British triathlon star and Olympic champion Alex Yee has officially set his sights on a new challenge: the 2025 London Marathon. The announcement, made earlier today (Tuesday), is a big, big step for the 26-year-old, who is already renowned as one of the world’s most versatile athletes.
Yee, who won relay gold and individual silver medals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and then a dramatic gold medal performance in Paris, in which he used his 10K speed to come from behind for the victory, has an ambitious goal for his debut.
The London-born athlete aims to run between 2:07 and 2:10. A 2:07:00 would be third fastest all-time by a British athlete. Mo Farah set the national record back in 2018, running 2:05:10 at the Chicago Marathon.
His shift to marathon running has been brewing for a while. Yee has previously hinted at his love for running and his desire to test himself in a full marathon. Targeting the London Marathon—one of the most prestigious races in the world—feels like a natural progression for Yee, “With running, I feel like I’ve never stopped scratching the itch.”
London is an obvious fit for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year nominee. It’s his hometown event, and also Yee is a New Balance athlete. The Boston-based brand also sponsors the London Marathon.
Yee has a substantial running-focused resume, having competed on the track, roads and in major cross-country races. But he’s never raced a longer distance than 10K. Although, the typical Olympic triathlon, which is comprised of a 1.5 km swim, 40 km cycle and 10 km run. Yee won the Paris event in 1:43:39, putting down a 29:47 10K to track down New Zealander Hayden Wilde, who had a substantial lead coming off the bike. Yee has since also outsprinted Wilde in a shorter distance event in Boston this year.
And while Yee’s purely running-focused came four-to-six years ago, they do point to his potential as a distance runner. Below are his three strongest running performances, according to World Athletics, along with equivalent marathon times, based on World Athletics’ points tables, which provide points of comparison across distances and disciplines:
| Distance | Time | Year | Marathon Equivalent | World Athletics Rating |
| 10,000m | 27:51.94 | 2018 | 2:10:57 | 1,145 |
| Road 5K | 13:26 | 2020 | 2:12:43 | 1,116 |
| 3,000m | 7:45.81 | 2020 | 2:11:11 | 1,141 |
Of course, shorter distances don’t provide a reliable predictor for a marathon performance, and racing 26.2 miles requires a significantly different approach to training. As a point of comparison, Yee’s pace during the 10K portion of the Paris Olympic triathlon was 4:48/mile (2:59/km), which sounds impressive, particularly coming after the swim and 40 km on the bike. But a 2:07 marathon would require running 4:51/mile (3:01/km), but for more than four times what he’s accustomed to running in a race, and for several more minutes than he’s ever gone at the Olympic distance, while doing by far the most physiologically demanding aspect of a triathlon.
In preparation, Yee says he plans on bumping up his mileage from around 60 miles a week (his usual volume when training for a world-class Olympic triathlon) to 90 miles per week. He also plans on keeping swimming and cycling as a part of his training approach in order to boost his aerobic fitness. It’s not inconceivable that Yee could make a leap into a sub-2:10 marathon with the added running volume and additional aerobic sessions.
“I love the impossible challenge which triathlon brings, of being the best athlete,” Yee says. “But there’s a purity about running. I love the simplicity of it. All you need is your shoes, and you’re out the door. It’s accessible to everyone. In my Instagram bio it says that I’m a triathlete/runner. And there is something about running which is special.”
But there is a cautionary tale for Yee as he makes his leap to long distance running: Gwen Jorgensen.
Much like Yee, Jorgensen was a dominant force in the Olympic triathlon world with a background in track and cross country running from her college days at the University of Wisconsin, a top-tier distance running school.
After the American won gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics, she retired from the discipline to focus on distance running only, with her stated goal being to qualify for the 2020 Olympic team as a marathoner. She joined Nike’s Bowerman Track Club, and trained with some of the best distance runners in the world, including Shalane Flanagan and Amy Cragg, who both represented the U.S. at the 2016 Olympics in the marathon.
Jorgensen never delivered as an elite runner, producing a 2:36:14 personal best in the marathon, far off the level required to represent the United States at an Olympic Games. By the time she pivoted back to the Olympic triathlon distance in 2023, the sport had moved on from her, and she fell short in her bid to make the 2024 Olympic team.
While Yee is still committed to maintaining his triathlon career, his dive into the world of marathon running is intriguing and filled with uncertainty. Will we see him balance triathlons and marathons? Possibly, particularly if he has a successful debut. It’s worth noting that New Balance also sponsors the New York City Marathon in November.
But for now, all eyes will be on him as he begins preparations for London in 2025.
