On Monday, the organizers of the TCS London Marathon introduced there shall be a brand new face headlining the 2025 race. Nice Britain’s Alex Yee, the reigning Olympic triathlon champion from Paris 2024, will make his marathon debut on Sunday, April 27, in his hometown of London.
Yee Love To See It! 🙌
Olympic triathlon gold medallist @Lixsanyee is working the 2025 TCS London Marathon. 🥇
The @BBCSport Character of the Yr nominee is in coaching to make his 26.2-mile debut on Sunday 27 April. 🏃♂️
Discover out extra 👇
— TCS London Marathon (@LondonMarathon) December 16, 2024
The 26-year-old, who has gained 4 Olympic medals in triathlon, has a ton of expertise in distance working, representing Nice Britain in observe and cross-country occasions internationally. He has a 5K private better of 13 minutes and 26 seconds and has run below 28 minutes for 10,000 metres.
In triathlon, Yee is commonly considered the strongest runner within the sport. The popularity performed in his favour earlier this summer season in Paris when he caught New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde on the ultimate lap of the Olympic triathlon to win gold. The sturdy area Yee will face on the 2025 TCS London Marathon will make it one in every of his largest challenges to this point. Nonetheless, Yee will look to his dwelling course benefit.
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Based on the press launch, Yee raced the two.6km Mini London Marathon 5 occasions throughout his junior profession and grew up quarter-hour from the beginning line in Blackheath. “London Marathon day has been such a giant a part of my life rising up,” recollects Yee. “I bear in mind racing the Mini London Marathon a number of occasions as a younger athlete, and it was one in every of my largest and most fun races of the 12 months. Participating in a full marathon has at all times been an itch I’ve needed to scratch, and there isn’t every other place than London the place I’d wish to begin that journey.”
For his London build-up, Yee plans to place his triathlon coaching on pause to focus solely on marathon coaching. “I shall be focusing my coaching over the approaching months on the marathon and am wanting ahead to seeing what I can do over the 26.2 miles,” he mentioned.
Final 12 months, Kenya’s Alexander Munyao gained his first Abbott World Marathon Main in London, denying Ethiopian distance legend Kenenisa Bekele a hoped-for first London Marathon win with a time of two:04:01. Bekele did, nonetheless, set a brand new masters marathon report together with his time of two:04:15. The highest British finisher was Emile Cairess, who ran 2:06:46 end third, making him the second-fastest British marathon runner of all time behind Mo Farah.
Yee is the primary runner introduced for the 2025 London Marathon elite area. The total elite area shall be introduced within the new 12 months.