Alex Yee produced a stunning run in 2:06:38 at the Valencia Marathon 2025 to go second in the all-time men’s British rankings.
The Olympic champion triathlete, who won gold at Paris 2024, is focusing on running in between Games in the build-up to LA 2028.
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And Yee produced a personal best by four minutes and 30 seconds after his debut at the London Marathon earlier this year (2:11:08).
Yee is now second behind Sir Mo Farah (2:05:11) after leapfrogging previous No 2 Emile Cairess (2:06:46), who had paced both Yee and training partner Phil Sesemann, who finished in 2:07:11 for a personal best, for the majority of the race before dropping out.
“I’m excited to have one last go at the marathon distance,” Yee had said beforehand, outlining his intent to return to triathlon no matter the result in Spain.
Alex Yee reacts after finishing seventh place in the Valencia Marathon 2025 (Reuters)
Though the 27-year-old could rethink his plans after his seventh overall finish behind race winner John Korir (2:02:24), with the Kenyan bouncing back from a DNF at the Chicago Marathon to add victory in Valencia to his Boston Marathon triumph in 2025.
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Germany’s Amanal Petros, the World Championships 2025 silver medalist, stormed to second on the podium once again (2:04:03), with Norway’s Awet Kibrab third (2:04:24) in national records.
Kenya’s John Korir reacts after winning the Valencia Marathon (Reuters)
And compatriot Joyciline Jepkosgei had too much in the women’s race, running the fastest time of the year in 2:14:00, beating out Peres Jepchirchir (2:14:43), with Chloe Herbiet (2:20:38) the best of the rest in third.
Jonny Mellor (2:08:45) was the third Briton in the men’s race, with Natasha Wilson (2:24:22) running a PB to come home as the first Briton in the women’s race ahead of Lily Partridge (2:27:55) and Verity Hopkins (2:31:22 PB). Here are the leaderboards for both the men’s and women’s races:
Joyciline Jepkosgei from Kenya the finish line in first position (Getty Images)
Elite men’s race
1KORIR, JOHN (KEN)2:02:24
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2PETROS, AMANAL (GER)2:04:03
3KIBRAB, AWET (NOR)2:04:24
4OSAKO, SUGURU (JPN)2:04:55
5AYALE, GASHAU (ISR)2:05:29
6KANGOGO, JUSTUS (KEN)2:06:10
7YEE, ALEX (GBR)2:06:38
8BOUR, Félix (FRA)2:06:41
9TESFU, FILMON (NED)2:06:42
10DIDA, GEMECHU (ETH)2:06:45
11PFEIFFER, HENDRIK (GER)2:06:45
12FITWI, SAMUEL (GER)2:07:01
13SESEMANN, PHILIP (GBR)2:07:11
14CHESEREK, EDWARD (KEN)2:07:13
15MOSIN, PATRICK (KEN)2:07:17
16CHAKIR, IBRAHIM (ESP)2:07:21
17GONDOUIN, VALENTIN (FRA)2:07:54
18KIPKOECH, HILLARY (KEN)2:08:13
19GONZALEZ RIVERA, JORGE (ESP)2:08:34
20BARATA, SAMUEL (PRT)2:08:40
21HASSAOUS, NASSIM (ESP)2:08:44
22Mellor, Jonny (GBR)2:08:45
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23MAYO NIETO, CARLOS (ESP)2:08:53
24BOCH, SIMON (DEU)2:08:55
25LEMMA, SISAY (ETH)2:08:58
26CARR, FERNANDO (ESP)2:09:07
27NAVARRO, NICO (FRA)2:09:24
28BLANCO, JORGE (ESP)2:09:27
29Bastien, AUGUSTO (FRA)2:09:36
30Cruz, Jorge (MEX)2:09:43
31SANCHEZ, PABLO (ESP)2:09:45
32Pointeau, Jason (FRA)2:09:52
33MENGES, TEWELDE (GBR)2:10:00
34NOWICKI, ADAM (POL)2:10:02
35OLMOS PASCUAL, JESUS ANGEL (ESP)2:10:16
36GISEMO, JOSEPHAT JOSHUA (TZA)2:10:31
37CONNOR, BEN (GBR)2:10:49
38CRIPPA, YEMANE (ITA)2:10:59
39SIMONSEN, JACOB (DEN)2:11:10
40Do Canto, Thomas (AUS)2:11:14
41Boulvin, Dorian (BEL)2:11:25
42BOUKEBAL, Aziz (FRA)2:11:29
Elite women’s race
1JEPKOSGEI, JOYCILINE (KEN)2:14:00
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2JEPCHIRCHIR, PERES (KEN)2:14:43
3HERBIET, CHLOE (BEL)2:20:38
4VAINIO, ALISA (FIN) NR2:20:48
5STENSON, JESSICA (AUS) NR2:21:24
6XABA, GLENROSE (ZAF)2:23:22
7BATT-DOYLE, ISOBEL (AUS)2:23:35
8SALPETER, LONAH (ISR)2:23:45
9SOLER, MERITXELL (ESP)2:23:49
10WILSON, NATASHA (GBR)2:24:21
11NAVARRETE, ESTER (ESP)2:24:31
12Elmore, Malindi (CAN)2:24:53
All-time British men’s marathon rankings
12:05:11 Mohamed Farah, Chicago, 2018
22:06:38 Alex Yee, Valencia 2025
32:06:46 Emile Cairess, London 2024
42:07:05 Mahamed Mahamed, London 2024
52:07:11 Philip Sesemann, Valencia 2025
62:07:13 Steve Jones, Chicago 1985
72:08:14 Callum Hawkins, London 2019
82:08:33 Charlie Spedding, London 1985
92:08:36 Richard Nerurkar, London 1997
102:08:52 Paul Evans, Chicago 1996
