Fame at last, but I don’t think anybody noticed.
I have a good relationship with the local newspaper and specifically the sports wrote Glen ‘Quarters’ Quatermain, who luckily for me is also a marathon runner. Glen, like myself, has competed all eight previous City to Surf marathons so we have a common bond as we try and keep ourselves in this ever diminishing group. I have attached the article at the end of this post as well as a hyperlink.
I may have been a tad uncomplimentary to my swimming and cycling skills in the interview to drive home the point I was a more reasonable runner. I was certainly no Michael Phelps but would never finish dead last, maybe last 25% . Cycling I could probably manage a mid-table finish but running was always my forte.
I have made the Sunday Times on two previous occasions and unfortunately both times my life has remained unchanged. No book deals or Hollywood producers fighting over film rights, just the odd comment from work colleagues as we huddle around the coffee machine. I have mentioned to a few people about the impending article but it seems these days no one actually buys the paper. As Ross explained it to Zac, a young runner ‘in our circle of trust’ ‘a newspaper is like a static ipad displaying yesterdays news’. A tad harsh but for the latest generation of ‘I-users’ but probably about summed it up.
Either way I feel this article will not be my golden ticket out of the daily grind but stay tuned, funnier things have happened, and Hollywood may need a balding, skinny, bearded runner for the latest blockbuster.?
City to Surf Perth: Big Kev’s on a roll
FOR a decorated marathon runner, Kevin Matthews makes a pretty average triathlete.
When the engineer emigrated to Australia from the UK in 2001 he decided to “embrace the Aussie lifestyle” and complete three half-ironmans.
“What is more Aussie than completing triathlons in Speedos, it ticked all the boxes in my view,” he said.
“I realised I swam little better than a brick, rode a bike just as bad but could hold my own running, albeit in budgie smugglers. So I turned my attention to marathons and initially ultra-marathons.”
Ironman’s loss has been the Chevron City to Surf for Activ’s gain with 50-year-old Matthews is one of only 20-something runners to have completed every one of the eight marathons held so far on the last Sunday in August.
He’s pretty good at it too. “Big Kev” is on a hot streak, running his past 25 marathons in under three hours. He also completed the cherished 89km Comrades ultra-marathon in South Africa three times from 2008-2010.
He will put his streak on the line on Sunday, August 27 in the Chevron City to Surf for Activ marathon.
“I pulled up lame a few days before the Bunbury Marathon in April this year,” he said. “I initially thought it was a calf knot and had it treated accordingly but it just got worse so I had an ultrasound scan and it turned out to be a 5cm calf tear.
“I set myself a goal of competing the Perth Marathon as I still had a good 10 weeks.
“But I broke down again a few weeks out and another scan revealed another new, smaller, calf tear.
“There is no fool like an old runner. I had probably pushed it too hard, too early but was desperate to run Perth as it would have been my 10th Perth Marathon in a row, and my 13th Perth in total.”
Matthews has since put together a five-week training block, averaging about 120km a week.
“Runners love numbers, be it fastest times, distance, pace or streaks,” he said. “I’m privileged to be part of an ever decreasing band of runners who have run them all.
“Missing Bunbury and Perth hurt but missing the City to Surf would have been devastating. To get the opportunity to be in the inaugural marathon of a big city these days is virtually unheard of, so to have that opportunity in your home town is a double bonus.
“I think the group is down to 30 now from the inaugural 1000 who started the first City to Surf Marathon in 2009.”
The Chevron City to Surf for Acitv will be marathon number 42 for Matthews.
His personal best of 2 hours 41 minutes and 14 seconds was set on the course in 2013 and he went within 30 seconds of beating that last year when he ran 2:41:41 for a fifth-place finish.
“This will be my first marathon since I turned 50 earlier in the year but I have no plans of slowing down or stopping in the near future,” he said.
Matthews will post his account of the marathon on his running blog before, after and probably during the race. Go to www.runbkrun.com .
About The Author
bigkevmatthews@gmail.com
A running tragic.
JON | 14th Aug 17
I thoroughly enjoyed reading the latest instalment whilst having lunch out (cough cough McDonalds – for the kids of course !) Free copy ! And the kids were in awe of our local legend Kev!! Keeping an eye out now for the next appearance autograph signings 🙂
Geoffa | 14th Aug 17
I believe they’re looking for someone to play Mo Farah in a movie documenting his running career…
bigkevmatthews@gmail.com | 16th Aug 17
I think I’m too tall Geoffa.
Shona | 15th Aug 17
If it helps it was my neighbour who told me about this article so someone still reads papers. As we are also in the dwindling band they take a vague interest in City to Surf related stories. Quite sweet that they mentioned it really. Wish I could go from calf tear to 120km a week that fast 😉
bigkevmatthews@gmail.com | 16th Aug 17
G’day Shona, Speaking with Glen Quatermain we will try and get the band together next year for a photo shoot before the big day, so make sure you finish next weekend. The calf tear was a long drawn out recovery for me, my worst in my running career and I probably didn’t help by pushing it early but all runners ignore medical advice and hear what they want to hear. When a Doctor recommends 8 weeks off running all runners half that and then half that again because Doctors are always overly cautious. We’re a funny bunch. Good luck for the City to Surf and come and say g’day if you see me prancing about at the start or stumbling about at the finish.