Kat Matthews: “My Current Goal is Being Brave”
An exclusive interview with Kat Matthews ahead of Challenge Roth
Ironman
Kat Matthews has long been one of triathlon’s most compelling athletes to watch, combining consistent world-class results with a grounded, approachable presence that resonates far beyond the race course. With five World Championship runner-up finishes, the Kona run course record, and a leading role in the Sub-8 Project, her resume speaks for itself.
But as she looks ahead to the remainder of her 2026 season, a quieter shift is also underway.
We sat down with Matthews to talk about what lies ahead, her evolving mindset, training under her new coach Mark Matthews, and why, even at the top of the sport, the next step can come from taking risks she hasn’t before.
A Dominant Start to 2026, and Gearing Up For a Debut in Roth
It has already been an extraordinary start to the 2026 season for Kat Matthews. A commanding win at Ironman New Zealand in Taupo, where she set a new course record by over 10 minutes, was followed just two weeks later by another victory at Ironman 70.3 Geelong, securing back-to-back Pro Series wins.
That momentum was briefly interrupted in Texas, where an unfixable flat took Matthews, the pre-race favourite, out of contention before T2.
“Is your debut in Roth the next big goal?” we asked as we opened the interview.
“Yes…well actually, yes and no…we need to back up a little,” she said. “I’ve decided to add 70.3 Elsinore two weeks ahead of Roth, but it’ll be a train-through race. The purpose is to add another result for a complete Pro Series score. But yes, in terms of what I’m truly working towards right now, it’s Roth. I’ve heard it’s absolutely mental.”
“Have you ever been, even to watch?” we asked.
“No! Mark went last year as part of his Pro Tri News work, and the way he spoke about it made me realize I needed to go. A lot of athletes, like Sebby Kienle, save Roth for the end of their careers, as part of a farewell tour. I didn’t want to put it off like that.”
In other interviews, Matthews has also spoken about how close the women’s field is to breaking eight hours under real conditions, outside of the facilitated Sub-8 Project she was part of four years ago. She has noted that a handful of athletes are very close, and that races like Hamburg and Roth (where Laura Philipp currently holds the fastest Ironman time of 8:03:13 and Anne Haug the fastest full-distance benchmark of 8:02:38) could be the venues where this milestone is finally broken.
Back to Roth, Matthews noted that, from everything she’s heard, Felix Walchshoefer and the organizing team seem to have “really captured the spirit of triathlon.” And while she is of course driven by results and the pursuit of peak performance (and perhaps even the possibility of a sub-eight performance), she has also shared that outcomes are not what matter most. It is how she shows up, both to her fellow competitors and within the sport – and at Roth, the experience itself may carry as much weight as the result.
Pushing the Edge of What’s Possible
Following our discussion of Roth, the conversation turned to something less tangible.
When asked what she is currently working on, Matthews answered with a laugh that she is trying to “be more brave.”
For an athlete with a resume like hers, this might seem surprising. But, in typical fashion, she was candid.
Personality-wise, she described herself as naturally more reserved and risk-averse. “People often refer to me as a very consistent athlete,” she said. “I’ve never blown up. But I’m exploring pushing my limits more – and taking risks that maybe I haven’t historically taken.”
That shift, she explained, is closely tied to her coaching partnership with her husband, Mark Matthews.
Opposites That Work
“Mark is completely opposite to me in all of the ways I just described,” Matthews said, noting that where she may lean toward pessimism, he brings optimism, belief, and the steady sense that “this is good, we can do this.”
In that way, his role goes beyond programming swim, bike, and run.
“Because he lives with me, he’s also that consistent emotional presence,” she added. “The person who always brings that energy.”
That sense of partnership is also showing up in the daily details. Last season, Mark coached only her run. This year, he is overseeing all three disciplines, and Matthews says the shift has brought a strengthened sense of teamwork.
“What I love most is I’ve never seen him love it more,” she said with a beaming smile.
“For tomorrow’s ride, he’s planned the route, the fueling, all the fine details,” she continued. “He makes sure I have everything I need, and it really feels like we’re doing this together.”
For Matthews, his support is helping move her internal dialogue in a new direction. “I’ve been working on getting myself from ‘I can’t,’ when my mind goes there, to ‘maybe I could,’ to ‘I can.’”
The Strategy for Kona
This internal shift is also shaping how Matthews is approaching Kona, and what she believes it will take to finally reach the top step.
At its core, it comes back to the idea that surfaced throughout our conversation: the willingness to push beyond what has historically felt comfortable.
“In sum, I want to be able to bike harder and faster, and still run well,” she said. “My focus is on building the fitness – and the courage – to do that.”
“I used to be known for my cycling,” Matthews continued. “In 2022 in St. George, I was riding with Daniela [Ryf]. But I would stay that standout strength on the bike has faded a bit…”
“My run has been in a strong place, and I’ve enjoyed being able to run this well off the bike,” she continued, her run strength exemplified by the Kona run course record she set last season (2:47:23). “But now I need to explore whether I can ride harder and still run this well.”
Beyond the Results
Performance aside, it is worth circling back to Kat Matthews as a person.
She will clearly be remembered as one of the greats of our sport, still writing her story, yet, as she puts it, “I don’t see any difference between myself and the other athletes out there.”
She is known for returning to Ironman finish lines in the dark, cheering on age-group athletes, signing autographs, and taking the time for the small interactions that reflect a genuine enjoyment of being part of the sport.
View this post on Instagram
“It really matters to me [to do those things],” she said. “I don’t feel removed from fans – we’re all just trying to better ourselves.”
Perhaps it’s best summed up by saying that Matthews does not carry herself as someone removed by success. Instead, she remains visible: at finish lines, in conversations, and in the small exchanges that shape how athletes are remembered. It is an approachability that sits in contrasts to the level at which she competes. And this may be part of why she resonates so much – not just because she wins, but because of how she exists in the sport while doing it.
View this post on Instagram