Marathon Matt set for new sporting challenge

Now, he is embarking on a different kind of sporting challenge and one that’s become close to his heart. This Sunday 27 September, Matt will be running the Loch Ness Marathon in aid of Endometriosis UK, the country’s largest charity supporting those affected by the debilitating condition.

Matt’s wife Ruth is one of 1.5 million women in the UK who suffer from endometriosis, a condition where cells similar to those in the lining of the womb grow in other parts of the body. Its impact can be severe, with symptoms ranging from chronic pain to infertility.

Having witnessed the sapping condition first-hand through Ruth’s own experience and diagnosis, Matt has trained and is running for not only his wife, but to raise awareness about a condition that too few know too little about.

Speaking about why he’s taking on the challenge of hauling himself along 26.2 miles of Inverness countryside, Matt said: “I started running to keep fit after I stopped playing and I really enjoyed it. I guess at the back of my mind I thought it would be amazing to run a marathon one day and I had the confidence to sign up and raise some money at the same time.

Pictured: Matt on th elast of his 40 caps for Scotland, against world champions South Africa in 2021 at Murrayfield.

“Ruth’s got this condition and we always talk about how poorly she was treated in the early stages of trying to get diagnosed and for something that’s so painful and debilitating for so many women, it’s not really known about. If the shoe was on the other foot, if blokes were getting these horrific pains every month, it would perhaps be treated a bit differently.

“When I initially mentioned I was going to be running for this cause, lots of Ruth’s friends reached out to her saying ‘I’ve got these symptoms, do you think it’s the same thing?’, so the main goal is to get people talking about it.”

He’s got the miles in his legs now, and the starting gun is fast approaching for former Currie man Matt, who says inspiration won’t be in short supply: “When the going gets tough on the way round, it’s nice to think about something bigger than yourself that you’re doing it for.

“Honesty, it’s been such a learning curve and part of the reason I love it is because it’s difficult for someone my size. I’m the same weight I was when I was playing rugby; I’m about 16st (102kg) bang on, so I’m probably about 30kg heavier than most competent runners!

Pictured: Matt breaks away to score the third try during a Guinness Pro14 match between Edinburgh and Southern Kings at Murrayfield, January 2020.

“Learning about how to train to be a runner is unlike rugby, when you go flat out and then get these rests. With running, 80% of your training is at a low intensity, slow pace, which is really unusual for me. Sub 4-hours would be nice but I’ve spoken to lots of people about doing your first marathon and a lot of the advice is to just enjoy it.

“I don’t get many of those rugby-like moments anymore when you’ve sacrificed to achieve a goal so I think running across the finish line to see my mum and dad, Ruth and the kids, will be a similar feeling and that’s why I’m still chasing it!”

You can support Matt’s fundraising for Endometriosis here, and learn more about the work the charity do here.