MENTORING THE YOUTH OF TODAY TO BE THE RUNNERS OF TOMORROW

By Kate Dzienis

The next generation of ultra runners starts with us. Just like each one of you has found inspiration in a fellow or former long distance athlete, the youth of today is watching. Whether you see it or not, they are watching and listening, and learning of the sport that may provide them with a positive impact later in life.

This impact has already started with one particular boy from Queensland. Fourteen-year-old Mathis Marten, who attends year 8 at Samford Steiner School, contacted AURA Vice President Matthew Eckford earlier this year in February when he chose his topic for a school project, How To Train For And Run A Half Marathon.

Mathis explained he had read a YA book called Just Breathe by Andrew Daddo and had grown up in Berlin, Germany where he witnessed the Berlin Marathon on many occasions, thus giving him the idea of the topic for his school project.

“The project is something you work on for the whole year, you keep a journal, and write essays about it, and then give a speech at the end of the year,” he said.

“My mum’s colleague was Matt’s wife’s midwife, and my mum happened to mention to them about my project – her colleague knew Matt, and so everyone worked together to get me in touch with him.”

Mathis connected with Eckford and together they formed a training plan suitable for a young teenager to achieve his first ever half marathon. Mathis had played soccer in previous years, and felt he couldn’t run more than 2kms so thoroughly looked forward to building up his distance and having fun at the same time.

“Matt is an amazing guy, I could not have imagined a better mentor to do this with,” Mathis said.

“We went on lots of runs together, he was really nice; the first time we met it was at a café where he gave me so much advice on running and we wrote a training plan which was a four-day-a-week plan, adding up to about 40km a week.

“I’ve been following that strictly up until two months in the lead up to the River Run 100 half marathon because of either my Sever’s (calcaneal apophysitis, or inflammation in the heel) that I have or things in life have made me cut short a run, etc.”

Mathis hoped his speech at the end of the year would inspire some children his age to consider taking up running.

“Most people my age play footy or soccer, there aren’t a lot who would think about going for a run because so many of them consider it boring,” he explained.

“But in my perspective, it gave me commitment and a routine in life; you can do it anywhere and anytime, and the best part is that it really costs nothing.”

He also said that going for a run before school helped him mentally prepare for the day as it cleared his mind.

On 11 October, 2020 Mathis ran his first half marathon with Eckford alongside him at the River Run 100 event in Auchenflower, Qld where he finished in a time of 1:46:30.

Eckford said he thoroughly enjoyed the journey with his young student.

“I’ve made a great new friend in Mathis,” he said.

“Working around school, growing pains and injuries and various race cancellations due to COVID-19, we eventually got to race his first official half marathon at the River Run 100.

“He was a very happy young man who I hope I can drag to the dark side of the 42.2km+ ultra running world one day.”

Mathis said there was definitely more running in his future.

“I will absolutely run more half marathons in the future, no doubt about it,” he said.

“At the moment, I’m unable to run 100% because of my Sever’s, and after I ran the River Run 100 half marathon it flared up again but I’ve been swimming and bike riding and keeping fit.

“It’s something I will grow out of eventually and it’s all about managing it.”

Mathis’ goal is to complete the Gold Coast half marathon next year, saying he would love to do the marathon but legally is unable to sign up for it until he is 18.

“In the future, I also want to do the Berlin Marathon,” he said.

Keep an eye out for Mathis’ name in years to come, he will certainly be one to look out for.

Pictured: AURA Vice President Matthew Eckford in the green AURA shirt with Mathis Marten (R) in the grey shirt. Photograph – Supplied.