#662 - Matt Hanson

Jack Moody's back in the hotseat and we catch up on the racing from Athletic Brewing IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside at the weekend. We chat with multiple IRONMAN champion MATT HANSON. Matt stormed home for a podium 3rd at the recent IRONMAN New Zealand race recording the fastest run split of the day with an incredible 2:34:49. In this episode Matt breaks down his race at IMNZ and shares his training strategies and thoughts on the evolving sport of long-distance racing. Discover how he approaches performance, the impact of the new draft rules and his plans for future races including Kona. 0:00.00 – Jack's now a married man 0:05.20 – IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside 0:15:46 – T100 start list 0:18:26 – Matt Hanson intro 0:21:28 – Matt Hanson LINKS: Jack Moody at https://www.instagram.com/jacktmoody/ Matt Hanson at https://www.instagram.com/matthansontri/ IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside at https://www.ironman.com/races/im703-oceanside IRONMAN Cairns at https://www.ironman.com/races/im-cairns

We catch up on the racing from IRONMAN 70.3 Geelong and T100 Gold Coast at the weekend. At IRONMAN New Zealand this month Tamara Jewett ran into 4th place with a blistering 2:42:40 marathon – the 5th fastest overall marathon run split on the day, including the men. In this episode, Tamara shares her journey from middle-distance running to IRONMAN racing, her experience moving from Canada to California and her approach to mental and physical training. 00:00 – IM703 Geelong and T100 Gold Coast 28:44 – Tamara Jewett intro 31:29 – Tamara Jewett LINKS: IM703 Geelong at https://www.ironman.com/races/im703-geelong Follow Tamara on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tamarajewett T100 Gold Coast at https://t100triathlon.com/gold-coast/pro/live-race-data/

We review the news and racing from the weekend. Ruth Croft is an elite ultra-trail runner from New Zealand, recognized for her remarkable achievements in the sport including winning the prestigious Tarawera 102K for the 4th consecutive year last month. Ruth's dedication and passion for running make her a credible voice in the ultra-trail running community as she chats to us about her ultra-trail running success, training innovations and race strategies. In this episode, Ruth Croft shares her journey from high school athletics to becoming one of the most complete female ultra-trail runners globally. She discusses her training methods including weight vest workouts, altitude adaptation and race nutrition strategies, along with insights into her race experiences and future plans. 00:00 – Calling in from Wanaka 07.09 – Tri news 25:06 – Ruth Croft introduction 26:44 – Ruth Croft 1:05:14 - Muscular durability LINKS: Follow Ruth on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/ruthcrofty/ Scott Johnston of Evoke Endurance at https://evokeendurance.com/ Paul Booth Sports Nutritionist at https://performancegainsnutrition.com/ Val Burke Exercise Physiologist at https://valburke.com/ Neversecond Nutrition at https://never2.com/ IM703 Dallas at https://www.ironman.com/races/im703-dallas-little-elm IM703 Geelong at https://www.ironman.com/races/im703-geelong

The Anzco Foods IRONMAN New Zealand edition where we review the racing from the day and chat to first Kiwi home Jack Moody. Rikki Anderson won the free race entry to IRONMAN Cairns. We find out more about her.

Kyle Smith, Kiwi Professional Triathlete, reflects on his journey as a triathlete, sharing the lessons he's learned from racing mistakes. We discuss the pressures of prize money in the Pro Series, the significance of consistency in performance and the dynamics of racing with a home crowd. Kyle also chats about his recovery from injury and his preparations for the upcoming IRONMAN New Zealand as he aims for a Kona slot. Kevin Hunt won the free race entry to IRONMAN 70.3 Western Sydney. We find out more about him. This weekend… IRONMAN New Zealand. We give our thoughts on how this race might play out. 00:00 – Racing from the weekend 06.00 – Temperatures in Taupo 09:20 – Kevin Hunt 16:40 – IRONMAN New Zealand 27:20 – Kyle Smith LINKS: IRONMAN New Zealand at https://www.ironman.com/races/im-new-zealand Follow Kyle Smith on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/kylesmithnzl/ Oceania Sprint Champs and Oceania Cup at https://trifestival.kiwi/event/oceania-sprint-distance-championships/ IRONMAN 70.3 Western Sydney at https://www.ironman.com/races/im703-western-sydney

We review the racing from Challenge Wanaka last weekend and what the acquisition of Challenge by the PTO might mean for racing going forward. Regan Hollioake, the defending IRONMAN New Zealand champion, reflects on her journey as a professional triathlete. We chat about her season last year and the financial realities of being a professional athlete, plus the unique challenges of travel and race selection, particularly for athletes based in Australia and New Zealand. Regan shares with us the issues she's faced managing hydration levels in hot races like Kona and her thoughts on the upcoming race at IMNZ and the excitement of returning as a defending champion. 00:00 – Challenge Wanaka and the acquisition of Challenge by the PTO 18:34 – IRONMAN Cairns free race entry competition 20:42 – Regan Hollioake 53:54 – The triathlon calendar 2026 LINKS: IRONMAN New Zealand at https://www.ironman.com/races/im-new-zealand Follow Regan Hollioake on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/rlhollioake/ Challenge Wanaka at https://challengefamily.com/ IRONMAN Cairns at https://www.ironman.com/races/im-cairns

