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Matt Rossi
Courtesy of Matt Rossi/InstagramJen Tran‘s ex Matt Rossi always will have The Bachelorette to give thanks as I think about running the New York City Marathon in 2024.
“While traveling to New York City to run the New York City Marathon, I realized I never told you the real reason I signed up,” Matt, 28, said in a video posted via TikTok on Saturday, November 2. “On a little side mission to New Zealand, I met a 70-year-old man who told me he was training for a triathlon.”
Matt noted that the man said his training started as a way for him to “spend time with his two adult sons” who also competed in triathlons. However, Matt recalled the man saying that his workouts “slowly became a way for him to prove to himself what he is capable of at any age.”
“Throughout life we face many different challenges. But persevering through these challenges really shows us who we are,” said Matt. “This year hasn’t been super easy for me, but overcoming a challenge like the New York City Marathon has given me the momentum to carry that energy into other facets of my life.”
He concluded: ‘So it’s important to do hard things and get done quickly. Oh wait, that came out wrong.” Matt captioned the clip: “Let’s do this.”
Matt received support from Jenn, 26, in the comments section of the upload, who wrote: “Proud of you.” He replied with the heart hands emoji.
@themattyrossi Let’s do this 💪 #nycmarathon #nyc #travel #vlog
Matt completed the race on Sunday, November 3 in 3 hours, 50 minutes and 44 seconds.
Matt and Jenn dated on and off after their first relationship began in 2020, four years before she was announced as the season 21 Bachelorette. During Jenn’s stint on the ABC reality series, Matt traveled to New Zealand to try to get her back win.
In their first conversation, Matt surprised Jenn by dropping the L-word and invited her to the cocktail party where he explained his feelings.
“[When] we really tried things out at first, we were very different people. We weren’t the adults we are now,” he told Jenn during an episode in August. “And I feel like as we’ve matured over time, this bond has only gotten stronger, and I hope you can see how much you mean to me.” I’m just not ready to let it go yet.”

Jen Tran
Rodin Eckenroth/WireImageJenn said in a confessional that she felt “torn” about welcoming him to the show, adding, “I’m fighting between this past and this new.” I don’t want to hurt anyone, but I have to make a decision.”
Ultimately, Jenn sent Matt packing and he broke the news of his departure to the remaining suitors before leaving the show.
“I just wanted to take a moment to let you know that I came here completely of my own volition, but she has informed me that her future is in this room,” he said. “She is confident that you can provide something that I cannot, and I am only here to apologize, I am not here to take anything away from your experience. I wish you all the best. I wish her the best.”
Although viewers didn’t see Matt again, he claimed he appeared on the show Men tell everything episode. ‘When they came to me Men tell everything, repeat everything again just to get the whole segment out…” Matt wrote via TikTok in August, alongside a mirror selfie of him in a suit. “Release the tapes, it’s about to get juicy,” he teased in the caption.
Jenn eventually ended the engaged show Devin Straderbut the couple called it quits before September’s After the Final Rose episode. Jenn claimed at the time that Devin, 28, “regretted” the engagement and “got checked out.”
Days later, Devin released a 13-minute video explaining himself, alongside hundreds of text messages between him and Jenn. He apologized hours later for uploading “sensitive information” to social media.
Jenn, for her part, competed on season 33 of Dancing with the starswho she worked with Sasha Farber. Since then, romance rumors have swirled about her and Sasha, 40, with Jenn’s brother even commenting on their relationship with a playful comment. After Jenn shared an Instagram montage of her time on Sunday DWTS with Sasha, James wrote: ‘When is the wedding rehearsal? 🤔.”