The European Under-18 champion discusses his record-breaking achievements, his biggest influences and why he wears a baseball cap wrong.
Matthew McKenna began the season with modest ambitions on the national stage, but ended it firmly established on the international stage.
The 17-year-old won the 800m gold medal at the European Under-18 Championships in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia, clocking 1:52.91 to finish strongly in July.
Known for his signature baseball hat running back, he then finished his competitive summer on a high at Watford BMC Stadium in August.
The Walton native cut nearly two seconds off his previous personal best in the two-lap event, dropping from 1:48.78 to 1:46.84. The feat puts him second on the European Under-18 all-time list, behind Olympic finalist Max Burgin’s 2019 record of 1:45.36.
McKenna’s rise has been rapid, especially considering she only started competing seriously after moving to the south of Scotland two years ago. He is now more determined than ever to continue testing himself against the best.
Matthew McKenna (C) (Getty)
How did it all begin?
It was blocked and I lived in Aberdeen and I just ran every day because I had nothing better to do. I moved to England in the middle of the epidemic and I was not on track at all. I played soccer, but I didn’t really enjoy it. I wanted to play at a high level and I also wanted to play a sport where everything depends on me. if I lost it was my fault and if I won it was my own fault.
So I decided to join track and I’ve only been competing at a high level for two years. If you had told me two years ago that this would happen, I would have laughed in your face.
How did it feel to win the European Under-18 800m title this summer?
Something happened in that warm-up area. It was the best I’ve ever felt. I was walking along, singing along to the music, and I was in the flow. I feel a little flat in the call room sometimes, but I was watching Sheikira King’s race (the Brit was second) on the little computer while everyone else was jumping around, and that gave me energy. I managed to get this to the starting line and it was brilliant from the start.
I was going really slow but I knew I could take it slow and then burn the last 200 meters. When you see the finish line and no one in front of you, it feels surreal, so I kept pushing and what a race it was.
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Did you expect to run 1:46.84 at Watford BMC?
I ran another BMC this year (Bury) and ran 1:48 in windy conditions, so I knew I was in good shape and (that) I could throw myself into another one as well.
I ran the 400 meters in about 52 seconds and I thought. “Oh my god, I feel great,” so I just kept it up. Having such elite athletes in front of me and knowing I could run with them gave me a boost in the last 200 meters and I just kept at it. It was definitely another shock to the system.
Who are you looking at?
I look up to all these great athletes and I want to be in many of their shoes. I want to race the races they are in, especially Josh Kerr. He’s from Scotland so what an inspiration he is to me. Also Max Burgin. I hope I can compete with him in the future. That would be a pretty big dream, but for now I’ll keep going with his times.
Why do you always wear a backwards baseball cap when you race?
It’s a trick. When I first started competing, I always wore a hat, and then I started wearing it more often during training as well. When I train with something, I don’t want to change it in the race. I took it out for one of my 1500m races and it just felt weird, so I have to keep it going and hopefully I can keep running times with it.
What does an average training week look like?
I had a brilliant winter with my trainer doing sprint work and some aerobic work so I responded well to that. My summer workouts have been pretty consistent. I’m not a high runner, so I won’t be running very far. I’ll sprint once or twice a week, maintaining that aerobic base throughout. I train on Tuesdays and Thursdays and I have a Saturday class where my brother has started training with me.
Matthew McKenna (Getty)
What are your next goals?
My goal this year was to run 1:53, which I ran indoors, and then I ran 1:50 and I just kept getting better. I have to set realistic goals for myself just to improve myself and I just want to be better than I have been.
I don’t really think about what race I should run or what mileage I should do, I just want to keep doing what I’m doing and progress. I want to win everything. I’ve always been like that since I was a kid, playing soccer.
What would Matt say now that he started running?
Don’t think about what others are doing. You see times on the internet and you watch people run races and you think, “Why am I not up to that standard?” Or “Why is he better than me?” You just have to keep thinking about yourself and what you want to do and how you can become better, not other people.
» This article first appeared in the October issue of AW magazine. Subscribe to AW Magazine herecheck out our new podcast! here or subscribe to our digital archive of back issues from 1945 to the present day here
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