Olympic triathlon champion Alex Yee is about to line up with 56,000 others on the TCS London Marathon and insists he is rather like nearly all of novices coming into a bodily unknown
Alex Yee says he feels no sense of strain at tomorrow morning’s TCS London Marathon – as a result of he is rather like 40,000 others taking up the race for the primary time.
Probably the most profitable triathlete in Olympic historical past describes his flirtation with the “magical distance” as each a “lifelong dream” and an experiment as he strives to get stronger than ever to defend his gold medal at Los Angeles 2028.
However that has not stopped expectation constructing round how Yee competes across the streets of the capital this morning – with betting markets accessible on whether or not he can run quicker than Mo Farah.
That appears inconceivable however philosophical Yee, talking like his idol Eliud Kipchoge, insists his high precedence is having fun with the method somewhat than registering an attention grabbing private greatest.
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“It looks like lots of people are enthusiastic about how I do and it’s fairly good in a manner that I can share my story with as many individuals as attainable,” Yee stated. “However I’ll line up alongside 40,000 different folks as an entire novice, doing a primary marathon.
“It’s thrilling and if I can share that my journey hasn’t been linear, I’ve had my struggles and sicknesses, that’s rewarding. I wish to present folks it’s accessible however that I’m additionally going through an unknown.”
Yee has additionally lately began documenting his coaching on YouTube with a sequence of 30-minute clips taking followers behind the scenes.
“I’ve most likely been a bit proof against it in the previous couple of years as a result of I’ve very a lot knuckled right down to get the whole lot out of my physique to win gold,” he provides. “Now I’m able the place I really feel a small obligation to the game and folks to point out what we do is feasible.
“I grew up working exhausting at my sport and there’s no cause why others can’t as properly. I grew up placing athletes on a pedestal that I didn’t suppose I may attain. However I would like folks to develop up now considering they are often the following Alex Yee. Hopefully it brings some accessibility to the elite degree.
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In a race for the British title he can be joined by Olympians Mahamed Mahamed and Phil Sesemann, each of whom are taking pictures for private bests.
Sesemann lately turned a father so has chosen to do all his coaching from residence somewhat than at altitude in Kenya. “It’s a little bit extra just like my first marathon construct, no coaching camps, no altitude, simply been in Leeds operating up and down the canal,” he stated.
But the absence of Sesemann’s shut pal Emile Cairess, extensively tipped to ultimately beat Mo Farah’s British document, is a blow. Cairess, fourth within the Olympics and third right here final yr, withdrew a number of weeks in the past due to harm however is aiming for September’s World Championships and has lately been coaching with Jakob Ingebrigtsen at altitude in Spain.
