Only weeks after he became British champion, Beverley athlete Matthew Nelson has added the English Standard Distance Duathlon title to his medal cabinet.
After two years during the COVID-19 pandemic that saw the 29-year-old able to take part in few elite races, he’s already making up for lost time at the start of 2022.
Nelson was first across the finish line at Oulton Park, Cheshire, in late March when he took on Britain’s best in the event that sees competitors run and cycle before embarking on another running leg.
On 3rd April, Nelson’s attention turned to the defence of his English title at Yorkshire motor racing track Croft Circuit and he produced a fantastic performance from gun to tape, finishing four minutes in front of his nearest rival.
Full of confidence, but having had little rest, after his British Championship win, Nelson told Beverley Life the race could hardly have gone any better.
“It was great to bring home the English title to add to the British one that I won two weeks ago,” he said.
“The English title was mine to defend as well so I was pleased to win so convincingly.
“Yorkshire is the home of world triathlon after all, so it’s nice to bring them back home.
“The British Championships filled me with confidence but for the English Champs, I had no rest or taper, so went into it feeling quite tired.
“The body responded better than I had hoped for.
“Training had gone well, so I knew I was fit, but I certainly hadn’t been able to rest.
“The race played out exactly how I wanted it to, a good, hard first 10K run, which I completed in around 30 minutes.
“I felt relatively comfortable and created a big gap to between me and the rest of the field.
“After that, I rode hard for the first half of the ride but once I knew the gap was so big, I just shut off the gas and kept the powder dry for another day.”
The next challenge for Nelson was the big one – The World Middle Distance Duathlon Championships whcih took place on Saturday 7th May.
Staged in the Danish city of Viborg, the British and European champion was one of the favourites to come home with a medal against the world’s best duathletes.
However, a dropped chain at a key moment cost him the chance of challenging right at the front and he finished in eight place.
Despite this, Nelson said: “I am pleased with how I raced.
“I was near front at the end of run one despite being on my absolute limit on what was the most challenging 10k course I have ever run.
“I rode up to fourth and could have pushed on but didn’t and then lost time in the late stages of the second run.”
