Kat Matthews: Consistency Might Not Be “Super Sexy,” but it Pays Off in the End
Second on the day, first in the IRONMAN Pro Series for Kat Matthews at this year’s IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Taupo. Photo: Kevin Mackinnon
She might not have won the world championship she covets so much, but it’s certainly hard to imagine how Great Britain’s Kat Matthews can be anything other than thrilled with her impressive 2024 season. Earlier this year I asked Matthews if she thought that her ambitious schedule – one that saw her compete in both the T100 and IRONMAN series events – might be too much. So, it was fun to be able to ask that question again (fully chagrined, I assure you) shortly after Matthews was presented the US$200,000 check for winning the IRONMAN Pro Series.
“Me and my husband, Mark, we didn’t set out on this venture this year without credible bias behind it, so I’m proud to complete this ambitious goal,” she said. “I always thought it was achievable and I’m really proud to pull it off.”
As she should be. What’s even more impressive is that Matthews’ incredible year didn’t come without challenges. She started the year off with a DNF at T100 Miami when she strained her calf, then somehow managed to bounce back in time to take the win at IRONMAN Texas the following month. Then, in her next IRONMAN in Hamburg, she inadvertently made a pass in a “no-passing” zone, which meant an automatic DQ.
The way Matthews bounced back from that challenge, though, pretty much personifies her season – she got on a plane and flew to San Francisco, where she took second to Taylor Knibb at the T100 event the following weekend. She followed that up with yet another IRONMAN win at Vitoria-Gasteiz, then bounced back two weeks later to take third at T100 London.
Racing well week in and week out is one thing, but Matthews also proved to be at her very best when it counted, taking second at both the IRONMAN world championship events. So, while she is thrilled to have taken the Pro Series title (along with fourth in the T100 Triathlon World Tour), she was rightfully proud of her ability to race well when it really counted.
“This is the first year that the (Pro) series has been running,” she said. “I think in future years it will just grow and grow and grow and it will really draw people into this sort of multirace series. “I think to get second here (in Taupo) and second at the full IRONMAN (Nice), I think that’s what I’m really proud of.”
“I think consistency isn’t always super sexy, but … I’ve really peaked for the big races,” she continued, referring to her runner-up finish to Laura Philipp in Nice and then her second-place finish behind Taylor Knibb in Taupo. “So this race I really trained for and to come 1:15 behind Taylor, that’s a sort of PB for me, so it’s not just the consistency. I’ve been able to see those significant, key races as my pinnacle, key races.”
Another one-two finish for Kat Matthews and Taylor Knibb at the 70.3 Worlds. Photo: Kevin Mackinnon
Comeback
It’s hard to believe that just a few years ago we were all wondering if Matthews would ever return to the highest levels of the sport. Just 10 days before the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona, Matthews was hit by a car.
“She fractured her skull, two vertebrae in her neck, her sternum, a rib and she recently also discovered she’d fractured her hip socket,” the Daily Mirror reported as she prepared to return to racing in April, 2023. “By her own admission she could have died in that crash.”
While we might all be amazed at her impressive return to the highest levels of the sport, she has very much moved on.
“You know, the first six months of recovery was more about getting back to professional racing,” she said. “Now I’m better than I ever have been. That was a PB run, you know, this year I’ve put down PB bike power, PB swim, so it’s not about getting back. It’s more about genuine gratitude for being able to race and to have this as my job, and to be around so many people who love the sport – this is literally my dream.
Photo: Kevin Mackinnon
Second Career
Matthews has surged to the top of the triathlon world after having served in the British Armed Forces for many years. It remains a key part of what drives her in triathlon.
“That community, and the support from the British army, it is fundamental and it makes me really believe I’m not just fighting for myself as an individual, I’m fighting for for everybody to get behind that ethos of trying to be your best,” she said. “It really motivates me. And we even have people here who are posted from the British army overseas in New Zealand coming to support the race. So it really fills my heart.”
2025 Racing
At the post-race press conference, Matthews made reference to trying to figure out what changes needed to be made in order to beat Knibb. I couldn’t help but ask if she thought that a reduced race schedule might help.
“To be honest, I actually feel like I’ve got fitter after every race,” Matthews said. “For this race, I don’t think I was disadvantaged by a busy racing schedule. Perhaps you could say for the full IRONMAN I need to commit to slightly different training or, you know, change something up in terms of my preparation, especially for Kona, so that’s definitely something I’m going to take into 2025, but for this specific race, no, I don’t feel like my schedule impacted it.”
