Matthew Healy is a Professional Ultra Distance Trail Runner.

Born and bred in Cape Town, amongst some of the most beautiful mountainous landscapes in the world, it is quite surprising that Healy only took up trail running in recent years. He has had something of a meteoric rise in the gruelling sport. Over the past few years, the 29-year-old, ex-Sharks Academy rugby player has crafted a leaner, meaner version of himself.

In a discipline that traditionally requires years of conditioning, he has managed to taste real success in a relatively short amount of time. Healy first popped up on the elite trail running scene at the beginning of 2019 and has gone on to land himself on the podium at almost every race he has entered since.

Trail running isn’t just something he does, it is his passion; a passion fuelled by the nature of the sport that tests the limits of the body, the mind and the spirit.

Prior to running, Matt played rugby at the Sharks in KwaZulu-Natal. Since then, he has been working tirelessly to condition his body in order to handle the physical stresses that come with ultra running. As a result, he has lost over 20kgs – a reflection of the work ethic and determination Healy possesses. He prides himself on his ability to be extremely focused and disciplined, and believes consistency is the key to great results.

His top results include multiple UTMB World Series podiums – most recently being third place at Tarawera Ultra Trail New Zealand by UTMB (105km) in February this year.

Other notable accomplishments include 5th place at the Julian Alps Trail Run by UTMB (100km) in September 2023; 2nd place at Trail Alsace Grand Est by UTMB (109km) in May 2023; 5th place at Nice Cote D’Azure by UTMB (111km) in September 2022 and10th place at Mozart 100km by UTMB in June 2022.

At just 25 years old (2021) Matt won the Addo Elephant Trail Run 100 miler (the oldest 100 mile race in South Africa) and broke the South African course record. In that same year, he attempted the 13 Peaks FKT Challenge and currently holds the second fastest time (behind its creator Ryan Sandes).