Matthew Ramsden

BIOGRAPHY

Unlucky to miss the Tokyo Olympics due to Australia’s depth in 1500m running, Mathew Ramsden was back on the National team for the 2022 World Indoor Championships, in Belgrade, where he progressed through the heats and into the final to placed 12th in 7:49.82.

Strong in 2022 over the 1500m, it has been the 5000m where he has stamped his authority winning the national title in April and clocking 13:17.11 at the Pre Diamond League in May. The time just missed his PB and World Championships qualifying standard.

He was selected in both the 1500m and 5000m for both the Commonwealth Games and World Championships. In Eugene at the Worlds, Matthew was 9th in his 1500m heat and 16th in the 5000m heat, missing out on progression to the next round in each race. He followed this a month later with a heat run in the 1500m and 10th place in the 5000m at the Commonwealth Games.

He opened his 2022/23 season at the Australian team trials for the World Athletics Cross Country Championships, where he blew open the race by breaking away from the field and holding a comfortable 20-40m lead for a couple of laps. National 10,000m record holder Jack Rayner was the only athlete to catch him by the finish line. His second place secured automatic selection for Bathurst, his third World Cross Country appearance. Unfortunately the day before the race in Bathurst, he withdrew with a calf injury.

In March he placed third in the National 1500m and clocked 3:35 in the leadup to his third consecutive world championships in Budapest. 

+ + + + +

Matthew Ramsden started athletics aged 14 when a Japanese teacher invited him to the school runners club. He decided to train to break the school records and stay fit for basketball. After making the state cross country team in 2012, he realised he had a bit of talent. Before long basketball took a backwards step and he became obsessed with distance running.

Within a couple of years he was selected for the junior event at the World Cross Country Championships, aged 17. The following year (2016) he went to the World Juniors making the 1500m final and running the 5000m. While still a teenager he ran the impressive 1500m time of 3:39.39 in May 2017. 

In good form in the leadup to the 2018 Commonwealth Games trials, he ruptured his plantar fascia in his heat. He compiled a strong series of performances in the 2018/19 summer, including placing fifth in the World Cross Country trial. After initially missing selection, he received a late call up going on to place an outstanding 39th in Aarhus Denmark, in his senior international debut at the World XC. 

He launched his 2019 European campaign with a stunning near four seconds 1500m PB time of 3:35.85 – moving from 39th to 14th Australian all-time, to sit one place behind another WA athlete Herb Elliott. A week later he ran a seven seconds 3000m PB time of 7:45.68. After a quick trip to Australia to win the Oceania Championships, he ran a five seconds mile PB time of 3:53.32.

In 2020 he decided to travel to Europe to compete where COVID was spreading. Over 27 days he ran five PBs in six races, including a 1500m Olympic qualifier. He lowered his best in the 1500m, mile, 2000m and 5000m. Back home in Perth in January 2021, running solo for most of the race, he clocked another 1500m Olympic qualifier of 3:34.97. It was the third fastest time by an Australian in Australia and fastest for 33 years since 1988.

He narrowly missed Tokyo Olympic selection, but raced extensively in Europe in 2021, setting PBs at 1500m (3:34.08) and 3000m (7:35.65). In 2022 he remained at home in in Perth in the closed State of Western Australia due to COVID, but in his one outing at the State Championships, clocked an impressive 3:38.01 

Despite living on the other side of Australia East Coast-based Ryan Gregson and Nic Bideau have been the biggest influences on his career. 
“All the Melbourne Track Club boys have helped me in some way but Ryan has looked after me and given me one on one lessons since my first day in the group. He has always supported me through the highs and lows of my career and has treated me the same after victory and defeat. Without Nic I would not be in the sport right now. He has given me opportunities some athletes could only dream of, set me up financially and supported my academic ambitions. Since I met him he has reassured me I can be a great one day, even when I couldn’t see it.”

Sporting ambition: Long term is to win medals and break records. Short term is to make finals and take all the WA records from 1500m to 10,000m….Advice to your young self: Go hard at it and you’ll always walk away proud…..Education: Studying law at Deakin University

@ August 2023 david.tarbotton@athletics.org.au

World Athletics Profile https://worldathletics.org/athletes/australia/matthew-ramsden-14576384