Dani Mateo: “I am excited and looking forward to running a legendary race like Jean Bouin”

Daniel Mateo (August 31, 1989, Soria) is one of the great stars of 99th Jean Bouin-Allianz Grand Prix. The athlete from Soriano attended MD in the morning. He wants to have a well-defined agenda to perform his profession as a strict athlete, to maintain family order and to meet the demands of his pig breeding farm. Yes, because the Nike marathon runner –3rd in the team marathon of the last European Championship in Munich, 10th in the 2019 World Cup in Doha or 21st in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics– he combines his life as an athlete with dedication to his passion for the countryside, his animals and their roots. He assured that he is delighted to run this weekend in Barcelona and is excited to compete in such a “historic” and “mythical” race as MD Athletic Classic.

How do you deal with Jean Bouin?

I am very excited and looking forward to running the Jean Bouin because it is a historic and legendary race, one of the coolest races. I like the types of races that have this appeal.

He will debut in Clásica Atlética MD.

For the first time, yes, but I know that the Bouin course has many slopes and I know that many great athletes have played it throughout its history, it is part of the elite of athletics.

And what does the tour suggest to you?

This issue is such a strong climb is not a concern, but it is a factor that you need to consider, you must know how to regulate the effort.

Has route hardness been reported?

Yes, I’ve talked to other runners who have ridden it and they all told me that the Jean Bouin is a race where you climb slowly and descend like crazy.

So, do you think the route suits your qualities as a runner?

I don’t know what to tell you. Here at many costs we have Vallecana. Yes, we train on a hill and I don’t think the Bouin circuit has to be that bad for me. I’m fine and I’m looking forward to it, but at the end of the day it’s all about getting in shape, and when you’re in shape you’re running.

At what point of form did you get to Jean Bouin?

I ran the European Marathon on August 15 and since then I haven’t stopped more than any other year. The truth is I feel it and I think I’m fine. I wasn’t in a position to go to the European Cross Country, but I would have tried if I had been closer. Now I think I’m fine.

What does Barcelona suggest to you?

For me, Barcelona is one of the top and most beautiful cities out there. When I have a weekend I go with my girl. It’s a beastly place and we love it.

What is not missing from your agenda when you visit Barcelona?

He thinks that I live in a small city, Soria, and I really like to walk and take a walk in Barcelona, ​​​​​​​​and I like to run in Barceloneta. Deep down I am very simple.

For fans who want to cheer for him in Jean Bouin, what kind of athlete is Dani Mateo?

I am a long-distance runner, a marathon runner. My evolution is more than less. I have been international in all categories, but I gave the marathon the hardest blow. I have been to the Olympic Games and the World Championship.

Were the Olympic Games the competition that affected you the most?

The Games are a bit camouflaged, because we ran in Sapporo and it wasn’t the same. But I think the important thing is that many times people talk about the Games, about the experience of living in an Olympic event, about the experiences, but at the Olympic Games you go to compete and above all all you have to do is run hard. I didn’t have the best day at the Games, really (it’s my 21st).

The life of an athlete is not easy.

I don’t think the people around us mean much to us. We have sacrificed a lot, but the person next to you has sacrificed the same and has to lead your own life.

Are you saying this for your partner? How long have you had him?

With my partner? Forever. It is a matter of the couple, but also of the family. I have my company and thanks to the fact that my brother goes ahead with it. There are many things, really.

You raise pigs on a farm in Soria and you think you’re proud of it, but can you make a living from athletics?

I can live and live well thanks to athletics and I am very happy. What is certain tomorrow is that the subject will be different and you have to look for the future, in athletics you cannot get a pension. I have agriculture and livestock for tomorrow. I want to be with the pigs, stink and go to the farm. Thanks to my father, who is from a town with two houses (La Milana), we can all go to Barcelona.

You claim your Soria roots.

And it sometimes seems like a lot of people hide their roots and I’m very proud, and thank you we have a wonderful life. Yes, pigs stink and poop and it’s 365 days a year, but I’m excited and I like it.

Where do your roots as an athlete come from?

My father (José) is always in the field. I always liked running and my father should be retired now, and to a certain extent thanks to the fact that I was able to do athletics they had a good life. That they went to Barcelona this weekend, that they’ve been to the Games… thanks to athletics they’ve been around the world.

Always wanted to be an athlete?

Yes, yes, if I was born in the Basque Country I would be a cyclist, after all, where you live you adapt to the culture, and here in Soria we have a deep-rooted tradition of athletics, starting with my coach, Enrique Easter. I went to the kid’s races, I was good and we kept running.

Did you plan to carve out a career like you have?

My career turned out better than I thought, because I experienced what it feels like to lose in athletics. Now you don’t prepare people to lose, you only prepare them to win. We idolize children when they are little and then they bake some miracle cakes.

Don’t you think this happens in all sports, not just track and field?

Yes, but we are wrong and at the moment there are many athletes who give themselves a lot of cake. Many people don’t know how to deal with you to win. I went to the marathon and I made a leap in quality because it was the distance that I adapted to. It sounds arrogant, but I had a hard time being 1st or 2nd and I won’t go far because of it.

What annoys you the most in the world of athletics?

You are jealous of them, and there is nothing we can do about it.

And finally, what challenges have you marked in red on the calendar?

Run a marathon in the months of February and March, and until then be in the best shape possible.