Matt Tribe, Walmart Canada’s Senior Director, Supply Chain Finance, finished 2024 with a remarkable feat: running 100 km in just under eight hours, making him the top-finishing Canadian at the 100km World Championships.
The World Championships, organized by the International Association of Ultrarunners and World Masters Athletics, is the highest level of competition for the 100 km race. Matt was one of four runners representing Canada at this year’s event, held on Dec. 7 in Bengaluru, India.
The race started at 6:15 a.m. local time, but the heat and humidity ramped up by about 9 a.m. and made conditions challenging, Matt said.
“You had to change the game plan to run the most competitive race you could,” Matt said.
He adjusted his pace and stopped at the Team Canada tent frequently to hydrate and dump cold water on himself to keep his body temperature down.
Of the 112 men in the race, only 72 finished, including Matt. While it was a hard race, Matt said crossing the finish line was one of the highlights of his running career.
“It’s special. You’re wearing your Team Canada kit and the team tent is passing the flag so you can wear it across the finish line,” Matt said.
Matt ran cross country in high school and university but fell away from the sport at a competitive level after school.
He eventually returned to competitive running at an amateur level and ran his first ultramarathon in 2018.
As he got older, he saw he was more competitive at longer distances and believed he could qualify for the World Championships at the 100 km distance. He ran the qualifying time for the 100 kms World Championships at a race this past spring.
For Matt, running is a hobby, although one that requires consistent training and dedicated time management to balance runs, work and family life. He runs almost every day and even twice a day sometimes. He also clocks in long runs – from 30 to 75 kms – every other weekend.
“I find running is important for me for stress relief. It helps me be a better person. I find that after I go for a run, I’m more patient with my kids, I’m more focused and have more clarity of mind with tasks at work,” Matt said.
The traits that push him to run competitively have also helped him with his career at Walmart, Matt said.
“In order to be successful running these difficult races, you need a certain level of perseverance, mental toughness and will to succeed. Those are the same skills that can be useful in being successful at Walmart,” Matt said.
“At work I put that same energy into wanting to solve difficult problems, wanting to roll up my sleeves and work hard so that we can do what’s right for our customer.”
Matt has been a Walmart Canada associate for just over five years and has held several Finance positions across the business, including in merchandise, e-commerce, and supply chain (his current focus).
He says his favourite part about working at Walmart is the dedication all associates have to our purpose to help Canadians save money so they can live better.
“I see how our organization embodies that purpose and lives it on a day-to-day basis, which energizes and inspires me to want to work here because I know I can make a difference,” Matt said.
