"There's a good mob going down which is quite encouraging. Twenty-two of the family are going down to celebrate and it's also our 64th wedding anniversary on Saturday so some are going down to celebrate that as well.
"I hope I get through to the three figures ... I've got to get to the end on Saturday, that's my main goal, it doesn't matter how long it takes me."
Adding that he has his pre-race preparation nailed down to a tee, some might find his pre-race meal a little peculiar, and possibly a little hard to stomach.
"We have fish and chips for tea the night before, always," Thorne said.
"An old marathon runner Ian Douglas put me on to that one and we've always had that, the whole family will have that," he said.
"The thing is if you have a steak or something before, it sticks to you for about two days ... I think the fish is easy to digest and the chips give you carbohydrates."
Besides battling a new injury - a niggly Achilles tendon - Thorne said his body was feeling good ahead of the big 100.
"The doctor told me not to run anymore, which was nine years ago this month. Being a male you don't listen," he said.
"I keep myself in fairly good trim, though if I sat on the ride-on-mower everyday or week I wouldn't be.
"I look back and think how blessed I've been to have been able to do so much. It's really a great thing to think that my body has held together so long. I think the work out here keeps me going, out here on the chainsaw."
The oldest runner in the Queenstown event by a mile, and then some, the late-bloomer, who decided to try his hand at long distance running at the sprightly age of 64, says his secret is simple.
"Hard work, exercise and eat good food, I think that's the main thing.
"I was the oldest one in New York, and I'm the oldest one in most places now.
"I don't worry about that though ... you're only as old as you feel."
On the topic of calling it a day, Thorne threw some caution to the wind.
"Another three to four years, but don't tell my wife!"
