Olympic triathlon champion Alex Yee looking forward to 'something different' in London Marathon debut this weekend

Alex Yee, the most decorated Olympic triathlete ever, will take on a new challenge this weekend by competing in the London Marathon. "Taking it on now just makes sense - it’s something different to mix things up and keep the motivation high," he said after a landmark year in 2024. The line-up for the race's 45th edition has been described as "the greatest elite field" in its history.

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Olympic triathlon champion Alex Yee is an endurance powerhouse - but this weekend, he will take on a new challenge: the London Marathon.

He became the most successful Olympic triathlete ever last summer with a stunning performance in Paris, winning gold in the individual and bronze in the team relay.

He then built on a landmark 2024 by becoming world champion at the World Triathlon Championship.

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Despite phenomenal success in multi-sport racing, this will be the first time Yee has taken on the 26.2 mile run.

With a few years to go until the next Olympic Games in Los Angeles, he is using this time to take on events outside of triathlon, including the London Marathon, which is live on TNT Sports and discovery+ on Sunday.

"The marathon is something I’ve wanted to try for a while," he said in a recent interview with Coros, one of his main sponsors.

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"There’s something so enticing about the distance. Taking it on now just makes sense - it’s something different to mix things up and keep the motivation high.

"And what could be more motivating than running in my hometown?"

The Lewisham-born world champion has high aspirations for his debut marathon on Sunday, 27 April.

He is hoping to finish the race somewhere between 2:07 and 2:10, which would likely secure him a top 10 finish.

Only 22 British runners have completed the London Marathon in under 2:10, while just nine have finished in sub-2:09.

Kenya’s Alexander Mutiso won the men’s race in 2024 with a time of 2:04.01.

Yee, 27, will be up against stiff competition in this year’s race.

London Marathon Events CEO Hugh Brasher has described the 2025 line-up as "quite simply the greatest elite field in the history of the London Marathon".

The star-studded field includes Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo, who is making his London debut after becoming the first person to run a half-marathon below 57 minutes - he finished in 56.42 in Barcelona back in February.

Ethiopian Tamirat Tola is also a strong favourite, having won marathon gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Long distance great Eliud Kipchoge – the first person to break the two-hour marathon barrier - also returns to race in London for the first time since 2020.

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In the women’s race, Olympic champion Sifan Hassan and former world record holder Tigist Assefa will both be competing.

However, we will not see current world record holder Ruth Chepngetich and reigning London champion Peres Jepchirchir, who have both withdrawn.

Britain’s Eilish McColgan is also making her marathon debut.

As well as showcasing a stellar line-up of elite athletes, the 2025 London Marathon is also expected to make history by becoming the largest marathon in the world.

More than 56,000 runners are predicted to take part, which would break the current record held by New York of 55,646 in November 2024.

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