Mike shares his thinking behind his decision to protest at the recent Loan Market Tauranga Half. We discuss the implications of the newly announced Pro Series, the importance of course familiarity and the evolving dynamics of drafting rules in triathlon. He also reflects on his past races, the impact of technology on race fairness and his plans for upcoming competitions including IRONMAN New Zealand in March After four pros inadvertently rode a shortened section of the bike course at the Loan Market Tauranga Half, protests were lodged, an appeal was heard and the final outcome saw a 2:26 time penalty added to their results. We break down exactly what happened on course and behind the scenes and discuss why we believe the final ruling reflects the proper application of the rules once the facts were established. 00:00 – Kathmandu Coast to Coast 12:24 – Loan Market Tauranga Half Protest 25:29 – Mike Phillips LINKS: Follow Mike Phillips on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/mikephillipsnz/ Loan Market Tauranga Half at https://mountfestival.kiwi/events/tauranga-half/ Kathmandu Coast to Coast at https://www.coasttocoast.co.nz/ IRONMAN New Zealand at https://www.ironman.com/races/im-new-zealand

On 31 January 2026, 16-year-old New Zealand running sensation Sam Ruthe ran a world-record indoor mile time of 3:48.88. New Zealand middle-distance runner Sam Tanner is a two-time Olympian and currently holds several national records and titles. Both Sam's are coached by Kiwi Craig Kirkwood. We chat to CK about his coaching philosophies and his incredible success with the development of young athletes in New Zealand. He emphasises the importance of competition, his experiences of managing injury and the role of plyometrics in training. We also chat to CK about his success in creating a supportive training environment for his athletes and the ripple effect that has in inspiring younger athletes in New Zealand. Shay McLeod won the free race entry to IRONMAN 70.3 Geelong. We find out more about him. SuperTri change their race format to a draft legal, sprint distance – we look at what that might look like for the sport. 00:00 – The Winter Olympics 12:25 – SuperTri 18:16 – Race entry competition for IM703 W Sydney 20:31 – Shay McLeod 35:29 – Craig Kirkwood LINKS: IRONMAN 70.3 Western Sydney at https://www.ironman.com/races/im703-western-sydney Craig Kirkwood at https://www.ckcoaching.co.nz/ Shay McLeod at Symmetry Physio https://symmetry.physio/ SuperTri at https://supertri.com/

We chat about the impact of the new 20m draft ruling and how it might affect racing going forward. The Loan Market Half results hang in the balance as we await a decision from race officials regarding 4 pro athletes having gone off course at the start of the bike and re-entered further up the road - effectively missing at least a kilometre of the course. We chat to Kiwi Professional Triathletes Jack Moody and Hannah Berry about the upcoming IRONMAN New Zealand race – the new bike course and the new 20 metre draft rule. 00:00 – Tri News and Racing 09:02 – The new 20m draft rule 15:16 – Loan Market Half controversy 26:48 – Jack Moody 45:46 – Hannah Berry LINKS: Follow Jack Moody on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jacktmoody/ Follow Hannah Berry on Instagram at  https://www.instagram.com/dr_hannah_wells/ Loan Market Half at https://mountfestival.kiwi/events/tauranga-half/ Race Ranger at https://www.raceranger.com/ Challenge Sir Bani Yas at https://www.challenge-sirbaniyas.com/en IRONMAN New Zealand at https://www.ironman.com/races/im-new-zealand Craig Kirkwood at https://www.ckcoaching.co.nz/

Jeff Morris, Race Director Ultraman Australia shares his journey into the world of triathlon and the unique challenges of organizing the Ultraman race. He discusses the decision to bring the Ultraman event to Wanaka, New Zealand, highlighting the course details, community engagement and the family atmosphere that surrounds the race.  We have a free race entry to giveaway to the IRONMAN 70.3 in Geelong in March. 00:00 – Challenge Wanaka 06:36 – Ultraman 12:02 – Jeff Morris Ultraman 53:21 – IRONMAN 70.3 Geelong 58:26 – Free race entry competition to IM703 Geelong LINKS: Ultraman at https://ultramanoz.com.au/ Challenge Wanaka https://challenge-wanaka.com/ IRONMAN 70.3 Geelong https://www.ironman.com/races/im703-geelong Hawea Epic https://www.lakehaweaepic.co.nz/ Ruby Island Swim https://www.swimrubyisland.co.nz/ T100 https://t100triathlon.com/