Teenager Matthew McKenna makes his mark at 800m

The European under-18 champion talks about the year of his life so far and how it has changed his horizons

At the start of 2024, Matthew McKenna set himself a clear but ambitious target: to break 1:53 for 800m by the year’s end. After a promising 1:56.40 personal best in 2023, he felt it was a goal well within his reach.

What transpired over the following months exceeded even his own expectations, however. By the time the season had drawn to a close, McKenna had written his name into the history books with a blistering 1:46.84, making him the second-fastest under-18 800m runner in European history. Only Max Burgin, with 1:45.36, stood ahead of him.

And if that wasn’t enough, the 17-year-old also captured gold at the European Under-18 Championships.

The journey to that moment started indoors at the Southern Under-20 Championships, where McKenna kicked off his season with a victory in 1:55.78. It wasn’t just the win that had an impact; it was the realisation that 2024 could be a breakthrough year for him.

“The indoor season really made my season,” says the AW British under-20 male athlete of the year. “It gave me the confidence boost I needed and it spurred me on as I thought: ‘Hang about, we can actually really go for something here’. It put me on a fast upward trajectory.”

This new-found confidence propelled him back to his training base with Walton AC, where he worked alongside coaches Jamie McLaughlin and Martin Norman to refine his plans for the season.

His journey into athletics had been unconventional – having taken up running in Scotland during the pandemic, before moving down South. After being noticed by his PE teacher, who was a member of Walton AC, McKenna bypassed the usual waiting list to join the club, where he quickly became a huge part of the group.

As the outdoor season began, McKenna smashed his previous personal best at the prestigious Night of the 10,000m PBs at Highgate with 1:50.97, securing a fourth place. That performance was also within the European Under-18 Championship qualifying time.

“That race taught me a lot,” he adds. “I know 1734778694 that I can handle those nerves and that I can perform in front of the crowds. I can race really high level athletes and not be phased by it. I can be that confident runner that I aspire to be.”

Matthew McKenna (Getty)

But before he could think about making the European team, McKenna still had unfinished business, with another…