{"id":25979,"date":"2023-10-09T10:00:33","date_gmt":"2023-10-09T08:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/26fea242-5d6b-4029-b4a3-5ef779f7a22f"},"modified":"2023-10-09T21:40:40","modified_gmt":"2023-10-09T19:40:40","slug":"kat-matthews-believes-kona-win-will-require-record-run","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/rss_feed\/kat-matthews-believes-kona-win-will-require-record-run\/","title":{"rendered":"Kat Matthews believes Kona win will require record run"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>

By Tim Heming\n <\/p>

Published: Monday, 09 October 2023 at 08:00 AM<\/p>

\n\n

Britain\u2019s Kat Matthews<\/a> makes her much-anticipated Hawaii debut in Saturday\u2019s Ironman World Championship believing she\u2019ll need to run the fastest women\u2019s marathon Kailua-Kona has witnessed if she\u2019s to win the coveted title.<\/strong><\/p>

\u201cI think I need to run 2hr 45mins to win, which on this course is 5mins faster than anyone has gone before,\u201d the army physiotherapist says, underlining the strength in depth of the women\u2019s field that is arguably the strongest ever seen on the Big Island.<\/p>

Alongside fellow Brit Lucy Charles-Barclay<\/a><\/strong>, former winners Daniela Ryf<\/a><\/strong> and Anne Haug<\/a><\/strong>, reigning champion Chelsea Sodaro<\/a><\/strong>, and Ironman 70.3 champion Taylor Knibb<\/a><\/strong>, 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<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>

Despite multiple fractures, the dedication to rehabilitation paid off as Matthews was back on the start-line \u2013 and podium \u2013 by April in California, before storming to victory at Ironman Texas, and most recently second-place at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship<\/a><\/strong> in Lahti, Finland.<\/p>

The win in The Woodlands was achieved with a 2:49:31 marathon, her fastest to date, but Matthews thinks she\u2019ll need to go faster still in the heat and humidity of Kona if she\u2019s to take the tape, which would see a chunk taken off Mirinda Carfrae\u2019s 2014 course record of 2:50:26<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 where the Australian clawed back a 15min deficit on Ryf in the marathon in one of the sport\u2019s epic comebacks.<\/p>

Kat Matthews celebrates winning Ironman Texas 2023. (Credit: Kyle Rivas\/Getty Images for Ironman)<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Where has Kat Matthews been training for Kona?<\/strong><\/h2>

But following a three-week training camp in the familiar environment of Lanzarote, Matthews is in confident mood. \u201cMy preparation has been 10 out of 10,\u201d she explains. <\/p>

\u201cI\u2019ve always trained well there and I didn\u2019t 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\u2019m fit enough to be here. I can race, and I can compete for the win.\u201d<\/p>

Matthews\u2019 spark for competing in Hawaii was lit when she watched husband-turned-\u201cpersonal chef\u201d, Mark, compete in the age-group ranks in 2019. <\/p>

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\u2019s crash.\u00a0<\/p>

\u201cI\u2019m just so glad that it\u2019s women this year and I don\u2019t have to wait another year,\u201d she says, with Ironman having split the sexes for the first time and the professional men racing last month in France<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>

Although this won\u2019t be her first Ironman World Championship (Matthews was second to Ryf in St George<\/a><\/strong> in 2021\u2019s delayed race in May last year), she joins USA\u2019s Knibb as a Kona rookie among the leading contenders.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>

\u201cThere\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>

Has Kat Matthews recovered from her injuries?<\/strong><\/h2>

Are there any lingering issues from the crash? \u201cI think it will always be a feature in me as a person and athlete. Not just the emotion, but the physical changes. There\u2019s nothing that affects my training now, but I have a different back and neck \u2013 more aches and more clicks \u2013 that I have to manage better.<\/p>

\u201cWhat\u2019s bizarre is that my running is more consistent than ever<\/a><\/strong>. 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\u2019m really enjoying it and I\u2019ve picked up better habits like doing some pre-run mobility that has actually made me better.\u201d<\/p>