Britain’s Kat Matthews makes her much-anticipated Hawaii debut in Saturday’s Ironman World Championship believing she’ll need to run the fastest women’s marathon Kailua-Kona has witnessed if she’s to win the coveted title.
“I think I need to run 2hr 45mins to win, which on this course is 5mins faster than anyone has gone before,” the army physiotherapist says, underlining the strength in depth of the women’s field that is arguably the strongest ever seen on the Big Island.
Alongside fellow Brit Lucy Charles-Barclay, former winners Daniela Ryf and Anne Haug, reigning champion Chelsea Sodaro, and Ironman 70.3 champion Taylor Knibb, 31-year-old Matthews will start as a favourite, which is testament to her fortitude given that 12 months ago there were fears not only for her career, but her life, after a horrific training incident in Texas where she was hit by a car.
Despite multiple fractures, the dedication to rehabilitation paid off as Matthews was back on the start-line – and podium – by April in California, before storming to victory at Ironman Texas, and most recently second-place at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Lahti, Finland.
The win in The Woodlands was achieved with a 2:49:31 marathon, her fastest to date, but Matthews thinks she’ll need to go faster still in the heat and humidity of Kona if she’s to take the tape, which would see a chunk taken off Mirinda Carfrae’s 2014 course record of 2:50:26 – where the Australian clawed back a 15min deficit on Ryf in the marathon in one of the sport’s epic comebacks.
Where has Kat Matthews been training for Kona?
But following a three-week training camp in the familiar environment of Lanzarote, Matthews is in confident mood. “My preparation has been 10 out of 10,” she explains.
“I’ve always trained well there and I didn’t think I needed a thrashing after Lahti, but the training data was really good. I have no injuries and slept really well. So, basically flawless. The overarching emotion is now one of opportunity: I’m fit enough to be here. I can race, and I can compete for the win.”
Matthews’ spark for competing in Hawaii was lit when she watched husband-turned-“personal chef”, Mark, compete in the age-group ranks in 2019.
Having only turned pro at the start of that season, the pandemic delayed her own opportunity to race, which was postponed a further year by last year’s crash.
“I’m just so glad that it’s women this year and I don’t have to wait another year,” she says, with Ironman having split the sexes for the first time and the professional men racing last month in France.
Although this won’t be her first Ironman World Championship (Matthews was second to Ryf in St George in 2021’s delayed race in May last year), she joins USA’s Knibb as a Kona rookie among the leading contenders.
“There’s a positive element to my naivety, and possibly a negative element of not knowing where the blips and mental lows might be, or just how hard the energy lab [in the second-half of the marathon] is.”
Has Kat Matthews recovered from her injuries?
Are there any lingering issues from the crash? “I think it will always be a feature in me as a person and athlete. Not just the emotion, but the physical changes. There’s nothing that affects my training now, but I have a different back and neck – more aches and more clicks – that I have to manage better.
“What’s bizarre is that my running is more consistent than ever. I committed to do loads more rehab this year and [coach] Bjorn [Geesman] pushed me to go to the gym at least two-to-three times a week no matter what. I’m really enjoying it and I’ve picked up better habits like doing some pre-run mobility that has actually made me better.”
Another surprising silver lining is that two fractured vertebrae could serve as a catalyst for an improved swim.
“Coming back from the accident, I couldn’t lift my head a lot and spent a lot of time with a snorkel. One of the points to work on already that summer had been to get my head down, so I really focused on technique a lot more. My swim got back to a baseline after a couple of months through improved body position rather than fitness.
“In Lahti, I was leading the group I was with for half of the race, and I’m swimming significantly better in the pool than I ever have before. I was strong in a 5km open-water race the other day and I’ve so much more confidence than I’ve ever had in my swim.”
Matthews also credits a willing and consistent training partner in British pro triathlete Sam Proctor in Loughborough, whose presence has made her commit to challenging sessions where previously she might have quit.
How Kat Matthews hopes the race will play out
As for Saturday’s professional race, how does Matthews see it playing out? "In the military, we look at the most likely course of action and the most dangerous course of action,” she explains.
"The most likely, based on rational deductions from my own training – without being aware of how the other women are preparing – is that I swim with Daniela [Ryf] and Chelsea [Sodaro] between 4-6mins behind Lucy [Charles-Barclay], Taylor [Knibb] will be upfront with Lucy, and Anne [Haug] is not with us.
“Daniela and I then ride up to the front. I stay with Daniela, hoping she has a good day, and there will be four of five of us within a few minutes of each other on the run. That would be the dream for the spectators.
“I see Lucy and Taylor a few minutes ahead, with Lucy running a high 2:50hr marathon and having a great day. Taylor will probably run slightly faster and then blow up, and Daniela will start steady and run 3hrs.
“I will come into the lead with 10km to go, Chelsea and Anne will have nearly caught me, and Anne will continue to catch all the way to the finish line, where it will be me, Anne and somebody else!”
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Top image credit: Nigel Roddis/Getty Images for Ironman
