon. I was already scheduled to run this race, but this is beyond my wildest dreams…

I’ve used Shokz through so many training runs, so getting this email honestly felt surreal. Knowing they saw something in my story makes this even more special.

Thank you, @shokz. I’ll see you in NYC. ⭐️ by @_lauraonamission_

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3 months ago

Some friends will tell you
“we’re almost there…”
“It’s not that far…”
“You won’t die…” 😅

And somehow… they’re always right.

Tag the one who lies to you like this on every run 👇
#LauraOnAMission #RunHumor #RunnerLife #MilesWithFriends #KeepGoing by @_lauraonamission_

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7 months ago

A lot of new people have found their way here lately, so hi. I’m Laura. I started running to get healthy. I didn’t expect it to take me to Sydney, put NYC on the calendar, or lead me to start a run club.

I try to say hello when I can because I want this to feel like a community, not just a feed. I’m glad you’re here. What brought you to this page, and what are you working toward?

#ChasingStars #RADRabbit #MarathonTraining #runningcommunity #NYCMarathon @shokzusa by @_lauraonamission_

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9 hours ago

The pep talk is rarely inspirational. It’s usually “this is stupid, I’m tired, and why is this road still going uphill?” Then I keep going anyway.

#RunningCommunity #WomenWhoRun #MarathonTraining #RunnerHumor #KeepShowingUp by @_lauraonamission_

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19 hours ago

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2 days ago

Last year, breast cancer. This year, 26.2 miles through New York City. 💗

Ruth and Christian aren’t worried about their finish time.

They’re walking the NYC Marathon together. After everything they’ve been through, just getting to that starting line means more than any pace on a watch ever could.

Something they said really stuck with me.“Gifts in the garbage.” Finding something good in a year that gave you every reason to fall apart. That's not easy. And you don't really understand it until life puts you through something you never saw coming.

I think about how often we get caught up in running faster, hitting splits, chasing the next goal. Then you hear a story like this and remember what a privilege it is to simply be able to move.

Not every marathon is about a PR. Sometimes 26.2 miles is about getting your life back.

Send this to someone who needs a reminder of what really matters at the starting line. And save it for the next time you forget how lucky you are to be there. 💗 Thank you to @runwithrally for powering the ability to hear every mile. This episode of @heareverymile is live today wherever you get your podcasts!

To donate to the Keon's fundraiser, please visit https://fundraisers.nyrr.org/teams/keon-s-run-nyc

#NYCMarathon #TCSNYCMarathon #NewYorkCityMarathon #MarathonTraining #ChasingStars @runwithrally @shokzusa by @_lauraonamission_

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3 days ago

A year ago, I would’ve planned around the hills. Yesterday, I went looking for the hilliest route I could find. I still had plenty to say about the climb, but I guess that’s progress too.

#Running #RADRabbit #ChasingStars #RunnersOfInstagram #NYCMarathon by @_lauraonamission_

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4 days ago

I made it to the @nycmarathon taper! I was intentional about the hills coming off of Sydney thanks to @superiorsingletrack , and I’m ready. I’ve never been so proud of a long run. The goal today was 700ft, and we exceeded 800ft in 3 hours. (Thanks to @minderito ) New York City, I’ll see you in a couple of weeks! #nycmarathon #marathontraining #chasingstars @shokzusa #runinrabbit #radrabbit @missioncrewrunclub by @_lauraonamission_

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5 days ago

Chicago is the race that turned “I’ll never run another marathon” into “I love the marathon.” I PR’d by 34 minutes, ran through 29 neighborhoods, and got carried by the people cheering along the way. I wish I were there this year. I’ll be thinking about every runner, and everyone waiting to cheer them on. 🤍 Drop your bib number here so we can track you!!! 👏

#ChicagoMarathon #MarathonRunning #RunningCommunity #Marathoner RunChicago by @_lauraonamission_

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10 days ago

I got home and immediately started listing everything that wasn’t quite what I wanted: I cut it short, didn’t get much elevation, and the whole run felt chaotic.

Then I thought about what I’d say if a friend told me the same thing. “You ran 10.6 miles. You found hills. Your average heart rate was 11 beats lower than this time last year.”

I’m going to try giving myself the same credit I’d give her.

#RunningCommunity #MarathonTraining #RunnersOfInstagram #RunYourOwnRace #NYCMarathon by @_lauraonamission_

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11 days ago

Berlin was not supposed to be the redemption arc.

It was supposed to be the race where @milesandsplats stopped letting the watch take over the whole story.

After Chicago beat him up in every way a marathon can, the falls, the missed PR, the wall, the quiet frustration of knowing the day got away from him, he came into Berlin with a different kind of goal. Not softer. Maybe harder. Have fun again.

That sounds simple until you are halfway through a major, the heat is sitting on your shoulders, your hip decides to become a problem for the first time ever, and your brain starts doing that marathon math nobody asked for.

But somewhere out there, he chose to notice the crowd instead of the pain. The music instead of the doubt. The fact that he was running through Berlin, not just trying to survive it. Then he hit Brandenburg Gate and lost it.

Real tears. The kind you do not plan for. The kind that show up when your body is wrecked but something in you knows this is one of those moments you will keep forever. Star 5 was not about proving he could suffer.

He already knew that. It was about remembering why this matters in the first place.

New York started it. A legacy race for his dad turned into a Six Star chase. One finish line became permission to want more. To see the world. To show his daughter that big goals are allowed to look ridiculous before they look real.

Now Tokyo is waiting. Star 6. His family there to see it. A city he has always wanted to experience. The final piece of a journey that started as one race and turned into a whole new way of seeing himself.

Follow @milesandsplats as he takes this chase to Tokyo.

#MarathonRunner #SixStarJourney #WorldMarathonMajors #RunningCommunity #MarathonTraining

Send this to someone who needs to remember the goal is not just to finish, it is to feel the whole damn thing. by @_lauraonamission_

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14 days ago