Search
shop

Matt Hanson: “Weird to be satisfied with fourth” after Daytona return

Hanson was satisfied with his return from injury at Daytona.
Last updated -
STRENGTH. ENDURANCE. PERFORMANCE.

Feeling satisfied with a fourth-place finish was “weird” for Matt Hanson at CLASH Daytona, but it was an important step back to elite level for the American star.

Hanson was forced to miss the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in St George in September when he underwent knee surgery.

He made his return to top-level competition in Florida last weekend, finishing behind Kristian Blummenfelt, Magnus Ditlev and Rudy Von Berg in fourth.

Hanson, who had finished second at the PTO 2020 Championship behind Gustav Iden – producing the fastest run of the day in the process (57:22) – would normally have been disappointed with this result. But this is not a normal year.

Advertisement

Daytona a trip into the unknown

Speaking in a video debrief on his YouTube channel, he said: “It’s weird for me to feel satisfied with a fourth-placed finish.

“Training at altitude, but especially on the top-end stuff, it is hard to know exactly where you are at. 

“I hadn’t been down at sea level with this build at all, so it was hard to know how everything was going to equate at.  

“Plus, I was only 8-9 weeks post-surgery so I just didn’t have the high level of fitness that I would typically have going into a race. 

“The big thing is I was healthy, I got to the finishing line without any setbacks and I am able to enter the off-season now on choice without an injury.” 

Despite believing he had positioned himself wrongly in the swim, Hanson came out of the water with the ninth fastest time (26:36). 

No risks on the run

He finished with a time of 1:44:32 on the bike and performed strongly on the run, finishing with 59:44 – a time bettered only by eventual winner Blummenfelt (58:18).  That despite employing a low-risk strategy given he was just returning from injury.

“Overall, on the run it was just about doing what I could do without overextending myself and putting any risk of injury on,” Hanson reflected. 

“I really felt good at the 5:25 pace, but I just didn’t have that extra gear that I needed to do when I averaged 5:08 for the entire 11 miles in the race last year. 

“I just didn’t have that fitness and I am alright with that, maybe with another month of training I would’ve been able to compete with the boys up front.”

Hanson now hopes to compete at IRONMAN Texas, which takes place in April 2022. He has won that race three times previously.

Written by
Joe Duckers
Discover more
Dave Ellis / Luke Pollard - World Para Triathlon Championships Pontevedra 2023
Golden opportunity – British Triathlon launches search for LA2028 paratriathlon guides
IRONMAN Lanzarote 2024 - Anne Haug on run course
Best marathon shoes for Ironman – the ‘legal’ super shoes you CAN wear to level up your run split
Challenge Sanremo 2024 - Photo: Jose Luis Hourcade
How to fuel your triathlon training: Expert nutritionist tips to help you nail every session
swim start IRONMAN World Championship Kona 2024 photo credit Tony Svensson IRONMAN
Level up your Ironman swim split – must-read tips from an expert swim coach
Ironman gear guide – everything you need to get to the finish line of a full distance triathlon
latest News
Taylor Knibb 2024 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship Taupo New Zealand
US triathlon phenom Taylor Knibb hails great rival Kat Matthews for record-breaking IRONMAN Texas win
Richard Varga Jonny Brownlee Arzachena
Triathlon legend Jonny Brownlee reveals ‘Last Dance’ motivation behind latest challenge
IRONMAN Kona 2022 Age Group Results
How will “re-imagined” IRONMAN World Championship at Kona actually look for Age Groupers?
Lucy Charles-Barclay IRONMAN World Championship Kona 2023 Finish
IRONMAN World Championship goes ALL IN on Kona again with men and women to race on same day from 2026
Laura Philipp and Kat Matthews on the run at the 2024 IRONMAN World Championship
Nice gets consolation prize of 70.3 Worlds after IRONMAN World Championships return to Kona
triathlon on your terms
Never miss out with our triathlon alerts & digest. Get a dose of adventure & inspiration with Boundless.
The 247 Group

The home of endurance sports

Share to...