Originally published at: Alex Yee “Misses Goal” at London but Hits Impressive Time - Slowtwitch News
Olympic gold medalist Alex Yee made his marathon debut in style today at the London Marathon, finishing 14th overall in a time of 2:11:08. Yee had hoped to run a bit faster, but despite not hitting his goal, “had the best time doing it,” according to an update the four-time Olympic medalist posted on Instagram.
Despite his triathlon success, Yee is no stranger to elite running. He’s a sub-28 minute 10,000 m runner (he ran 27:51 in 2018) and ran 13:29.18 for 5,000 m in 2019. He’s represented Great Britain’s national track and cross country teams.
Yee won the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics and helped Great Britain take gold in the mixed relay. In Paris he won gold in the individual race, then was part of Great Britain’s bronze medal mixed relay team. He would go on to take his first triathlon world championship last October.
Earlier this year Yee announced that he was looking to take on “new challenges,” and told the BBC that today’s race “was one of the best experiences of his life.”
“An amazing experience but it was hard at the end,” he continued. “Emotions about time will come afterwards, but the main thing for me today was to enjoy it, do something unknown and embrace it. I did that to (the) best of my ability.”
Yee was on track for a sub-2:09 performance for the first 25 km, but struggled over the last 10 km. He went through the first half-marathon in 1:04:19, and managed to run each 5 km until that point in 15:36 or faster, but “slowed” to 16:04 and 16:15 for the 5 km splits between 30 and 40 km. (Must be nice to “slow” to that pace in a marathon, right?)
Yee would finish as the second British athlete behind Mahamed Mahamed, who was ninth. The race was won by Kenya’s Sebastian Sawe, who took the tape in 2:02:27, ahead of Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo (2:03:37) and Kenya’s Alexander Mutiso Munyao (2:04:20). Two-time Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge finished sixth in 2:05:25.
Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa won the women’s race in a new “women’s only” world record time of 2:15:50 ahead of Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei (2:18:43) and Netherlands’ Sifan Hassan (2:18:59).
Fast Triathletes Over the Marathon
In terms of Olympic triathletes, Yee’s performance appears to be the fastest ever over the marathon distance. American Greg Billington, who competed in the Rio Olympics, ran 2:15:31 in 2020. Here’s a look at some other multi sport athletes who have run quick marathon times:
- Malindi Elmore (CAN) ran 2:23:30 at the Berlin Marathon in 2023 and finished third at IRONMAN Arizona in 2016 in a time of 8:57.
- Italy’s Sara Dossena competed at World Triathlon events for many years before setting her sights on the marathon. She ran 2:24:00 at the Nagoya Marathon in 2019.
- 2016 Olympic gold medalist Gwen Jorgensen turned to running after her Rio win, making her debut with a 2:41:01 at the New York City Marathon. Her PB is 2:36:23, which she ran in Chicago in 2018.
- Bermudan IRONMAN champion Tyler Butterfield represented his country at the 2018 Commonwealth Games marathon (2:26:29), but set his PB of 2:21:47 at the Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon in 2019.
- Portugal’s Vanessa Fernandes took the silver medal in the triathlon at the Beijing Games and ran a 2:31:25 marathon in Valencia in 2015.
- Jackie Gallagher (AUS) won the triathlon world championship in 1996, then went on to win the bronze medal in the marathon at the 2002 Commonwealth Games and finished 11th at the Boston Marathon that same year. She ran 2:32:40 in Nagoya in 2004.
- IRONMAN world champ Erin Baker ran a 2:33:49 marathon in Los Angeles in 1992.
- 2012 Olympic gold medalist Nicola Spirig (she took silver in 2016 behind Jorgensen) ran a 2:37:12 marathon in Zurich in 2014.
- Canadian Tristan Woodfine was a top-ranked junior triathlete before turning his sights on running. He ran 2:10:39 at the Houston Marathon last year.