Lauren Ryan

US-based Victorian, Lauren Ryan has compiled a spectacular few month of performances including breaking the 21-year-old National 10,000m record, two years after she made her debut in the green and gold at the 2022 World Indoor Championships.

In Primary and High School, Lauren Ryan participated in various sports, including tennis and basketball. But she particularly enjoyed cross country running which she was successful at. In her mid-teens she decided to concentrate on one sport. “At the age of 16, whilst attending Geelong Grammar School, track became my sport of focus,” said Lauren.

Within two years, aged 18, she earned selection for the World Junior team and impressed on debut running a PB time of 9:21 in the 3000m.

In 2017 she placed 44th in the junior event at the World Cross Country Championships ahead of commencing a bachelor’s degree of Science, in Sports Management from Florida State University (graduating in 2021).

During two seasons at college, she also incorporated the 5000m clocking an excellent 16:26. Then during the 2019/20 season, injury struck - IT Band Syndrome around Christmas 2019 – for 4 months. “I wasn’t even able to walk pain free.”

Rebounding from injury, Lauren compiled two fantastic seasons in 2020/21, largely in Australia (studying remotely due to COVID) and 2021/22 indoors in America. She set PB at every distance from 1500m to 5000m and 10km on the road and was also 26th in the NCAA Cross Country. In 2022 she ran a significant 3000m PB time of 8:47.88, including nailing the all-important World Indoors 3000m qualifying standard. In Belgrade in her senior Australian debut at the 2022 World Indoors, she placed 19th in the 3000m. Just prior she had placed 4th in the 3000m at the NCAA Indoors. 

There were more PBs in 2023, but the year was capped off in December with a surprise win in the Zatopek 10k, the National title and Olympic trial. In the new year she set personal bests at the mile, 3000m 5000m and 10,000m – the latter two were National records.

She ran 15:15.79 indoors for 5000m in January to set an Australian record and February on an oversized track, 14:57.67 – to become just the sixth Aussie under the 15-minute barrier. Then in March she broke the 21-year-old Australian 10,000m record with 30:35.66 - it was also an Olympic qualifier. Lauren, who preferred the 5000m had to be convinced by her coach to run the 10,000m. Is it now her best distance? “I regard herself as a 5k runner but accept maybe this my new sweet spot distance.”

Lauren, based in Baltimore in Maryland in America, trains with coach Lara Rodgers.