Olympic triathlon champion Alex Yee makes the switch to single sport competition as he takes on the 2025 TCS London Marathon alongside some of the world’s greatest long-distance runners.
Four-time winner Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) and new half marathon world record holder Jacob Kiplimo (UGA) are the standout names up against Alex in the men’s field, with Sifan Hassan (NED) and Tigst Assefa (ETH) expected to duel in the women’s race.
Fellow British triathlete Hugo Milner will also be on the start line as a pacemaker – he is scheduled to lead some of the elite runners through the first half of the marathon in 64 minutes, but it is Yee who is the star name from a triathlon perspective competing in the race.
Start time and how to watch live
Yee will be part of the elite men’s group that will lead over 56,000 amateur runners at 9:35am local time. Prior to the mass start, the elite wheelchair athletes will begin their race at 8:50am, with the elite women’s start taking place at 9:05am.
Across the globe, the men’s race will begin at 9:35am in London, 10:35am in central Europe, 4:35am Eastern and 1:35am Western in North America.
BBC is the regular domestic broadcaster of the race, with live coverage available on BBC One and iPlayer throughout the day. In the United States, ESPN2 and ESPN3 will carry the race, and there is also the official London Marathon app which will allow family members to track individual runners.
The London Marathon course
The TCS London Marathon starts in Blackheath and ends at The Mall in front of Buckingham Palace, one of the most iconic finishes imaginable.
The route takes in many of London’s most famous landmarks, including Tower Bridge.
It is relatively flat and actually a net downhill race – 127 metres of ‘climbing’ and 162 metres of downhill.
Yee takes on the ultimate test
It has been well documented that Yee is using the start of the LA 2028 Olympic cycle to test himself in a different environment – he has produced a YouTube series detailing his attempt at the London Marathon.
And he admitted on the ‘Paula’s Marathon Run Club’ podcast, “It would have been very easy for me to be lost going into this year if I’d just chased triathlon goals,” highlighting that the London Marathon, a bucket list goal for the triathlon superstar for many years, is an exciting start to his 2025 season.
The former British 10,000km champion certainly has the credentials to mix it with the big boys, and is eyeing a time just under the 2:10 mark for the 26.2-mile race.
But one aspect of the run he needs to get right is his nutrition, and had discussed the potential issues around drinks stations. “That is one of my big fears at the moment, that experience is something I haven’t experienced. But then it seems unique to every race.”
