‘Once a fool to become an expert’ – Yee set for marathon debut

It will be a heartfelt full-circle moment for Alex Yee when he and his family gather for a Sunday post-race dim sum.

Yee, who has Chinese heritage on his father’s side, recalls that the main motivation for running the Mini London Marathon twice placed third as a child was that.

He pleaded with his parents to help him peer over the barriers and take a closer look at the elites before the spectacle of the London Marathon caught his imagination.

However, Yee, the reigning Olympic and world triathlete, will be the one who hundreds of thousands of spectators will hope to see on the streets of his hometown as he embraces the unknown.

Before making his debut over 26.2 miles, Yee tells BBC Sport, “As the years went on, I realized the impact the London Marathon had, and how significant a day it was.”

Ten years after his most recent minimarathon, he says, “I’m not thinking about the experience, but I’d definitely like to get some dim sum with my family and have that deja vu moment.”

The 27-year-old could undoubtedly have taken less difficult tasks to get the mental safford he needed for a career-defining year.

However, Yee knew where he wanted to go after capturing the two biggest triathlon awards less than 12 weeks apart, ending his world title drought in October, and winning the summer’s Olympic gold in Paris, was his next step.

Not that he anticipated his coach to accept his left-field suggestion.

“Never at all,” Yee, the most decorated Olympic triathlete in history, responds, “I’ve asked it every year, but it never really made sense.”

We tried to think what would put me at the best mental and physical condition for the [2028 Olympics] this time. It was crucial to bring things back together.

Yee enjoys this new challenge, which should come as no surprise since he is an athlete who is both obsessed with the process and the success it brings.

He exudes a beaming smile as he recounts his first marathon training block, not excluding one more, even though a triathlon return is on schedule for at least the first year in 2026.

When you hear about athletes soul searching and unsure of what to do, Yee says, “To have something that has given me that purpose to get out of bed, to go out and keep searching for those fine margins, I think that’s really rare in the first year after an Olympics.”

You must once be a fool to become an expert on something. That’s how I see it right now. I wanted to enter with an open mind and emerge as a better runner overall as well.

“I feel like a novice again after learning from so many people.”

Eliud Kipchoge, one of his sporting idols, and Yee is one of the elite men’s runners in a stellar elite elite field that includes 10 runners who have completed the marathon in less than two hours and five minutes.

In addition to Jacob Kiplimo, the first person to complete a half marathon in less than 57 minutes, Alexander Mutiso Munyao, the current champion, and Olympic champion Tamirat Tola.

Yee’s target, right? Enjoy the experience, which you can complete in 64 minutes and 30 seconds.

He would only have a chance to run under 2: 09, which is only 22 other British men have done so.

Yee’s strongest sport is running, and he has competed for Great Britain in cross-country and on the track. His 5km best time of 13:26 is the third-fastest British man’s record.

Yee says it would be a great honor to be among those who have accomplished incredible things, if not more.

To Yee’s surprise, Kipchoge, who was one of the people who offered him advice, announced in January that he would like to meet and assist with the British citizen’s mentorship while they are in London.

The former Kenyan minimarathon runner and two-time Olympian champion have therefore made arrangements to meet after the race.

While this is taking place, Kipchoge, who is widely regarded as the best distance runner of all time, has offered some wisdom via WhatsApp, which Yee describes as “surreal.”

“His main piece of counsel was to get to the starting line,” he said. It may seem silly at the time, but now that people have been made to leave, Yee says it is probably the best piece of advice.

They are likely to discuss a lot.

Both are motivated to inspire others, with Yee now vying to use his platform as an Olympic champion.

Through the launch of his own foundation, which will initially be based in the south of London where he was raised, he hopes to give schoolchildren opportunities.

Yee hopes that his marathon training experience on YouTube will help him understand that not only elite athletes are not “superhuman,” before he travels outside the confines of what he once sat in front of.

There is no reason why people can’t dream big, or even so much more, Yee says, “the more we share our story, the more people realize that we’re just like everyone else.”

With my Olympic success and the fact that I can and want to make a difference, you start to feel this urgency.