How Far Can He Go? Matt Pickering's Relentless Climb

Matt Pickering was the 2025 under 20 national cross country champion, a result he never expected to produce. Now a GB Students international and a physiotherapy student, he is chasing the next big thing, and a sponsor, one start line at a time.

At eight kilometres, Matt Pickering thought he had made a mistake.

He had moved to the front of the English National Cross Country Championships, but his legs had felt like lead even before the race began. Ahead lay Parliament Hill, one of the country's most feared cross-country courses, with its steep climbs and churned-up mud waiting to punish any sign of weakness.

He remembers thinking that, "at eight kilometres I was telling myself I made the wrong decision here."

The move had come almost by accident. As the leading pack thinned, a gap opened on a climb and Pickering took it. By the final hill, he had stopped questioning the decision and stormed down the home straight.

"I don't care now. I'm getting there."

He crossed the line first, the 2025 under 20 national champion.

From Priory Park to the England vest

Pickering started running at primary school in Priory Park, where cross country featured in PE and school competitions. He was also playing football, but noticed he could keep up with older children. At local club nights, he found a group of young runners to train and compete with.

As his results improved, he moved to South London Harriers. There, he collected team titles and represented England. Yet he began to feel stuck. He was often close to selection, but not quite where he wanted to be.

"I was just so frustrated with always being at the back end of things," he exclaims. "I want to be at the front."

A change of club

A dislocated kneecap, sustained while playing football with friends, kept him out for three months. The time away gave him space to think about what he wanted next. He had watched fellow runner James Dargan make a big step forward after joining Aldershot, Farnham & District, and began talking with coach Mick Woods.

The move quickly felt right. Within two months, Pickering finished eighth at the English Schools Championships, his best result there at the time.

"I just knew this was definitely the right decision to make," he says.

Winning the Nationals

Under Woods, his progress continued. The 2025 National Cross Country win was the biggest result yet, but Pickering remembers how unexpected it felt. He had not started the race thinking he could win. As the pack began to break up, he realised he was still moving well.

That confidence carried into the next year. At the 2026 Nationals, Pickering moved to the front and pushed the pace, but was beaten in the closing stages. He was disappointed to miss the title, though the race showed how far his expectations had shifted. Once, reaching the front of a national race had felt out of reach. Now, he was trying to win it for a second time.

That same drive has carried him onto the international stage. In March 2026, he represented the GB Students team at the World University Cross Country Championships in Italy, finishing twentieth in the 10,000 metres.

"It was a humbling experience," he says of racing alongside teammate Jenson Connell against a strong Ugandan team. "It was quite funny really, Britain versus Uganda."

Training around university

University has brought another kind of challenge. Pickering studies physiotherapy at St Mary's, where he is now in his third year. However, his arrangement to split his final year is providing him more room to train, especially as placements have meant longer days and sometimes training alone.

Whether training alongside others or on his own, the principle remains the same: consistency creates success. "If I want it badly enough, it shouldn't matter whether I'm training with a group or not. Just stacking the days gets me where I need to be."

If I want it badly enough, it shouldn't matter whether I'm training with a group or not. Matt Pickering

His training has also changed. At Aldershot, much of the work was on the track. At St Mary's, he does longer efforts in Bushy Park, often running by time rather than distance. He emphasises how those sessions have helped him build the strength needed for longer cross country races.

He usually runs between fifty and sixty miles a week, with plans to build towards seventy over the Christmas period. Yet, behind the training is a constant desire to keep progressing and chasing new goals. "When you achieve something, I just keep on wanting the next big thing."

Nike or Nothing

Now that includes Pickering's new approach of documenting his journey through his Nike or Nothing challenge where he attempts to attract Nike's attention for a sponsorship. Nike is the brand he has relied on throughout his career, though he is open to considering another brand if it offered the right opportunity.

He knows a strong race result alone may not be enough to attract support. He hopes the account can show the work behind his performances and help younger runners understand what training and university life look like.

"It's getting harder and harder these days to get sponsorship off performance alone." Rather than seeing that as a barrier, Pickering views social media as an opportunity to increase his appeal to potential sponsors. "If I can use social media to bridge that gap, then I'm absolutely going to give it a good go."

The next start line

The next targets are already in view, making the European Cross Country Championships, continuing to progress through the under-23 ranks and, eventually, reaching senior championships. He knows there is a long way to go. After all, some of the performances he is chasing today are no different from the ones he once believed were beyond him.

For now, the job is to keep improving, keep training and keep moving towards the next start line. What happens after that remains uncertain. However, Pickering's commitment and dedication are unwavering, "I want to give it my all whilst I've got the ability to."