Hamilton javelin thrower Ben Langton-Burnell returns to competitions after health break

Waikato javelin thrower Ben Langton-Burnell in 2017. Photo / File

After three years away from competitions, Hamilton-based javelin thrower Ben Langton-Burnell is back on the field.

Langton-Burnell, who also owns the rapidly growing company The Launch Agency, joined Waikato’s All Sports Breakfast recently to talk about life, sport, and what it takes to throw a spear more than 80 metres down a field.

Langton-Burnell, affectionately known in athletics circles as “the Jav Man”, has been throwing javelins since his school days at Palmerston North Boys’ High.

Like many athletes who gravitate towards athletics, it came down to identifying a natural strength.

“If you’re good at everything, you’re a decathlete,” he said.

“Otherwise, you find what fits your skill set. For me, that was throwing things.”

That choice took him a long way, literally.

His personal best sits at an imposing 82.44m, thrown in Hamilton.

He’s competed on the world stage, including the 2017 World Championships and the 2018 Commonwealth Games, before his career took an unexpected turn.

In early 2021, Langton-Burnell was throwing in the mid-80m range in training when he was struck by myocarditis, a rare and serious heart condition that arrived without warning.

“It came completely out of the blue,” he said.

The condition sidelined him for months and ultimately led to nearly three years away from full competition.

During that time, his focus shifted to business. It saw him starting and growing The Launch Agency, a digital marketing and commercial strategy company, which has since expanded beyond New Zealand’s borders.

Ben Langton-Burnell in action in at the IAAF World Championships in London. Photo / Photosport

But while the company grew, the competitive fire never went out.

Now 33, Langton-Burnell is back on the sports field.

He’s training between 28 and 30 hours a week, balancing elite-level preparation with the realities of running a business.

Recovery, he says, has become just as important as training volume.

“Coming back after time off, the tendons and muscles let you know about it,” he said.

“But they’re in a much better place now than they were last year.”

He just competed at the Porritt Classic, where he placed third, throwing 67.76m.

“When you’ve thrown into the 80s before, you know what it feels like,” he said.

“You start to feel that gap again.”

But he knows the moment a throw leaves his hand whether it’s a good one.

“When it’s right, it feels like almost nothing,” he said.

“Everything’s efficient. It’s pain-free. Your hips go, the legs connect, and suddenly it’s just floating away.”

It’s a craft that also comes with a price tag.

Langton-Burnell owns around a dozen javelins, each costing close to a couple of thousand dollars and typically lasting only a few seasons before needing replacement.

While he has his eyes firmly on competing internationally again, there’s no rush.

With a qualifying standard of 80.50m for the Commonwealth Games, he said his focus this season was about rebuilding consistency, confidence, and competitive sharpness.

“This year’s about getting back into competing,” he said.

“After three or four years away, it’s a longer-term mindset, just moving the needle 1% at a time.”

Graeme “Mintie” Mead is a sports commentator, the host of the radio show Waikato All Sports Breakfast and a Newstalk ZB overnight host. He is also a Hamilton City Councillor.