All of which means we’re likely to see Matthews at a lot of races again next year. Consistency might not be sexy, but it sure can make for an impressive, and it sure doesn’t hurt the bank account.
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InterviewIRONMAN 70.3 World ChampionshipIRONMAN Pro SeriesIRONMAN World ChampionshipKat MatthewsNiceTaupo 2024Notable Replies
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I think Matthews should’ve gone for a repeat: T100 and IM Pro Series. She’s said she didn’t think her busy schedule adversely affected her results in her one key race (Nice) nor her end of season race: Taupo.
After London, her preparation for Nice was fine, with Tallinn as a warmer (and training through hence Pohle rolling her over). On the day along La Promenade des Anglais Philipp was too good on the run (2:44) (remember Matthews had beaten her twice at San Francisco and London, but 18km, not 42km).
PTO relaxed the number of races that athletes had to race back to the same as this year (4 plus GF) so that would mean 10 races all told, 2 less than she started this year.
Matthews’s shown she can be competitive in T100 and super strong in the IM Pro Series. Leaving $200k on the table (that’s $40k per 100km race) and probably drop from #4 in the PTO Rankings to #9 (if same level of performance as this year). I hope that refusal to sign does not exclude her from the PTO offering her wildcards because T100 London is a ‘home race’ for her as the top British middle/long course triathlete.
I agree, and if she plans on taking enough wild cards to be in the series anyway, may as well get the up front money too. Guessing there might have been one race she was required to do that perhaps she doesnt want to commit to and then cancel??
I mean the goal is not to win the T100, but get the best place you can and cash the biggest check. She made a ton this year, maybe as much as Taylor did in the end. So maybe with a fat purse on her shoulder, she is backing off that end and her big plan is to figure out a way to beat the two ladies that thwarted her in the big races this year…
Maybe she’s thinking “pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered”
After the PTN awards podcast - I have this suspicion she might not even go after the Pro Series - but actually focus on Kona and…going sub 8 at Roth.
Just a hunch. But I think that could be the plan…
Can’t see her foregoing both T100 AND IM Pro Series ($$).
There was some chat about not having to rely on a result in the 70.3 Worlds (by racing two 70.3s by the summer (Swansea and another)).
Listening to the PTO thing I reckon Hamburg is the ‘fast time’ target.
Can quite see Philipp racing Roth as she doesn’t (even) have to validate. Can she go sub-8? Just as capable as Matthews (lose a couple of minutes on the swim, faster on that bike (no downhills), and runs 2:44). But Haug’s 8:02 was outrageous: 52 - 4:28 - 2:38 !!
She probably has room for a calculated gamble…and a 7:5x female full distance time would have a lot of financial incentive. I get it - makes more sense to go for the Pro Series - but let’s just watch this space as far as it goes with Kat.
I mean…if she does 2 races all year…sub 8 in Roth and wins Kona - the financial reward would be FAR beyond a pro series win, right?
I’m familiar with the use of “sexy” as a term to contrast the ordinary or as emphasis for unique since forever, regardless of subject gender…have you really never heard or used the term like this?
He’s quoting Kat with that.
So,Kevin directly quotes Kat and you go all Woke on him?
So here is the line above Redpine’s first post after just joining yesterday:
“This is the first time Redpine has posted — let’s welcome them to our community!”
Now no one was mean or bad spirited in responses, but this is a reminder to always consider what you have written before hitting that button. Often we are all victims of having a thought and splashing it online before any thought to what we were trying to accomplish…
Anyway to Redpine, if you are still out there dont take anything personal here and come on back. You had a thought, made a comment, then were corrected as to its nature. those of us that have been around just take our licks when this happens, apologize if that is your nature, and move onto the next topic…Welcome aboard…
So funny enough, something about that headline and my scanning of it read it as “Kat Matthews might not be super sexy but it pays off in the end…” and I had to pick my mouth up off the floor and actually read properly.
At least he didn’t call her an “old dog”.
He would’ve had to use the B-word. Now THAT would warrant some unwarranted reader attention.
‘Sexy’ list with Kat on top, and MvR underneath her
:
https://www.trirating.com/deep-dive-into-the-2024-triathlon-money-list/
GTN’s take (1:03 to 2:55):