LAUREN RYAN

BIOGRAPHY

A quality junior distance runner, Lauren Ryan represented Australia at the 2016 World Juniors. After overcoming injury during the summer of 2019/20, she blossomed in 2020/21 and has continued that great form, earning selection in her first Australian senior team at the 2022 World Indoor Championships in the 3000m, then the 2023 World Championships in the 5000m.
Her 2023/24 season was of the highest standard, a surprise winner of the Zatopek 10k in December, in the New Year she set four personal bests and two Australian records including breaking the 21-year-old National 10,000m record.

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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 was smashing her PBs, particularly in the 1500m and 3000m, and earned selection for the World Junior team. She brought her metric mile PB down to 4:20.99 and the 3000m to 9:27.77. Her 3000m performance won the World Junior selection trial, one of her career highlights.
“My most memorable sporting achievement would have to be winning the 3000m World Under-20 selection trial in 2016. This was my first time earning a place on an Australia team and getting the opportunity to wear the green and gold on the world stage, and is something I will never forget.”
At the World Juniors in Bydgoszcz, Lauren impressed running a 9:21 PB 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 (graduated December 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, and 2021/22 indoors in America. It started with races in December 2020 with three massive PBs at 3000m (8:54.54), 5000m (15:49.30) and 10km road (32:58). The flurry of performances continued over summer with PBs over 1500m, mile and fifth at Zatopek with fantastic time of 32:16.11. There were more 5000m PBs back in the US mid-year and a 26th in the NCAA Cross Country. She started her 2021/22 Indoor campaign with a 15:40 (5000m) PB and followed this with PBs at the mile and 3000m including the all-important World Indoors 3000m qualifying time of 8:47.88.

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. 

In 2023 she was back in Australia for the National 5000m, where she placed 6th ahead of a strong overseas campaign where in America she broke her PBs over 3000m, 5000m and 10.000m. 
Selected for the Budapest world championships she competed in the 5000m heats. Five weeks later in Riga she competed in the 5km Road event at the inaugural world road running championships. In December she closed the year as a surprise winner of the Zatopek 10,000m.

Her 2024 campaign has been brilliant. In March she broke the Australian 10,000m record that was over 20-years-old by two seconds clocking 30:35.66 in California. It was a 94 seconds PB and secured the very difficult Olympic qualifying standard. Second in the National 5000m, also in April she dipped under 15 minutes to clocked 14:58.69 in the Suzhou Diamond League. She had in February run 14:57.67 on an oversized indoor track. She also ran PBs over 1500m, mile and 3000m.

Lauren had thrived during the pandemic, as she explained.
“For me personally the pandemic shutting down the sporting World allowed me to obtain a consistent and solid training block that has given me the momentum to perform at the level I am at now.”
She summed up her recent form.
“I would say that it has come down to consistency in training, being healthy, happy and enjoying the sport.”

A big influence on her career: Craig Mottram - “We have had very similar backgrounds. We both attended Geelong Grammar School, been coached by the same coach in the past and both went on to represent Australia. Seeing what Craig has achieved and his attitude about the sport is inspirational and shows that with hard work, confidence, and dedication you can achieve whatever you want.”…Enjoyment of competition: “Competing is the most exciting and rewarding part of the sport, it is almost the celebration for all the hard work that has been put in behind the scenes and this is an opportunity to showcase what work has been done.”…Education: Bachelor's Degree of Science, in Sports Management from Florida State University, Graduated December 2021…Coach: Lara Rogers coaches Lauren. Lara is Head Coach of the Under Armour women’s distance program, based in Baltimore, Maryland USA…Sporting hero: Faith Kipyegon, She has done it all. World Records, global medals, started a family and a great role model… Biggest challenge you faced: Moving across the World to the USA to pursue the sport I love most…Career highlight: Winning my first national title at Zatopek 2023, in my home town with my family in the crowd. The atmosphere was incredible…Hobbies/interests: Spend time travelling the world, exploring nature and cooking…Advice to you your younger self: Stay patient, and everything happens for a reason.

@ 1 April 2024 david.tarbotton@athletics.org.au