Nebraska's Matthew Brunken Defies Crohn's Disease, Captures Silver at Garmin Half Marathon

Back–to–back BRIN Series champion reveals science–driven regimen—hydrogen water, Baja Gold salt, and precision fueling—to stay on the podium

LINCOLN, Neb., May 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- While most runners battle blisters and lactic acid, elite distance athlete Matthew Brunken fights something far more relentless: Crohn's disease. Yet on April 26 the Malcolm, NE native surged across the finish line of the Garmin Half Marathon in 1:15:56, claiming second place overall and reaffirming his status as one of the nation's few competitive endurance athletes living—and winning—with the chronic inflammatory condition.

Brunken's podium in Kansas follows consecutive overall victories in the BRIN Series (Midwest's premier 10 K circuit) in 2023 and 2024. With the first race of 2025 down, he sits well-positioned for an unprecedented three–peat. "In business, constraints fuel innovation," said Matthew Brunken, "You don't invent something new when everything is easy—you invent because you have to. Crohn's disease brought constraints into my running: calorie shortages, slower recovery, limited fueling options. But those very limits forced me to train smarter, not just harder."

Experimenting because the research hasn't caught up

There is no playbook for elite athletes with Crohn's. Prescription biologics can limit flare–ups but often sap energy. Nutrition studies are sparse, and zero clinical trials examine hydrogen–infused water for Crohn's patients. So Brunken, a self–described "human guinea pig," shares every metric of his personal trial on X (@matthew_brunken): teaspoons of Baja Gold mineral salt, liters of molecular hydrogen water consumed, and the Huel powder he relies on for 80 percent of daily calories. "If the journal articles don't exist," he said, "I'll post the n = 1 data so future researchers—and runners—have somewhere to start."

Sports–medicine researcher Konstantinos Papadimitriou, Ph.D., whose 2022 swimmer case report highlighted the dearth of elite data, notes that only 0.5 percent of Crohn's patients in international registries report sustained high–intensity exercise, let alone podium–level performance. Men's Health lists fewer than a dozen current professional athletes competing with Crohn's across all sports, most outside endurance disciplines. "Crohn's doesn't care about your dreams, so you have to care twice as much," said Brunken of the study.

Crohn's has ended many elite careers: Olympian sprint kayaker Carrie Johnson made London 2012 her final Games, NFL quarterback David Garrard missed a season after bowel surgery and ultimately retired, and Norway's Nordic–combined legend Jarl Magnus Riiber stepped away at just 27. Case reports label podium finishes with active Crohn's "novel," underscoring how extraordinary Brunken's Garmin silver—and his chase for a BRIN three–peat—are within modern global endurance sport history.

Fueling that won't fight back

Race day nutrition is equally exacting. Traditional gels trigger GI issues, so Brunken trusts only Maurten hydrogel, timing each sachet to water stations. Combined with a low–residue Huel base and electrolyte–heavy Baja Gold, the strategy kept him negative–splitting the final 10K in Olathe, Kansas. "Hydrogen water, Baja Gold, Huel—none of this is magic." he says, "It's data, discipline, and a willingness to look ridiculous trying."

Sharing the story to broaden the conversation

Beyond medals, Brunken hopes visibility will spur broader conversations about chronic illness in sport. "As a kid, doctors told me to give up on ever competing," he says. "If I never win another race, but one person decides to chase their dream because they saw me refuse to quit, then every mile I've logged, every experiment I've posted, and every setback I've worked through will have been worth it."

Researchers interested in adopting Brunken's trial are encouraged to reach out.

Media Contact
Matthew Brunken
402-672-6272
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SOURCE Matthew Brunken