Alex Yee is now the second fastest British marathon runner of all time. Running only his second ever competitive 26.2 miles in Valencia on 7 December 2025, the Olympic triathlon champion clocked 2:06:38. Only Mo Farah has run a faster marathon for Britain. It was a performance that left the running world scrambling for superlatives. For a man whose primary sport is swim, bike and run, the Alex Yee marathon result in Spain was simply extraordinary.
The Alex Yee Marathon Build-Up in Valencia
Yee’s route to Valencia was deliberate. After winning Olympic triathlon gold at Paris 2024, he spent the following year exploring the marathon distance. His debut came at the London Marathon in April 2025, where he finished 14th in 2:11:08. A decent start, but he felt there was much more to come.
So Valencia became the target. Yee trained alongside Emile Cairess and Phil Sesemann for weeks. Both are among Britain’s best long-distance runners, and their input was crucial. Cairess paced the group on race day, guiding Yee to around 35km before stepping off the course. Yee went through halfway in 63:32 and ran the second half in 63:06. That negative split tells you everything about the quality of the execution. His Alex Yee marathon time improved his personal best by four minutes and 30 seconds.
Alex Yee Marathon Time Puts Him Second All-Time
Only Mo Farah sits above Yee on the British all-time list. Farah set the national record of 2:05:11 at the Chicago Marathon in 2018. That mark has stood for seven years. Yee is now second, and Emile Cairess drops to third with his personal best of 2:06:46.
To put that in perspective: Yee did this in two marathon starts. Most elite runners take years to reach times in that range. He achieved it while continuing to swim and cycle as part of his triathlon training. That aerobic base clearly transfers directly to road racing at the highest level.
How Cairess Helped Shape the Alex Yee Marathon
This was a team effort. Cairess volunteered to step back from his own racing ambitions in Valencia to help his training partners. Earlier in the year, he had finished fourth at the Paris 2024 Olympic marathon, one of Britain’s finest marathon performances in decades. His personal best of 2:06:46 stands as one of the fastest times a Briton has ever run.
He could have raced Valencia himself. Instead, he paced Yee to 35km and helped create the conditions for his friend to move past him in the rankings. It says a great deal about the culture within this group. And Cairess will get his chance again. He’s targeting the London Marathon and is confident he can chase Farah’s British record.
Alex Yee Marathon Result: Seventh in a World-Class Field
Despite his outstanding Alex Yee marathon time, the depth of the Valencia field meant seventh place was the result. Kenya’s John Korir won in 2:02:24, adding another major to his collection after winning the Boston Marathon earlier in 2025. Germany’s Amanal Petros finished second in a German national record of 2:04:03. Norway’s Awet Kibrab ran a Norwegian record on his marathon debut to claim third in 2:04:24.
Records came throughout the field. Japan’s Suguru Osako set a national best in fourth. Wales’s Natasha Wilson ran a Welsh record of 2:24:21 in the women’s race. Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei won the women’s contest in 2:14:00, a course record and the fastest women’s marathon time of 2025. Peres Jepchirchir finished second, 43 seconds back. Belgium’s Chloe Herbiet took third in 2:20:38.
Why Triathletes Make Such Good Runners
Part of what makes this Alex Yee marathon performance so striking is the training behind it. Triathletes accumulate far more total aerobic hours than pure runners each week. Swimming and cycling build a huge engine without adding the physical stress of extra running mileage. That base allows athletes like Yee to compete at marathon level without ever fully specialising in the event.
The British Triathlon profile tells the backstory: Yee was an English Schools cross-country champion and a 27:51 10,000m runner before triathlon became his focus. Alistair Brownlee showed the same crossover quality when he ranked third in the UK over 10,000m on the track during his triathlon peak. Yee’s Valencia run adds another chapter to that story.
What Comes Next After This Remarkable Year
For now, the marathon chapter is closing. Yee won’t make a permanent switch to road racing. His goal is to defend his Olympic triathlon title at the Los Angeles Games in 2028, and that build has already started. He returned to triathlon competition in 2026 and has said he still has plenty to give the sport.
That makes this year even more remarkable. Yee ran some of the fastest British marathon times in history while staying the world and Olympic triathlon champion. He returned to his main sport no worse for the experience and, if anything, with a stronger aerobic base than before. British athletics loves a crossover story, and Yee has just written one of the best in years. Follow the rest of the British athletics season here as the road to Los Angeles takes shape.
