William Jackson "Bill" Thorn (born September 4, 1930) is a retired American football, cross country, and track coach. Thorn is believed to be the most successful coach in Georgia history, with 42 state titles. Thorn coached for 65 years, the majority of the time at Landmark Christian School, which he founded in 1989. He was inducted into the Georgia Athletic Coaches (GACA) Hall of Fame in 2020. Thorn is also the only runner to have consecutively completed the first 53 Peachtree Road Races, starting with the race's inception in 1970 through 2022.[1]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | William Jackson "Bill" Thorn | ||
| Date of birth | September 4, 1930 | ||
| Position(s) | Track coach | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Years | Team | ||
| 1989 | Landmark Christian School | ||
Coaching career
editThorn coached Georgia High School athletics for over 50 years, including stints at the Georgia Military Academy (now Woodward Academy), Headland High School, Colonial Hills Christian School, Fayette Christian School, and Landmark Christian School.[2] Thorn founded Landmark Christian School in 1989 and retired from coaching in 2019.[3] According to Runner's World, he had coached teams to 42 state championships in football, track and field, and cross country.[4] He is the winningest coach in Georgia history,[1] and at the time of his retirement, he had been awarded "Coach of the Year" over 125 times.[5] He spent the majority of his coaching career at Landmark.[6]
Thorn was inducted into the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association (GACA) Hall of Fame in 2020.[7]
Peachtree Road Race
edit
Thorn is only the runner to have consecutively completed the first 53 Peachtree Road Races, starting with the race's inception in 1970 through 2022. The race is the largest 10K run in the world.[1] One of the "Original 110" finishers, Thorn became the last person to have run in every race by 1993.[8] The Atlanta-Journal Constitution dubbed him an "indelible element of this Atlanta institution" and an "ironman", noting his consistent presence amidst decades of change.[9] According to Southern Living, Thorn participated in the race through various injuries, including an "ankle sprain, a heel gash, and... prostate cancer".[6]
When the 2020 edition of the race was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Thorn held his own 10K race with his family.[10] In June 2021, prior to the 2021 edition of the race, Thorn suffered a fall, which complicated his entry. He completed the race with the assistance of a walker.[11] Thorn competed in his last three races through the race's virtual option, with a route beginning and ending at his home.[9] Thorn chose to retire in 2023, and was honored as the year's grand marshall, with his name engraved on the Peachtree Cup, an honor typically reserved for race champions.[4]
Personal life
editThorn lives in Tyrone, Georgia with his wife Patty. He has four children.[9] He is a Christian.[9]
References
edit- ^ a b c Petersen, Berndt (July 4, 2023). "92-year-old runner who has competed in every AJC Peachtree Road Race retiring". WSB-TV. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
- ^ "2020 class finally set for induction into Georgia Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame". Dalton Daily Citizen. June 5, 2021.
- ^ Holcomb, Todd (April 12, 2019). "Landmark Christian to honor Thorn, winner of 37 state titles, school founder". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
- ^ a b Carney, Abby (June 30, 2023). "Bill Thorn Ends His 53-Year Peachtree Road Race Run Streak This July 4". Runner's World.
- ^ Wishart, Hannah (January 17, 2020). "Bill Thorn: National Boys Outdoor Track & Field Coach of the Year (2018-19)". National Federation of State High School Associations. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
- ^ a b Jordan, Stephanie Gallman (July 23, 2023). "Only Runner To Complete Every One Of Atlanta's Peachtree Road Races Retires At 92". Southern Living. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
- ^ Holcomb, Todd (November 19, 2019). "GACA Coaches Hall of Fame selects 6 for induction". Retrieved June 9, 2024.
- ^ "After 53 years, Peachtree Road Race legend will cross finish line 1 last time". FOX 5 Atlanta. June 30, 2023. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Sugiura, Ken (June 30, 2023). "Peachtree Road Race's ironman, earns his rest from the race". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
- ^ Sirianni, Maura (July 5, 2020). "89-year-old runner holds own 10K after AJC Peachtree Road Race was postponed". 11 Alive. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
- ^ Sugiura, Ken (July 4, 2021). "Bill Thorn extends AJC Peachtree Road Race streak to 52". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved June 9, 2024.