Brad Mathas (born 24 June 1993) is a New Zealand middle-distance runner who specializes in the 800 metres. He is a multiple-time national champion in the 800 metres and represented New Zealand at the World Athletics Championships and the Commonwealth Games.

Early life

Mathas was born in

Canberra, Australia Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The c ...

where he was a keen soccer player. He moved to New Zealand in 2005 with his mum and sister as they settled in Whanganui on the North Island. Aged 15 he was selected for the New Zealand football development squad but instead chose to focus on running and was selected for the

2010 Youth Olympics The 2010 Summer Youth Olympics ( ta, 2010 கோடைக்கால இளையோர் ஒலிம்பிக் விளையாட்டுக்கள் ms, Sukan Olimpik Belia Musim Panas 2010), officially known as the I Summer ...

in Singapore, and the

2012 World Junior Championships in Athletics The 2012 World Junior Championships in Athletics was an international athletics competition for athletes qualifying as juniors (born 1993 or later) which was held at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, on 10–15 ...

held in Barcelona. He also ran at the

2015 World University Games ) , Nations participating = 143 , Athletes participating = 12,885 , Events = 272 in 21 sports , Opening ceremony = , Closing ceremony = , Officially opened by = Park Geun-hye , Athlete's Oath = Kim Seong-yeon and Kim Kuk-young , Judge's Oath = K ...

Gwangju Gwangju () is South Korea's sixth-largest metropolis. It is a designated metropolitan city under the direct control of the central government's Home Minister. The city was also the capital of South Jeolla Province until the provincial office ...

, South Korea.

Career

In 2019, in Christchurch, Mathas won the senior New Zealand 800m national championship 800m race for the eighth consecutive year. The previous year he had represented New Zealand at the 2018 Commonwealth Games held on the Gold Coast, in which he placed fifth overall in the final of the 800 metres. In competing there he became the first Kiwi to compete in a Games 800m race for twelve years. In 2022 Mathas won gold at the

2022 Oceania Athletics Championships The 2022 Oceania Athletics Championships, the sixteenth edition of the Oceania Athletics Championships, are currently being held in Mackay, North Queensland from June 7–9, 2022. Originally scheduled for 2021 in Port Vila, Vanuatu, on February 1 ...

800m race before competing for his country at the

2022 World Athletics Championships The 2022 World Athletics Championships was the eighteenth edition of the World Athletics Championships. It was held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, United States, from July 15–24, 2022, with the country hosting that competition for the f ...

held in

Eugene, Oregon Eugene ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located at the southern end of the Willamette Valley, near the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast. As of the 2020 United States Census, Eu ...

. At the

2023 World Athletics Championships The 2023 World Athletics Championships ( hu, 2023-as atlétikai világbajnokság), the nineteenth edition of the World Athletics Championships, are scheduled to be held from 19 August to 27 August 2023 in Budapest, Hungary. The city of Budapes ...

in Budapest, he raced in the 800m.

Personal life

Mathas now lives and trains in

Melbourne, Victoria Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung–Taungurung language, Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the St ...

where he is trained by Justin Rinaldi and runs at the Fast 8 Track Club along with the likes of Peter Bol.

Personal bests

Outdoor * 800 metres – 1:45.75 ( Pfungstadt 2023) *

1000 metres The 1000 metres is an uncommon middle-distance running event in track and field competitions. The 1000 yards, an imperial alternative, was sometimes also contested. All-time top 25 *h = hand timed *i = indoor performance *A = affected by ...

– 2:18.97 ( Melbourne 2021) *

1500 metres The 1500 metres or 1,500-metre run (typically pronounced 'fifteen-hundred metres') is the foremost middle distance track event in athletics. The distance has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896 and the World Championships in Athletic ...

– 3:44.85 ( Melbourne 2023) Indoor *

– 2:23.01 ( Boston 2020)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mathas, Brad 1993 births Living people New Zealand male middle-distance runners Commonwealth Games competitors for New Zealand Athletes (track and field) at the 2018 Commonwealth Games World Athletics Championships athletes for New Zealand Sportspeople from Canberra People from Whanganui Sportspeople from Whanganui