Jonny Brownlee, Kat Matthews tackle cross-country races in the U.K.
The pair of British triathlon champs ditched the swim and bike for some good old-fashioned off-road racing on the weekend
Photo by:
ITU/triathlon.org
It might be the triathlon off-season, but that doesn’t mean that triathletes aren’t finding alternative opportunities to race. Over the weekend, British triathlon champions Kat Matthews and Jonny Brownlee toed the lines in a pair of cross-country running races on home soil. Brownlee raced the Yorkshire Cross Country Championships, finishing 19th in a tough field, while Matthews placed an impressive third at the Leicestershire County Championship.
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Matthews raced in Leicestershire, a county not far from Birmingham in central England. She is one of the top runners on the PTO circuit (she finished the 2024 rankings as the sixth-best runner), and she wrapped up last season with a win in the Ironman Pro Series. Of course, triathlon is a much different sport than cross-country running, and although Matthews got to focus on just one discipline rather than three, the race was far from an easy endeavour.
Matthews wasn’t the only triathlete in the Leicestershire race, as her fellow Brit Olivia Mathias joined her for the fun. Mathias is a Commonwealth Games silver medallist, and she gave Matthews everything she could handle on the off-road course. The pair fought through kilometre after kilometre of the muddy course, battling it out to the line.
Neither woman managed to grab the win, but they both ended up on the podium. Mathias got the better of Matthews, edging her out for second. Matthews was not far behind in third. After the race, Matthews took to Instagram, writing, “For the pure love of it! […] The challenge, personal effort, competition, the whole spectrum of exercising to elite performance… it has everything. Simple, healthy endeavour for all.”
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A little over two hours north of Leicestershire, Brownlee lined up in a competitive race of his own. Representing the Bingley Harriers & AC, he braved the elements over the 10.15-kilometre course in a slog to the finish. He crossed the line in 35:04, earning a top-20 result. His time was two and a half minutes back of the winner, but it is the off-season, so Brownlee is far from peak fitness.
After their races, both Brownlee and Matthews jetted off to chase the sun and find some warmer training grounds as they prepare for what should be a fun and exciting 2025 campaign.