The Olympic triathlon champion Alex Yee has grow to be the second-fastest British marathon runner in historical past after a shocking run in Valencia.
The 27-year-old completed seventh in a powerful area in a time of two hours, six minutes and 38 seconds – faster than any Briton in historical past other than Mo Farah, who ran 2:05:11 in Chicago in 2018.
It was a exceptional efficiency, particularly given Yee solely took up the marathon this 12 months as a mini-sabbatical from triathlon after he gained gold in Paris. As Yee crossed the road he roared to the skies earlier than inserting his palms to his head, in disbelief on the time he had simply achieved.
It additionally got here after Yee’s first try over 26.2 miles in London in April had not gone completely to plan after a sequence of sicknesses had interrupted his preparations. After ending in 2:11:08, he admitted: “God rattling, marathon is difficult”.
Nevertheless Yee, who has all the time had severe working pedigree, having competed for Britain over 10,000m on the European championships as a 20-year-old, felt he had extra to offer.
His coaching posts within the buildup to Valencia, the place he had run alongside seasoned marathon runners Emile Cairess and Phil Sesemann, recommended that he had put within the miles and classes to go a lot faster. And so it proved.
Paced by Cairess, who had completed fourth within the Olympic marathon in Paris and has a private greatest of two:06:46, Yee seemed snug as he went via midway in 1:03.32.
And regardless of warmer-than-ideal situations, with temperatures climbing into the mid-teens, he nonetheless had lots left within the tank to run the second half in a destructive cut up of 1:03:06.
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The possibilities of Yee breaking Farah’s report are slim. He has promised to return to his predominant sport full time subsequent 12 months, and the chances are he won’t run one other marathon till after the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
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